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85-550: The Satipatthana Sutta is probably the most influential meditation text in modern Theravada Buddhism, on which the teachings of the Vipassana movement are based. While these teachings are found in all Buddhist traditions, modern Theravada Buddhism and the Vipassana Movement are known especially for promoting the practice of satipaṭṭhāna as developing mindfulness to gain insight into impermanence, thereby reaching

170-416: A bhikkhu [i] with regard to the body dwells watching body; he is ardent, he comprehends clearly, is possessed of mindfulness and overcomes both desire for and discontent with the world. [ii] With regard to feelings he dwells watching feeling [vedana] ... [iii] With regard to the mind he dwells watching mind [citta] ... [iv] With regard to dhammas he dwells watching dhamma; he is ardent, he comprehends clearly,

255-400: A first state of liberation . In the popular understanding, mindfulness has developed into a practice of bare awareness to calm the mind. Satipaṭṭhāna is a compound term that has been parsed (and thus translated) in two ways, namely Sati-paṭṭhāna and Sati-upaṭṭhāna . The separate terms can be translated as follows: The compound terms have been translated as follows: While

340-528: A "heightened awareness," "overcoming distracting and disturbing emotions," which are not particular elements of the path to awakening, but rather common disturbing and distracting emotions. According to Sujato, samatha and vipassana are complementary elements of the Buddhist path. Satipatthana explicates mindfulness, the seventh limb of the eightfold path, and is to be understood as an integral part of this path. Polak, elaborating on Vetter, notes that

425-621: A monk "immerses himself in voidness and eliminates the perception of living beings." The practice of contemplating these four properties is also described in more detail in the Mahāhaṭṭthipadopama Sutta, the Rāhulovāda Sutta, and the Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta . The practice of mindfulness of death is explained as contemplating a corpse various progressive stages of decay (from a fresh corpse to bone dust). According to Anālayo,

510-533: A passage with the smṛtyupasthāna schema. According to Sujato, this is very similar to the passage from the Vibhaṅga . The Śāriputrābhidharma , an Abhidharma text of the Dharmaguptaka school, also contains a passage with the smṛtyupasthānas. In his history of satipaṭṭhāna, Bhikkhu Sujato writes that: In the early teachings satipaṭṭhāna was primarily associated not with vipassanā but with samatha. Since for

595-551: A refreshing simplicity that may indicate that it lies close to the early sources." There does exist in Tibetan translation a "Saddharma Smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra" ( dam pa'i chos dran pa nye bar bzhag pa'i mdo//dampé chödren panyé barzhak pé do ) but this is a very large early Mahayana sutra and is an entirely different text. Bhante Sujato completed an extensive comparative survey of the various recensions of Sutta, entitled A History of Mindfulness . The Satipaṭṭhāna material, including

680-802: A variety of ways that one could use the methods described in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta including: According to Analāyo and Soma, writing from a traditional point of view, the Papañcasudani recommends a different satipaṭṭhāna depending on whether a person: Based on these two dimensions the commentary's recommended personality-based satipaṭṭhāna is reflected in the grid shown at right. Soma (2003, p. xxiv) adds that all practitioners (regardless of their character and temperament) should also practice mindfulness of Postures (moving, standing, sitting, lying down) and Clear Understanding , about which he writes: "The whole practice of mindfulness depends on

765-700: Is "a presence of mind, attentiveness or awareness" as well as " bare attention , a detached observation of what is happening within us and around us in the present moment [...] the mind is trained to remain in the present, open, quiet, alert, contemplating the present event." He also states that sati is "what brings the field of experience into focus and makes it accessible to insight." According to Bodhi, to be mindful, "all judgements and interpretations have to be suspended, or if they occur, just registered and dropped." Bhante Gunaratana explains satipaṭṭhāna practice as bringing full awareness to our present moment bodily and mental activities. According to Sujato, mindfulness

850-649: Is "the quality of mind which recollects and focuses awareness within an appropriate frame of reference, bearing in mind the what, why, and how of the task at hand." In the Pāli Tipitaka , the four satipaṭṭhānas are found throughout the Satipaṭṭhāna-samyutta ( SN , Chapter 47) which contains 104 of the Buddha's discourses on the satipaṭṭhānas . Other saṁyuttas in SN also deal with satipaṭṭhāna extensively, such as

