1.1 Placing the Teaching
Evaṃ me sutaṃ:
I1 learnt in this way:2
ekaṃ samayaṃ Bhagavā Kurūsu viharati
during one season, the fortunate one dwelt peacefully in the land of the Kurūs,3
kammāssadammaṃ nāma Kurūnaṃ nigamo.
near4 a market town of the Kurūs called Kammāssadamma.
Tatra kho Bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the fortunate one invited the meditators5 to listen
“Bhikkhavo!” ti “Bhadante!” ti te bhikkhū Bhagavato paccassosuṃ.
by saying, “Mendicants!” and they accepted by saying “Yes Venerable sir.”
1.2 Introduction
Bhagavā etad-avoca:
The fortunate one said this:
“Ekāyano ayaṃ, bhikkhave, maggo sattānaṃ visuddhiyā,
“Mendicants, this is the one going way (like a river)6 for the purification of beings,
sokapariddavānaṃ samatikkamāya, dukkhadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamāya.
so that they find their total release from grief & lamentation, for setting down their stress & displeasure.
Ñāyassa adhigamāya, nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya,
This path has the right manner for the attainment of knowledge, for entering nibbāna,
yadidaṃ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā.
which are the four foundations of mindfulness used in reference!”7
Katame cattāro?
The mendicants asked, “What are these four?”
1.3 The references of the four foundations of mindfulness8
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati,
“Mendicants, in this existence, ‘a meditator abides9 contemplating the body as just a body,’10&11
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having set aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).12
Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
‘They abide contemplating feelings as just sensations,'13
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).
Citte cittānupassī viharati,
‘They abide contemplating mind as just the mental qualities, '14 & 15
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).
Dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati,
‘They abide contemplating (either external or internal) phenomena that arises, stay and pass away in the mind as just mental phenomena,16
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).”
Evaṃ me sutaṃ:
I1 learnt in this way:2
ekaṃ samayaṃ Bhagavā Kurūsu viharati
during one season, the fortunate one dwelt peacefully in the land of the Kurūs,3
kammāssadammaṃ nāma Kurūnaṃ nigamo.
near4 a market town of the Kurūs called Kammāssadamma.
Tatra kho Bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the fortunate one invited the meditators5 to listen
“Bhikkhavo!” ti “Bhadante!” ti te bhikkhū Bhagavato paccassosuṃ.
by saying, “Mendicants!” and they accepted by saying “Yes Venerable sir.”
1.2 Introduction
Bhagavā etad-avoca:
The fortunate one said this:
“Ekāyano ayaṃ, bhikkhave, maggo sattānaṃ visuddhiyā,
“Mendicants, this is the one going way (like a river)6 for the purification of beings,
sokapariddavānaṃ samatikkamāya, dukkhadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamāya.
so that they find their total release from grief & lamentation, for setting down their stress & displeasure.
Ñāyassa adhigamāya, nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya,
This path has the right manner for the attainment of knowledge, for entering nibbāna,
yadidaṃ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā.
which are the four foundations of mindfulness used in reference!”7
Katame cattāro?
The mendicants asked, “What are these four?”
1.3 The references of the four foundations of mindfulness8
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati,
“Mendicants, in this existence, ‘a meditator abides9 contemplating the body as just a body,’10&11
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having set aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).12
Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati,
‘They abide contemplating feelings as just sensations,'13
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).
Citte cittānupassī viharati,
‘They abide contemplating mind as just the mental qualities, '14 & 15
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).
Dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati,
‘They abide contemplating (either external or internal) phenomena that arises, stay and pass away in the mind as just mental phenomena,16
ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.
devoting themselves to discriminating mindfulness, having setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves).”
Uddeso Niṭṭhito
The End of the Introductory verses
The End of the Introductory verses
Notes
1
Here and elsewhere the use of the term ‘I’ or other variants for 1st person, is for grammatical purposes, not to be taken as indicating an inherent self (atta,) rather, it is an object for grammatical sense, to refer to the speaker, or archetypal person being referenced.
A translation of ‘me’ meaning - to me; my; mine - and an enclitic form of ‘ahaṇ’ of 1st person ‘I,’ used here.
