The way we will work with the sutra is to first quote the Buddha’s words. This will be followed by a commentary and specific meditation instructions.
Please do not fall behind with any of this work. It will be growing in depth and intensity, and if we skip over any of it, we will not have a solid foundation for what is to follow.
The Sutra
Satipatthana Sutra
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Kuru country at a town of the Kurus named Kammasadhamma. There he addressed the Bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:
Source – Middle Length Discourses #10 (The same sutra with an expansion on the Four Noble Truths appears in the Long Discourses #22)
Commentary
Satipatthana Sutra
Satipatthana is a compound word. The first part, “Sati” means mindfulness. The second part, patthana, is derived from a Pali word which means establishment. So Satipatthana can be translated as “The setting up or establishment of mindfulness.” Another meaning of patthana is foundation or basis. So the title would then become “The Foundations of Mindfulness.” Both meanings are applicable.
“Thus have I heard…”
The “I” in this statement refers to Venerable Ananda. It begins all the discourses given by the Buddha. Ananda was the Buddha’s cousin and his attendant for 25 years. He was the same age of the Buddha being born on the same day.
Venerable Ananda told the Buddha that he would agree to be his attendant if the Buddha would accept certain conditions. Basically, the conditions were that Ananda would not be given any special treatment just because he was the Buddha’s attendant, that he could set up appointments for people to meet the Buddha, that the Buddha would explain any knotty points about the Dharma to Ananda, and that the Buddha would repeat any discourse delivered in Ananda’s absence. The Buddha agreed since Ananda had an exceptional memory and a keen intellect.
Three months after the Buddha died, Ananda shared the Buddha’s teaching at the First Buddhist Council. When Ananda repeated what the Buddha taught, he started all his discources with “Thus have I heard.”
“…Kuru country at a town of the Kurus named Kammasadhamma”.
Some scholars say that this town is in the vicinity of modern Delhi.
“…Bhikkhus…”
This term can refer to monks who take higher ordination. However, in this context the commentaries say, “Bhikkhu is given here as an example for those dedicated to the practice of the Teaching…whosoever undertakes that practice…is here comprised under the term Bhikkhu.”
The Sutra
Bhikkhus, this is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path, for the realization of Nibbana,, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness.
Commentary
“…the direct path…”
It is a direct path in that it leads directly to the goal of freedom; there are no branches in this path so you can follow it from the beginning all the way to final realization. It is a direct path rather than the “only” path.
“…for the purification of beings…”
For the purification of the “minds” of beings, since there are no “beings” to be purified. This practice works to remove the factors of mind that create suffering.
“…surmounting of sorrow and lamentation…”
This training enables one to overcome sadness regarding life’s vicissitudes, and the crying to which these difficulties may lead.
“…disappearance of pain and grief…”
This training enables one to overcome the suffering that occurs when physical pain is present, and the grief that arises when we experience emotional pain..
“…for reaching the Noble Path…”
This is an effective method for cultivating the level of consciousness attributed to those who have realized freedom.
“…for the realization of Nibbana…”
For the total eradication of greed, hatred, and delusion from the mind. Nibbana is not a “state” or “place.” It is the full deliverance from suffering.
“…the four foundations of mindfulness…”
We want to become mindful of the body, feelings, consciousness, and dhammas. Many times the word dhammas is translated as “mental objects.” However, that is not accurate since this section of the training includes both very subtle material as well as mental objects. It is best to leave the word dhammas untranslated.
The Sutra
What are the four? Here, in this teaching bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardently (with diligence), clearly comprehending (knowing) and mindful, free from covetousness (desires) and grief (discontent) in regard to the world. (The same will be said in relation to contemplating the feelings in feelings, consciousness in consciousness, and dhammas in dhammas.)
Commentary
“…a bhikkhu dwells…”
This section talks about how one is to set up mindfulness using the four foundations. Seeing things as they really are does not arise from a haphazard approach to practice. One must dedicate his or her life to this pursuit. One must “dwell” or live this training every moment of every day.