935-431: Is a "definite affinity" between the bojjhaṅgā , the seven factors of awakening, and the four jhanas , which actualize the Buddhist practices aiming at calming the mind. According to Gethin, satipatthana and anapanasati are related to a formula that summarizes the Buddhist path to awakening as "abandoning the hindrances, establishing [...] mindfulness, and developing the seven factors of awakening." This results in

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1020-449: Is a compound of sati , mindfulness; and either paṭṭhāna , "foundation," or upaṭṭhāna , "presence." The compound term can be interpreted as sati-paṭṭhāna ("foundation of mindfulness") or sati-upaṭṭhāna , "presence of mindfulness". According to Anālayo, the analysis of the term as sati-upaṭṭhāna , "presence of mindfulness," is a more etymologically correct derivation as upaṭṭhāna appears both throughout

1105-510: Is a precondition for jhana" and that "the proper development of the frames of reference necessarily incorporates, in and of itself, the practice of jhana." In the early Buddhist texts, mindfulness is explained as being established in four main ways: Rupert Gethin translates (from the Pali) the basic exposition of these four practices (which he calls the "basic formula") that is shared by numerous early Buddhist sources as follows: Here, bhikkhus,

1190-484: Is best supported. Soma uses both "foundations of mindfulness" and "arousing of mindfulness." The term sati (Sanskrit: smṛti ), which is often translated as mindfulness, also means memory and recollection, and it is often used in that sense in the early discourses, which sometimes define sati as "the ability of calling to mind what has been done or said long ago." According to Sharf, in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ,

1275-481: Is called ‘samādhi’." Another parallel passage of the satipaṭṭhāna schema can be found in the Pañcavimsatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā sutra . Another passage is found in the Śrāvakabhūmi . The various early sources for satipaṭṭhāna provide an array of practices for each domain of mindfulness. Some of these sources are more elaborate and contain more practices than others. The table below contains

1360-473: Is derived from sati + upaṭṭhāna , sees satipaṭṭhāna as "the activity of observing or watching the body, feelings, mind and dhammas," as well as "a quality of mind that 'stands near'" (the literal meaning of upaṭṭhāna ) or "serves' the mind," and even "presence of mind". Gethin further notes that sati ('mindfulness') refers to "remembering" or "having in mind" something. It is keeping something in mind without wavering or losing it. Bhikkhu Bodhi writes that sati

1445-452: Is equated with "concentration," a state of one-pointed absorption in which there is a diminished awareness of the surroundings. Since the 1980s, scholars and practitioners have started to question this equation, arguing for a more comprehensive and integrated understanding and approach, based on the oldest descriptions of dhyāna in the sutta s . According to Anālayo, writing from a more traditional perspective, "several discourses testify to

1530-618: Is found in Buddhaghosa 's Papañcasudani (Bullitt, 2002; Soma, 2003). Later works, such as the Abhidharmakośakārikā of Vasubandhu , and Asanga 's Yogacarabhumi and Abhidharma-samuccaya , also comment on the four satipatthanas. In the Satipatthana Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 10, the Buddha identifies four "foundations of mindfulness" or "frames of reference," on which he contemplates or focusses after leaving behind

1615-430: Is more likely to be etymologically correct. Like Anālayo, Bodhi assesses that "establishment [ upaṭṭhāna ] of mindfulness" is the preferred translation. However, Bodhi's analysis is more contextual than Anālayo's. According to Bodhi, while "establishment of mindfulness" is normally supported by the textual context, there are exceptions to this rule, such as with SN 47.42 where a translation of "foundation of mindfulness"

1700-517: Is particularly evident in the context of the dependent arising ( paṭiccasamuppāda ) of dukkha, where feeling forms the crucial link that can trigger the arising of craving." The fact that dependent origination can be contemplated through mindfulness of feelings is supported by SĀ 290. The early discourses also state that practicing mindfulness of feeling can be a way of dealing with physical pain and disease. Satipatthana Sutta The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ( Majjhima Nikaya 10: The Discourse on