2
This translation is an alternative to ‘Thus have I heard,’ to incorporate, to some extent, the reciters; transcribers; and translators; since the first council. This phrase indicates that the Venerable Ānanda whom, according to tradition, originally recited the sutta pitaka during the first council, when the Tipitaka was originally codified.
3
The Kurūs Kingdom roughly corresponds to modern Delhi Thanesar, and Upper Gangetic Doab. This location possibly suggests a late discourse in the Buddha's teaching career, due to the distance from the usual places mentioned. It is also noteworthy that all except one Satipaṭṭhāna sutta of the different existent versions, gives this location as the local of the discourse, this is not to surprising, although as both Suttanta piṭaka of the thravada school provide the same location, yet have differences. This could suggest that they were given in different locations and an early agreement between the reciters (which is in accord with the Mulasarvastivadin vinaya; see Mindfulness in Early Buddhism, by Tse-fu Kuan, London: Routledge, November 2007, page 135-136 for further details) of the location of the discourse meant that each version followed suit. This could possibly provide the suttas with a pre-second council date, although that is highly speculative.
4
This is, according to the commentary, the forest near the town, not a monastery, or other form of residence.
5
Here I use mendicant & meditator to translate bhikkhave & bhikkhu respectively, in-order to differentiate between the archetype and those being addressed; meditator is also used in the sense of 'those who restrain themselves, are restrained, or as those who look within,' as Khn Dhp verse 362 says; “With hands restrained, feet restrained, and speech restrained, skilled in self control, inwardly settled, pleased & solitary of mind - this is said to be a mendicant.”
6
The commentators have given several differing meanings for Ekāyano maggo, which shows that there maybe no definitive translation of this line.
7
The pāḷi word Satipaṭṭhāna can be broken down into two different ways, ‘sati-patthanā,’ foundation of mindfulness, patthanāmeaning setting forth; putting forward; or starting point with a implication of delving into a ‘topic’ deeply again and again, or ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness upaṭṭhāna meaning waiting on; looking after; service; or understanding with the implication of keeping watch on the ‘topic.’ Upaṭṭhāna within the pāḷi suttas, is found more frequently, and seen more distinctly in the Sanskrit equivalent, smṛtyupasthāna, so ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna’ maybe asserted as the correct manner in which to translate and understand the word. This does not entirely discount the ‘sati-patthanā’ breakdown, as it is possible that the Buddha used the word meaning both at different times, and at the same time, as he was a skilled orator, and explaining something beyond normal experience requires different levels of meaning. Satipaṭṭhāna therefore maybe translated in a general manner as, ‘the way the foundations of mindfulness are referenced’ or as I have translated it ‘the foundations of mindfulness used in reference,’ as-well as the two usual translations.
An alternative satipaṭṭhāna formula can be found at SN47.4.
8
The opening verses of the Niam chu jing the Madhya Āgama version of the maha-satipatthana sutta mention ”Whatever Ones-Thus-Come there were... There will be... 'and' I, the current Thus-Come-One, that do not cling to complete right enlightenment, all have... established the mind and rightly abide in the four foundations of mindfulness....” Translated from the Chinese by NJ Smith, 10/2001. Similar passages within the Pāḷi canon can be found at DN16.117; 28.2; SN47.12; AN6.57 & AN10.95.
9
'Viharati' meaning lives; abides; dwells; sojourns. The second book of the Abhidhamma, the Vibhaṅga passage 540, clarifies this as meaning “assuming any of the four postures; exists; protects; keeps going; maintains; turns about; and dwells.” The classification of “turns about” may indicate section 2.3 on Clear Knowing – Sampajānapabbaṃ, as-well as section 2.2 on the postures - Iriyāpathapabbaṃ.
10
This is the first ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘body in the body’. These repetitions are also to impress upon the ‘reader’ that they should remain on one reference at a time and recognise when they leave and focus on another reference i.e., focused on a body part then contemplate the feelings associated with that part is changing the contemplation to feelings from a body contemplation, although this would also include being side tracked and becoming lost in thoughts from the original subject. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For the body the origination is nutriment, which is physical food, and the cessation of food brings on the cessation of the body.
