Satipatthana (The Way of Mindfulness)

Satipatthāna Suttas (Dīgha Nikāya 22; Majhimma Nikāya 10)

“[Satipatthana (foundations of mindfulness)] is the direct path for purifying beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for vanquishing pain and distress, for attaining the right approach, for realizing Nibbāna (Pali. Sanskrit: Nirvana), namely, the four applications of mindfulness.”

“What are the four?”

Contemplating [1. body in body] , ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief.
[2. feelings in feelings]
[3. consciousness in consciousness]
[4. phenomena in phenomena]

Full outline to application of mindfulness

1. Kāyanupassanā – (contemplation of body)
   Mindfulness of:

   • Ānāpāna-sati (in-out-breathing)

   • Iriyāpatha (four postures):

     1. 1. Going

        2. Standing

        3. Sitting

        4. Lying

   • Satisampajañña (clarity of consciousness).
     Clear consciousness:

     • In going, coming; in looking forward, backward; in bending stretching of body; in eating, drinking, chewing, tasting; in discharging excrement and urine; in walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking; in speaking, keeping silent

   • Kayagatāsati/asubha (thirty-two body parts)

     • • (1 to 5) hairs of head, hairs of body, nails, teeth, skin (6 to 10) flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, (11 to 15) heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs (16 to 20) intestines, mesentery, stomach, excrement, brains* (21 to 26) bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat (27 to 32) tears, skin-grease, spittle, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, urine

   • Dhātuvavatthāna (four elements)

     • • 1. Pathavī-dhātu (Earth/solid)

         2. Apo-dhātu (Water/fluid)

         3. Tejo-dhātu (Fire/heat)

         4. Vāto-dhātu (Wind/motion)

   • Sivathika (nine cemetery meditations)

2. Vedanānupassanā (contemplation of feelings)
   Mindfulness of: 

   • Kāyikā sukhā-vedanā = sukhā
     (bodily agreeable feelings = bliss)

   • Kayikā dukkhā -vedanā = dukkhā
     (bodily disagreeable feelings = unfulfilling/suffering)

   • Cetasikā sukhā-vedanā = somanassa
     (mentally agreeable feelings = glad- mindedness)

   • Cetasikā dukkhā-vedanā = domanassa
     (mentally disagreeable feelings = sad-mindedness)

   • Adukkha-m-asukhā vedanā = upekkha
     (indifferent or neutral feelings = equanimity)

3. Cittānupassanā (contemplation states of consciousness)
   Mindfulness of:

   • Consciousness with lust, without lust, … with hate, without hate, … with ignorance, without ignorance, … cramped or distracted, … developed or undeveloped, … surpassable or unsurpassable, concentrated or not concentrated, liberated or not liberated

4. Dhammānupassanā (contemplation of phenomena/mind-objects)

   • Nīvarana (five hindrances to Nibbāna)

     1. 1. Kāmacchamda (sensual desire)

        2. Vyāpāda (ill will)

        3. Thīna-middha (slouth, torpor)

        4. Uddhacca-kukkucca (restlessness, scruples)

        5. Vicikcchā (skeptical doubt)

   • Khanda (five aggregates of existence)

     1. 1. Rūpa-kkhandha (corporeality group)

        2. Vedanā-kkhandha (feeling group)

        3. Sañña-kkhandha (perception group)

        4. Sankhāra-kkhandha (mental-formation group)

        5. Viññāna-kkhandha (consciousness group)

   • Āyatana (twelve bases of mental activity)

     • • Visual organ, visible object; auditory organ, sound object; olfactory organ, odor object; gustatory organ, taste object; tactile organ, tactile object; consciousness, mind-object

   • Samyojana (ten fetters)

     • • Personalty-belief, sceptic doubt, clinging to rule and rituals, sensuous craving, ill will, craving for material existence, craving immaterial existence, conceit, restlessness, ignorance

   • Bojjhanga (seven factors of enlightenment)

     1. 1. Sati (mindfulness)

        2. Dhamma vicaya (investigation of nature of reality)

        3. Vīriya (energy)

        4. Pīti (rapture)

        5. Passaddhi (tranquility)

        6. Samadhi (concentration)

        7. Upekkhā (equanimity)

   • Cattāriariya-saccāni (The Four Noble Truths)

     • • This is suffering: All forms of existence are unsatisfactory subject to suffering (dukkha)

       • This is the origin of suffering: All suffering and reconceptualization is produced by desire (tanhā)

       • This is the cessation of suffering: Extinction of ignorance and desire (driven by greed and hate). Nibbāna

       • This is the way to attain Nibbāna (cessation of suffering): The Noble Eightfold Path (atthangiks-magga):

         1. Samma-ditthi (Right view)

         2. samma-sankappa (Right intent)

         3. Samma-vācā (Right speech)

         4. Samma-kammanta (Right action)

         5. Samma-ājīva (Right livelihood)

         6. Samma-vāyāma (Right effort)

         7. Samma-sati (Right mindfulness)

         8. Samma-samādhi (Right concentration)

“Thus live contemplating [body in body] internally, or live contemplating [body in body] externally, or contemplating [body in body] internally and externally.” Thus live contemplating:
[feelings in feelings]
[consciousness in consciousness]
[phenomena in phenomena]

“Live contemplating origination things in the [body] , or contemplating dissolution things in the [body] or contemplating origination and dissolution things in the [body]. Or establish mindfulness with the thought ‘[body] exists’ to the extent necessary for just knowledge and remembrance, and live independent and cling to naught in the world. Thus live contemplating [body] in [body]” Thus live contemplating: 
[feelings]
[consciousness]
[phenomena]

“This is the only way for the purification of beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbāna, namely the Four Arousings of Mindfulness.”

“Thus spoke the blessed one”.

 

Bibliography: 
The Way of Mindfulness, The Satipatthana  Sutta 1949. Bhikku Soma and Cassius A. Pereira

The Buddha’s Path to Deliverance. 2002. Nyanatiloka Thera

Buddhist Dictionary, Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines. 2019. Nyanatiloka Thera