1785-410: Is possessed of mindfulness and overcomes both desire for and discontent with the world. According to Grzegorz Polak, the four upassanā have been misunderstood by the developing Buddhist tradition, including Theravada, to refer to four different foundations. According to Polak, the four upassanā do not refer to four different foundations of which one should be aware, but are an alternate description of

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1870-535: Is said to be able to reach a "transcendental jhana" which lasts for one mind moment prior to realization. According to Sujato this is a "grave distortion of the suttas". The same kind of trend can be seen in some later, post-canonical Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma works, such as the Abhidharmasāra of Dharmaśrī. This text, unlike the canonical Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma, treats the four smṛtyupasthānas as mainly vipassanā practices. This presentation influenced later works like

1955-602: Is this clear and awake state of presence that allows one to easily remember whatever is experienced. He also states that sati is a detached, uninvolved and non-reactive observation which does not interfere with what it is observing (such an active function is instead associated with right effort, not mindfulness). This allows one to clearly attend to things in a more sober, objective and impartial manner. Regarding upaṭṭhāna, Anālayo writes that it means "being present" and "attending" in this context. He further states: "Understood in this way, "satipaṭṭhāna" means that sati "stands by", in

2040-482: The Abhidharmakośa (4th century CE) , which "defines satipaṭṭhāna not as ‘mindfulness’, but as ‘understanding’ ( paññā )." However, this practice is only undertaken after having practiced samādhi based on ānāpānasati or contemplation of the body and so is not equivalent to the dry insight approach of the later Theravada. Mahayana Buddhist texts also contain teachings on the four smṛtyupasthānas. These include

2125-601: The Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra , Asanga's Abhidharmasamuccaya , the Yogācārabhūmi , Vasubandhu's Madhyāntavibhāgabhāṣya , the Avataṁsaka Sūtra , and Santideva's Śikṣāsamuccaya. Furthermore, Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend contains a passage which affirms the early Buddhist understanding of the four smṛtyupasthānas as closely connected with samādhi: "he persevering practice (of smṛtyupasthāna )

2210-664: The Vibhaṅga (a book of the Theravada Abhidhamma Pitaka ) in a form which differs from that in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta . According to Johannes Bronkhorst and Bhikkhu Sujato , the satipaṭṭhāna formulation in the Vibhaṅga is actually an earlier version of the formula (it includes less elements than the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ). The Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma text called the Dharmaskandha also contains

2295-776: The Anuruddha-saṁyutta . They can also be found in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ( MN 10), as well as in DN 22 which is mostly the same with the addition of the four noble truths. The Sarvāstivāda Saṃyukta Āgama (SĀ, Taisho Tripitaka #99) contains an entire section devoted to smṛtyupasthāna, which parallels the Pali Satipaṭṭhāna-samyutta. According to Sujato, the Sarvāstivāda Smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra seems to emphasize samatha or calm abiding, while

2380-458: The Ekayāna sutra, Direct Path sūtra . An early Smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra version also survives inside some of the large Prajñāpāramitā sutras (Tibetan and Chinese), one of which has been translated into English by Edward Conze . These passages on mindfulness are treated as the first element in the 37 wings to awakening . According to Bhante Sujato, "This version of the satipaṭṭhāna material displays

2465-470: The Ekottarika-āgama version states). Ultimately, according to Anālayo, "the principal aim of contemplating the anatomical constitution of the body is the removal of sensual desire." Sujato similarly states that the basic purpose of these three meditations "is to rise above sensuality," and to deprive "the addiction to sensual gratification" of its fuel. According to U Sīlānanda, first one should memorize

2550-619: The Pali Canon and in the Sanskrit translation of this sutta; whereas the paṭṭhāna is only found in the Abhidhamma and post-nikaya Pali commentary . English translations of the title, " Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ," include: In regard to the prefix "Maha-" in the Pāli title of DN 22, this simply means "great," or "larger" and likely refers to DN 22's expanded section on mindfulness of

2635-543: The Salla-sutta SN 36.6 and its parallels). Furthermore, according to Sujato, the Ānāpānasati Sutta section on vedanā also adds "rapture" and "mental activities" ( cittasankhāra , feeling and perception), which "seems to broaden the scope of feelings here as far as ‘emotions’, ‘moods’." Gunaratana similarly states that vedanā "includes both physical sensations and mental emotions." Furthermore, Anālayo argues that "the central role that feelings have in this respect