11
An alternative translation of ‘kāye kāyānupassī viharati, etc.,’ maybe ‘abide contemplating the body in the body, etc.,’ which indicates that it is only, the specific reference being used that is the object, not another reference such as feelings, mental qualities, or mental phenomena. However, both translations indicate that it is just reference being referenced, not a male, female, ones own body… rather simply what it is, as it is.
A third alternative is given within the text, which I believe to be in-keeping with the 'insight' aspect, rather than the 'tranquillity' aspect reflected here.
12
This line and its repetitions describe ‘sati-patthanā,’ the four foundations of mindfulness, which are, Devoted (ardent = Ātāpī; bringing the object back to our awareness repetitively) Discriminating (clearly comprehending = Sampajāno; see also footnote 47) Mindful (Satimā) Setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves) (vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ,) referring to the eight worldly conditions, which are - gain/loss, status/disgrace, censure/praise, and pleasure/pain. Within the Bhikkhunupassaya Sutta, SN47.10, there are two kinds of meditation mentioned, cultivation based on having to aspire & cultivation based on not having to aspire, within each satipaṭṭhāna. The description of the undirected practice omits “Setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves)” which may suggest the lack of need due to Jhāna, a concentrated state possibly referred to in the description of the cultivation based on having to aspire meditation.
13
This is the second ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘feelings in feelings’. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For feelings the origination is contact, which is the meeting of the sense organ and sense object, the cessation of contact brings on the cessation of feelings.
14
This is the third ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘mind in mind’. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For the mind the origination is name & form, which is the fourth link in the dependent origination sequence (see footnote 37,) and the cessation of name & form brings on the cessation of the mind.
15
This translation (mental qualities) is normally seen in use for the dhamma tetrad, although it appears, to me, more in keeping using this for the citta tetrad, instead of dhamma, due to the content and context of the third section.
16
This is the forth ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘dhammas in dhammas’. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For mental phenomena the origination is attention, which is focusing on an object, and the cessation of attention brings on the cessation of mental phenomena.
Here and elsewhere the use of the term ‘I’ or other variants for 1st person, is for grammatical purposes, not to be taken as indicating an inherent self (atta,) rather, it is an object for grammatical sense, to refer to the speaker, or archetypal person being referenced.
A translation of ‘me’ meaning - to me; my; mine - and an enclitic form of ‘ahaṇ’ of 1st person ‘I,’ used here.
2
This translation is an alternative to ‘Thus have I heard,’ to incorporate, to some extent, the reciters; transcribers; and translators; since the first council. This phrase indicates that the Venerable Ānanda whom, according to tradition, originally recited the sutta pitaka during the first council, when the Tipitaka was originally codified.
3
The Kurūs Kingdom roughly corresponds to modern Delhi Thanesar, and Upper Gangetic Doab. This location possibly suggests a late discourse in the Buddha's teaching career, due to the distance from the usual places mentioned. It is also noteworthy that all except one Satipaṭṭhāna sutta of the different existent versions, gives this location as the local of the discourse, this is not to surprising, although as both Suttanta piṭaka of the thravada school provide the same location, yet have differences. This could suggest that they were given in different locations and an early agreement between the reciters (which is in accord with the Mulasarvastivadin vinaya; see Mindfulness in Early Buddhism, by Tse-fu Kuan, London: Routledge, November 2007, page 135-136 for further details) of the location of the discourse meant that each version followed suit. This could possibly provide the suttas with a pre-second council date, although that is highly speculative.
4
This is, according to the commentary, the forest near the town, not a monastery, or other form of residence.
5
Here I use mendicant & meditator to translate bhikkhave & bhikkhu respectively, in-order to differentiate between the archetype and those being addressed; meditator is also used in the sense of 'those who restrain themselves, are restrained, or as those who look within,' as Khn Dhp verse 362 says; “With hands restrained, feet restrained, and speech restrained, skilled in self control, inwardly settled, pleased & solitary of mind - this is said to be a mendicant.”
6
The commentators have given several differing meanings for Ekāyano maggo, which shows that there maybe no definitive translation of this line.
