<p>Yes it's a Buddhist teaching. Contemplation on a skeleton is called <em>atthika-sanna</em> in Pali. Buddha's teaching of this is in Atthikamahapphala sutta (<a href="https://suttacentral.net/pi/sn46.57" rel="nofollow">SN 46.57</a>), however, there's no English translation of this .This technique is commonly used by forest monks to overcome sensual desires. You can practice it with a real skeleton, a picture of it or visualizing a skeleton in mind. </p>

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2015-09-04T18:28:51.210Z
2015-09-05T08:45:46.770Z
2015-09-05T08:45:46.770Z
dmsp
<p><a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/10332/254">I came across a skeleton meditation mentioned in this answer on this site</a>, and I was interested because it supposedly grants interesting special abilities.</p>

<p>Googling it, I just found pages about something called white skeleton meditation, which I assume is the same thing (although according to guesswork on other forums it is either a Tibetan Buddhist type of meditation or a Taoist meditation but apparently NOT zen). Most sites that describe WSM talk of qi (because it "nourishes ones qi"), something I've never heard mentioned in a Buddhist context but I've heard very little. </p>

<p>Wikipedia seems to have nothing on the subject, so what is the origin of skeleton meditation? Is it a Buddhist meditation? A skeleton meditation is mentioned in <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/nibbana1.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this little book by Pa Auk Sayadaw</a> (which I suppose is the same as the meditation mentioned in the answer referenced above).</p>

<p>Did Buddha ever talk of/teach this meditation? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-04T17:43:17.390Z
I'm asking about the skeleton meditation mentioned in the link, I think it must be the same as the meditation on page 65 in the PDF. I wonder if it is of Buddhist origin, if it was taught by the Buddha.
inzenity
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-05T14:26:24.393Z
I wrote that answer and [here](http://www.meditationexpert.com/Skeleton.htm) is a link to a more esoteric discussion of the Skeleton meditation (and how it can help you generate diagnostic doctor gong-fu).
Med
<meditation-classification>
Is the skeleton meditation of Buddhist origin?
# Is the skeleton meditation of Buddhist origin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-04)

[I came across a skeleton meditation mentioned in this answer on this site](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/10332/254), and I was interested because it supposedly grants interesting special abilities.

Googling it, I just found pages about something called white skeleton meditation, which I assume is the same thing (although according to guesswork on other forums it is either a Tibetan Buddhist type of meditation or a Taoist meditation but apparently NOT zen). Most sites that describe WSM talk of qi (because it "nourishes ones qi"), something I've never heard mentioned in a Buddhist context but I've heard very little.

Wikipedia seems to have nothing on the subject, so what is the origin of skeleton meditation? Is it a Buddhist meditation? A skeleton meditation is mentioned in [this little book by Pa Auk Sayadaw](http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/nibbana1.pdf) (which I suppose is the same as the meditation mentioned in the answer referenced above).

Did Buddha ever talk of/teach this meditation?

**Tags:** meditation-classification

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I'm asking about the skeleton meditation mentioned in the link, I think it must be the same as the meditation on page 65 in the PDF. I wonder if it is of Buddhist origin, if it was taught by the Buddha.  
> **username_1**: I wrote that answer and [here](http://www.meditationexpert.com/Skeleton.htm) is a link to a more esoteric discussion of the Skeleton meditation (and how it can help you generate diagnostic doctor gong-fu).  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-09-04. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Yes it's a Buddhist teaching. Contemplation on a skeleton is called *atthika-sanna* in Pali. Buddha's teaching of this is in Atthikamahapphala sutta ([SN 46.57](https://suttacentral.net/pi/sn46.57)), however, there's no English translation of this .This technique is commonly used by forest monks to overcome sensual desires. You can practice it with a real skeleton, a picture of it or visualizing a skeleton in mind.


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