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2720-607: The Theravada Buddhist tradition. In 1944, Block was born in Brooklyn , New York, to Jewish parents. He grew up in Borough Park , where he attended elementary school P.S. 160. In 1966, he obtained a B.A. in philosophy from Brooklyn College . In 1972, he obtained a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University . In 1967, while still a graduate student, Bodhi was ordained as a sāmaṇera (novice) in

2805-482: The jhanas , describing how the samskharas are tranquilized: The various early sources show considerable variation in the practices included under mindfulness of the body. The most widely shared set of meditations are the contemplation of the body's anatomical parts, the contemplation of the elements, and the contemplation of a corpse in decay. Anālayo notes that the parallel versions of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta "agree not only in listing these three exercises, but also in

2890-727: The smṛtyupasthānas as being a practice that was associated with samadhi and dhyana. This can be seen in the Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra , which contains a section on how to practice the smṛtyupasthānas in the context of the four dhyanas and the formless attainments. In the later texts of the Theravada tradition, like the Visuddhimagga , the focus on vipassanā is taken even further. Some of these works claim that one may reach awakening by practicing dry insight meditation (vipassanā without jhana) based on satipaṭṭhāna. Through this practice, one

2975-401: The 32 parts of the body by reciting them, then one learns the color, shape and location of each part. After achieving mastery in this, one is ready to contemplate the unattractiveness of each part in meditation. Bhikkhu Bodhi notes that this practice is done "using visualization as an aid." This practice is described with a common simile in the early discourses: one is mindful of each body part in

3060-424: The Buddha is said to refer to satipaṭṭhāna as a path which is "ekā-yano" for purification and the realisation of nirvana . The term ekāyano has been interpreted and translated in different ways including "the only path" (Soma), "direct path," (Analayo, B. Bodhi), "path to convergence" i.e. to samādhi (Sujato) and the "comprehensive" or "all-inclusive" path where all practices converge (Kuan). According to Sujato, in

3145-402: The Buddha's discourse to Subhuti. It only outlines specific practices for the contemplation of the body, the other three satipatthanas are simply enumerated. Various scholars have attempted to use the numerous early sources to trace an " ur-text " i.e. the original satipaṭṭhāna formula or the earliest sutta. Bronkhorst (1985) argues that the earliest form of the satipaṭṭhāna sutta only contained

3230-828: The Canon, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta begins on the 289th page of the second volume of the PTS' three-volume Digha Nikaya (D ii 289). In the Chinese Canon, the Nian Chu Jing (念處經, Smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra), based on a Sarvastivadin source, is found on page 582 of the Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 1, Madhyama Ā gama No. 26. Another similar sutra is in the Ekottara Agama (EA 12.1) and it is called

3315-475: The Dhamma impels one to renounce in search of peace; one undertakes the rules of conduct and livelihood; applies oneself to restraint and mindfulness in all activities and postures; resorts to a secluded dwelling; establishes mindfulness in satipaṭṭhāna meditation ; and develops the four jhānas leading to liberating insight. Johannes Bronkhorst has argued that in the early texts there are two kinds of mindfulness,

3400-694: The Establishing of Mindfulness ), and the subsequently created Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta ( Dīgha Nikāya 22: The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness ), are two of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism, acting as the foundation for contemporary vipassana meditation practice. The Pāli texts of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are largely similar in content;

3485-845: The Four Noble Truths. In the Pali Canon, the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta is the tenth discourse in the Majjhima Nikaya (MN 10). In the Pali Text Society (PTS) edition of the Canon, this text begins on the 55th page of the first volume of its three-volume Majjhima Nikaya (M i 55). As for the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta , this is the 22nd discourse in the Digha Nikaya (DN 22). In the PTS edition of

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3570-424: The Pāli nikayas and is only first used in the Abhidhamma . In contrast, the term upaṭṭhāna (presence or establishment) can in fact be found throughout the nikayas and is readily visible in the Sanskrit equivalents of the compound Pāli phrase satipaṭṭhāna (Skt., smṛtyupasthāna or smṛti-upasthāna ). Thus Anālayo states that "presence of mindfulness" (as opposed to "foundation of mindfulness")