“…contemplating…”
Contemplating in this regard does not mean discursive thinking. It refers to the non-cognitive observation of what is occurring in our experience from moment to moment.
There is no need to introduce thoughts in order to determine the nature of our experience. We merely remain present with the experience as it occurs allowing the true reality of what we are experiencing to arise as an insight or an intuitive understanding.
For example, thinking about what it may feel like when you stub your toe is quite different than the direct experience of stubbing your toe. When it occurs, there is no need for the mind to tell you what you are experiencing. One knows it directly (e.g., the location of the pain, the quality of the pain, the physical contraction around the pain, and so forth.)
“…the body in the body…”
Why does the Buddha repeat the object of awareness? It is to point out that when one practices mindfulness, one has to isolate the object of attention from anything else with which it may be confused.
When observing the body mindfully, for example, we are not looking at our feelings in relation to the body, at our state of mind as we observe the body, or at our thoughts about the body. It is just the body that we are observing.
It is similar to a scientist that looks at a specimen through a microscope. He or she must make sure that whatever is on the slide is not contaminated by anything that would distort what is being seen.
Another meaning is that we are observing the body as an impersonal phenomenon. It is not “my” body, or the body which is “me” – it is just “the body.”
“…ardently (with diligence)…”
This is one of three mental qualities that are needed to practice satipatthana. It is the mental quality of energy or effort. One needs to make an effort to arouse and then maintain mindfulness. It is related to a form of concentration that is referred to as “momentary.” That is, we are making an effort to be mindful of whatever arises to consciousness during each moment of our experience.
“…clearly comprehending (knowing)…”
This is the second of the qualities needed to practice satipatthana. It is the quality of wisdom or discrimination. We need to comprehend what mental qualities are detrimental to our practice and what qualities are helpful to our practice. We need to comprehend whether our attention is slack or we are applying too much exertion. Finally, as a result of our mindfulness, we need to comprehend that our experience is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and selfless.
“…mindful…”
This is the third mental quality needed to practice satipatthana. Mindfulness is paying bare attention to what is occurring within us and to us during every moment of experience. It is a kind of attention that is bare of three things: it is bare of judgment, decision, and commentary.
We do not judge what is occurring in the mind. If we did, we would grasp those experiences that we judged as positive or fortunate. We would resist those experiences that we judged as being negative or unfortunate. This judgment and the consequent reaction would prevent us from seeing things as they really are.
We do not make decisions about what occurs in the mind. We do not try to analyze why we are thinking in a particular way, why certain patterns recur in the mind, and we do not try to manipulate our thoughts according to what we would prefer to think about. We do not do psychotherapy on ourselves. We avoid trying to make decisions about our life circumstances, we do not review conversations we have had in the past and we do not think about conversations we plan to have in the future.
We do not focus on or identify with the commentary that incessantly arises in the mind. These comments are always related to the past or are concerned with what may occur in the future. They are not at all related to what is truly occurring in the present moment.
If judgment, decision, or commentary does arise in the mind, we mindfully observe them without identifying with any of these experiences.
Overall, mindfulness is bending back the beam of attention to our own experience. It has to build up momentum through continuous practice until it becomes a powerful force that can uncover the deepest nuances of experience.
“…free from covetousness (desires)…”
Covetousness is a mental state directly opposed to the development of satipatthana. It is the wish that we had something that belongs to someone else. It is a form of greed or craving.
“…and grief (discontent)…”
This is another mental state opposed to the development of satipatthana. It is a form of aversion or displeasure.
An untrained mind is usually dominated by these two states of covetousness and grief. The mind typically swings from one to the other.
“…in regard to the world…”
This is not the external world. It is being free from desire and aversion within the world of our own experience.
Please spend this month deeply contemplating, reflecting upon, and fully absorbing the overall instructions for developing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. It forms the basis for the all the practices which are to follow throughout our Training.