3655-609: The Suttas, samatha and vipassanā cannot be divided, a few passages show how this samatha practice evolves into vipassanā. In later literature the vipassanā element grew to predominate, almost entirely usurping the place of samatha in satipaṭṭhāna. Tse-fu Kuan agrees, noting that "the tendency to dissociate satipaṭṭhāna from samatha is apparently a rather late development." According to Sujato, various canonical texts which show sectarian Theravada elements consistently depict satipaṭṭhāna as more closely aligned with vipassanā practice. However, in

3740-550: The Theravadin version emphasizes Vipassana or insight. The text also often refers to 'bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs' instead of just male bhikkhus. A section on Smṛtyupasthāna is found in various Tibetan and Chinese recensions of large Prajñāpāramitā sutras, such as the 25,000 line version translated by Edward Conze . This skeletal version of the Smṛtyupasthāna is incorporated into the larger sutra and thus appears as part of

3825-700: The Theravadin version emphasizes vipassana or insight. The Chinese Tripitaka also contains two parallels to the Satipaṭṭhāna sutta ; Madhyama Āgama (MĀ) No. 98 (belonging to the Sarvāstivāda) and the Ekottara Āgama 12.1, Ekāyana Sūtra (possibly from the Mahāsaṅghika school). Their presentation of the satipaṭṭhāna formula has some significant differences with the Theravada version. For example, MĀ 98 lists

3910-723: The Vietnamese Mahayana order. In 1972, after graduation, he traveled to Sri Lanka , where, under Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero , he received sāmaṇera ordination in the Theravada Order and, in 1973, received full ordination ( upasampadā ) as a Theravāda bhikkhu or monk. In 1984, succeeding co-founder Nyanaponika Thera , Bodhi was appointed English-language editor of the Buddhist Publication Society (BPS, Sri Lanka). He became its president in 1988. In 2002, he retired from

3995-479: The arising of defilements and those that lead in the opposite direction." Thus, while pleasant feelings associated with sense pleasures lead to unwholesome tendencies, pleasant feelings associated with mental concentration lead towards wholesome states. Meanwhile, a worldly painful feeling might lead to the arising of unwholesome mental states, but it need not do so if one is mindfully aware of it without reacting. Furthermore, certain painful feelings, like those caused by

4080-534: The balanced mind of equanimity." Similarly, Thanissaro Bhikkhu argues that this practice, far from creating a negative self-image, allows us to develop a healthy understanding of the reality that all bodies are equal (and thus none is superior or inferior in terms of beauty, since such a concept is ultimate relative to one's frame of reference). The practice of mindfulness of the elements or properties mainly focuses on four physical attributes ( mahābhūta ): earth (solids), water (liquids), air (gases moving in and outside

4165-518: The basic statements on the function of satipaṭṭhāna in the path confirm that its prime role is to support samādhi, that is, jhāna ." Rupert Gethin also affirms the close connection between satipaṭṭhāna and the jhanas, citing various discourses from the Pali Nikayas (such as SN 47.10 and SN 47.8). In the oldest texts of Buddhism , dhyāna ( Sanskrit ) or jhāna ( Pāḷi ) is the training of the mind, commonly translated as meditation , to withdraw

4250-399: The body was seen as a powerful centering practice and as a strong anchor for maintaining the guarding of the senses. The Kāyagatāsati-sutta and its Madhyama-āgama parallel also list various others benefits from practicing mindfulness of the body, including how it helps to give rise to mental balance and detachment and allows one to endure many physical discomforts. This satipaṭṭhāna focuses on

4335-409: The body's decay taking an external object, that is, someone else's body, but not be externally mindfull of the breath, that is, someone else's breath. The satipaṭṭhānas are one of the seven sets of " states conducive to awakening " (Pāli bodhipakkhiyādhammā ) identified in many schools of Buddhism as means for progressing toward bodhi ( awakening ). The early sources also contain passages in which

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4420-405: The body, as well as breathing) and fire (warmth/temperature). The early texts compare this to how a butcher views and cuts up a slaughtered cow into various parts. According to Anālayo this second exercise focuses on diminishing the sense of identification with the body and thus, on seeing anatta (not-self) and undoing the sense of ownership to the body. Buddhaghosa states that through this practice

4505-455: The breadth of attention is expanded. During absorption, "sati becomes mainly presence of the mind," but in a more focused way. Anālayo cites SN 47.10 in which the Buddha states that if one is distracted and sluggish while practicing satipaṭṭhāna, one should switch one's meditation towards a calm ( samatha ) meditation, in order to cultivate joy and serenity. Once the mind has been calmed, one can then return to satipaṭṭhāna. Anālayo argues that

4590-523: The canonical Abhidhamma, satipaṭṭhāna is still said to be associated with jhana as well. For example, according to Kuan, the Vibhanga "says that when a monk attains the first jhāna and contemplates the body (feelings, etc.) as a body (feelings, etc.), at that time sati, anussati, etc. are called 'satipaṭṭhāna.'" Meanwhile, the canonical Abhidharma texts of the Sarvāstivāda tradition consistently interpreted

4675-413: The contemplation of "feelings" ( vedanā , affect , valence or hedonic tones), which mainly refers to how one perceives feelings as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. According to Anālayo, mindfulness of feelings "requires recognizing the affective tone of present-moment experience, before the arisen feeling leads to mental reactions and elaborations." It also requires that "one does not get carried away by

4760-423: The context of the graduated path to awakening found in numerous early texts, the practice of the satipaṭṭhānas is closely connected with various elements, including sense restraint, moderate eating, wakefulness, clear comprehension , seclusion, establishing mindfulness and abandoning the hindrances . The place of satipaṭṭhāna in the gradual training is thus outlined by Sujato as follows: One's understanding of

4845-407: The corpse. The Ekottarika-āgama version states that one is to contemplate how "my body will not escape from this calamity", "I will not escape from this condition. My body will also be destroyed," and "this body is impermanent, of a nature to fall apart." This practice allows one to gain insight into our own impermanence, and therefore also leads to letting go. In numerous early sources, contemplating

4930-541: The correct grasp of the exercises included in the two parts referred to here." Bhikkhu Bodhi Bhikkhu Bodhi (born December 10, 1944), born Jeffrey Block , is an American Theravada Buddhist monk ordained in Sri Lanka . He teaches in the New York and New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and has edited and authored several publications grounded in

5015-436: The distinction that is made in this sutta between “directed” and “undirected” forms of meditation suggest that satipaṭṭhāna is not the same as samatha meditation. However, the sutta also shows that they are closely interrelated and mutually supporting. Thanissaro Bhikkhu , citing various early sources (SN 47:40, MN 118, AN 4:94, AN 4:170, Dhp 372 etc.), similarly states that "developing the frames of reference [ satipaṭṭhāna ]

5100-463: The final factor of the path, sammā- samādhi (a state of luminous awareness , but also interpreted as deep meditative absorption). This is confirmed by texts like MN 44.12 which state "the four satipaṭṭhānas are the basis for samādhi." The close connection between satipaṭṭhāna and samādhi can also be seen in texts which discuss the three trainings (such as MN 44.11/MA 210) which list satipaṭṭhāna under samādhi. Thus, according to Bhikkhu Sujato, "all of

5185-482: The four absorptions (jhāna)." Yet, in the older Buddhist tradition, mindfulness aided in abandoning the five hindrances , which then leads into the first jhana . According to Gethin, the early Buddhist texts have "a broadly consistent vision" regarding meditation practice. Various practices lead to the development of the factors of awakening , which are not only the means to, but also the constituents of awakening. Gethin, followed by Polak and Arbel, notes that there

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5270-431: The four jhanas and the 'perception of light' under mindfulness of the body as well as listing six elements instead of four. However they generally share the same structure and several basic practices. The four satipaṭṭhāna are analyzed and systematized in the scholastic and Abhidharma works of the various Buddhist schools . In these later texts, various doctrinal developments can be seen. The satipaṭṭhānas can be found in

5355-541: The important role of satipaṭṭhāna as a basis for the development of absorption" (jhana). This includes suttas like the Dantabhūmi Sutta and the Cūḷavedalla Sutta (which speaks of satipaṭṭhāna as the “cause” of samādhi , samādhinimitta ). Anālayo also writes that satipaṭṭhāna is not purely a concentration ( samādhi ) exercise, noting that sati "represents an enhancement of the recollective function," in which

5440-644: The individual content of felt experience and instead directs awareness to the general character of experience." The early discourses contain similes which compare feelings to various types of "fierce winds that can suddenly arise in the sky" as well as to "various types of people who stay in a guest house." These similes illustrate the need to remain calm and non-reactive in respect to feelings. In most early sources, feelings are also distinguished between those which are sensual or worldly (lit. "carnal") and those that are not sensual or spiritual in nature. This introduces an ethical distinction between feelings that can lead to

5525-429: The inevitability of death is also said to lead to increased motivation to practice the path. Anālayo sums up the overall direction of mindfulness of the body as "detachment from the body through understanding its true nature." The early discourses compare mindfulness of the body to a strong pillar which can be used to tie up numerous wild animals (which are compared to the six senses). This simile shows that mindfulness of

5610-454: The latter parsing and translation is more traditional, the former has been given etymological and contextual authority by contemporary Buddhist scholars such as Bhikkhu Analayo and Bhikkhu Bodhi . Anālayo argues from an etymological standpoint that, while "foundation [ paṭṭhāna ] of mindfulness" is supported by the Pāli commentary , the term paṭṭhāna (foundation) was otherwise unused in

5695-535: The main difference being a section about the Four Noble Truths (Catu Ariya Sacca) in the Observation of Phenomena (Dhammānupassana), which is greatly expanded in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. These sutta s (discourses) stress the practice of sati (mindfulness) "for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the extinguishing of suffering and grief, for walking on

5780-430: The main elements found in the various early Buddhist sources on the satipaṭṭhānas. Various scholars have attempted to use the numerous early sources to trace an " ur-text " i.e. the original satipaṭṭhāna formula or the earliest sutta. Bronkhorst (1985) argues that the earliest form of the satipaṭṭhāna sutta only contained the observation of the impure body parts under mindfulness of the body, and that mindfulness of dhammas

5865-474: The mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, and leading to a "state of perfect equanimity and awareness ( upekkhā-sati-parisuddhi )." Dhyāna may have been the core practice of pre-sectarian Buddhism , in combination with several related practices which together lead to perfected mindfulness and detachment, and are fully realized with the practice of dhyana . In the later commentarial tradition, which has survived in present-day Theravāda , dhyāna

5950-435: The observation of the impure body parts under mindfulness of the body, and that mindfulness of dhammas was originally just the observation of the seven awakening factors. Sujato's reconstruction similarly only retains the contemplation of the impure under mindfulness of the body, while including only the five hindrances and the seven awakening factors under mindfulness of dhammas. According to Analayo, mindfulness of breathing

6035-406: The onset of the first dhyana is described as a quite natural process, due to the preceding efforts to restrain the senses and the nurturing of wholesome states . According to Grzegorz Polak, the four upassanā do not refer to four different foundations of which one should be aware, but are an alternate description of the jhanas , describing how the samskharas are tranquilized: There are

6120-691: The path of truth, for the realization of nibbāna ." While elements of the Satipathana sutta can be found in the Samyutta Nikaya and the Samyukta Nigama, which belong to the oldest strata of the Buddhist suttas, the elaborate Maha Satipatthana Sutta exists only in the Theravada Digha Nikaya. Bhante Sujato postulates that the sutta was compiled from elements from other suttas as late as 20 BCE. satipaṭṭhāna

6205-544: The preliminary stage of "mindfulness in daily life" (often called clear comprehension) and the practice of mindfulness meditation proper (the actual practice of satipaṭṭhāna as a formal meditation). According to Sujato, these two forms of mindfulness are so closely connected that they gradually came to be subsumed under the heading of satipaṭṭhāna. In the schema of the Noble Eightfold Path , they are included in sammā-sati (right mindfulness), which culminates in

6290-445: The sadness of knowing one has not yet reached liberation, are considered spiritual unpleasant feelings and can motivate one to practice more. As such, they are commendable. The Madhyama-āgama version of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta also adds the additional categories of bodily and mental feelings, which refers to feelings that arise either from physical contact or from the mind (a distinction which does appear in other early discourses like

6375-442: The same way one is mindful when looking through various kinds of beans (or grains) in a bag (i.e. in a detached way). This indicates that the goal is not to become disgusted with the body but to see it in a detached manner. Bhante Gunaratana similarly notes that this practice "opens the mind to accepting our body as it is right now, without our usual emotional reactions. It helps us overcome pride and self-hatred and regard our body with

6460-478: The sense of being present; sati is "ready at hand", in the sense of attending to the current situation. Satipaṭṭhāna can then be translated as "presence of mindfulness" or as "attending with mindfulness." Paul Williams (referring to Frauwallner ) states that satipaṭṭhāna practice refers to "constantly watching sensory experience in order to prevent the arising of cravings which would power future experience into rebirths." Rupert Gethin , who argues that satipaṭṭhāna

6545-419: The sequence in which they are presented." According to Sujato's comparative study of satipaṭṭhāna, the original mindfulness of the body practice focused on contemplating various parts of the body, while the other practices later came to be added under mindfulness of the body. The practice of mindfulness of anatomical parts is described in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta as follows: " one examines this same body up from

6630-472: The society's editorship while still remaining president. In 2000, at the United Nations' first official Vesak celebration, Bodhi gave the keynote address. In 2002, after retiring as editor of BPS, Bodhi returned to the U.S. After living at Bodhi Monastery ( Lafayette Township, New Jersey ), he now lives and teaches at Chuang Yen Monastery ( Carmel, New York ), and as of May 2013 he has been

6715-496: The soles of the feet and down from the top of the hair, enclosed by skin and full of many kinds of impurity." Following this instruction is a list of various body parts, including hair, skin, teeth, numerous organs as well as different kinds of bodily liquids. According to Anālayo, this meditation, which is often called the meditation on " asubha " (the unattractive), is supposed to deconstruct notions of bodily beauty and to allow us to see that bodies are "not worth being attached to" (as

6800-408: The sources indicate that the practice could have been done in a charnel ground with real corpses but also indicate that one may visualize this as well. Bodhi writes that this practice can be done in the imagination, through using pictures or by viewing an actual formerly living human corpse. The various early sources all indicate that one should contemplate how one's own body is of the same nature as

6885-484: The term sati means to remember the dharmas, which allows one to see the true nature of phenomena. According to Anālayo, sati does not literally mean memory, but "that which facilitates and enables memory." This is particularly applicable in the context of satipaṭṭhāna, in which sati does not refer to remembering past events, but an "awareness of the present moment", and to remember to stay in that awareness (especially if one's attention wanders away). Anālayo states that it

6970-685: The various meditation objects and practices, is treated in various later Abhidharma works such as the Theravada Vibhanga and Paṭisambhidāmagga , the Sarvastivada Dharmaskandha , the Jñānapraṣṭhāna , the Śāriputrābhidharma and the Arthaviniscaya Sutra . In post-canonical Pali commentaries , the classic commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (as well as for the entire Majjhima Nikaya)

7055-509: The worldly life: kāyā (body), vedanā (sensations/feelings aroused by perception), cittā (mind/consciousness), and dhammas (elements of the Buddhist teachings). The sutta then gives an overview of Buddhist practices, under these four headings: The Sarvāstivāda Smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra differs in some ways from the Theravada version, including postures as the first contemplation instead of breathing for example. According to Bhante Sujato, it seems to emphasize samatha or calm abiding, while

7140-412: Was originally just the observation of the seven awakening factors. Sujato's reconstruction similarly only retains the contemplation of the impure under mindfulness of the body, while including only the five hindrances and the seven awakening factors under mindfulness of dhammas. According to Analayo, mindfulness of breathing was probably absent from the original scheme, noting that one can easily contemplate

7225-411: Was probably absent from the original scheme, noting that one can easily contemplate the body's decay taking an external object, that is, someone else's body, but not be externally mindfull of the breath, that is, someone else's breath. According to Rupert Gethin , "[t]he sutta is often read today as describing a pure form of insight ( vipassanā ) meditation that bypasses calm ( samatha ) meditation and

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