7
The pāḷi word Satipaṭṭhāna can be broken down into two different ways, ‘sati-patthanā,’ foundation of mindfulness, patthanāmeaning setting forth; putting forward; or starting point with a implication of delving into a ‘topic’ deeply again and again, or ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness upaṭṭhāna meaning waiting on; looking after; service; or understanding with the implication of keeping watch on the ‘topic.’ Upaṭṭhāna within the pāḷi suttas, is found more frequently, and seen more distinctly in the Sanskrit equivalent, smṛtyupasthāna, so ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna’ maybe asserted as the correct manner in which to translate and understand the word. This does not entirely discount the ‘sati-patthanā’ breakdown, as it is possible that the Buddha used the word meaning both at different times, and at the same time, as he was a skilled orator, and explaining something beyond normal experience requires different levels of meaning. Satipaṭṭhāna therefore maybe translated in a general manner as, ‘the way the foundations of mindfulness are referenced’ or as I have translated it ‘the foundations of mindfulness used in reference,’ as-well as the two usual translations.
An alternative satipaṭṭhāna formula can be found at SN47.4.
8
The opening verses of the Niam chu jing the Madhya Āgama version of the maha-satipatthana sutta mention ”Whatever Ones-Thus-Come there were... There will be... 'and' I, the current Thus-Come-One, that do not cling to complete right enlightenment, all have... established the mind and rightly abide in the four foundations of mindfulness....” Translated from the Chinese by NJ Smith, 10/2001. Similar passages within the Pāḷi canon can be found at DN16.117; 28.2; SN47.12; AN6.57 & AN10.95.
9
'Viharati' meaning lives; abides; dwells; sojourns. The second book of the Abhidhamma, the Vibhaṅga passage 540, clarifies this as meaning “assuming any of the four postures; exists; protects; keeps going; maintains; turns about; and dwells.” The classification of “turns about” may indicate section 2.3 on Clear Knowing – Sampajānapabbaṃ, as-well as section 2.2 on the postures - Iriyāpathapabbaṃ.
10
This is the first ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘body in the body’. These repetitions are also to impress upon the ‘reader’ that they should remain on one reference at a time and recognise when they leave and focus on another reference i.e., focused on a body part then contemplate the feelings associated with that part is changing the contemplation to feelings from a body contemplation, although this would also include being side tracked and becoming lost in thoughts from the original subject. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For the body the origination is nutriment, which is physical food, and the cessation of food brings on the cessation of the body.
11
An alternative translation of ‘kāye kāyānupassī viharati, etc.,’ maybe ‘abide contemplating the body in the body, etc.,’ which indicates that it is only, the specific reference being used that is the object, not another reference such as feelings, mental qualities, or mental phenomena. However, both translations indicate that it is just reference being referenced, not a male, female, ones own body… rather simply what it is, as it is.
A third alternative is given within the text, which I believe to be in-keeping with the 'insight' aspect, rather than the 'tranquillity' aspect reflected here.
12
This line and its repetitions describe ‘sati-patthanā,’ the four foundations of mindfulness, which are, Devoted (ardent = Ātāpī; bringing the object back to our awareness repetitively) Discriminating (clearly comprehending = Sampajāno; see also footnote 47) Mindful (Satimā) Setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves) (vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ,) referring to the eight worldly conditions, which are - gain/loss, status/disgrace, censure/praise, and pleasure/pain. Within the Bhikkhunupassaya Sutta, SN47.10, there are two kinds of meditation mentioned, cultivation based on having to aspire & cultivation based on not having to aspire, within each satipaṭṭhāna. The description of the undirected practice omits “Setting aside covetousness and melancholy in regards to the world (themselves)” which may suggest the lack of need due to Jhāna, a concentrated state possibly referred to in the description of the cultivation based on having to aspire meditation.
13
This is the second ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘feelings in feelings’. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For feelings the origination is contact, which is the meeting of the sense organ and sense object, the cessation of contact brings on the cessation of feelings.
14
This is the third ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘mind in mind’. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For the mind the origination is name & form, which is the fourth link in the dependent origination sequence (see footnote 37,) and the cessation of name & form brings on the cessation of the mind.
15
This translation (mental qualities) is normally seen in use for the dhamma tetrad, although it appears, to me, more in keeping using this for the citta tetrad, instead of dhamma, due to the content and context of the third section.
16
This is the forth ‘sati-upaṭṭhāna,’ reference of mindfulness, also translated as ‘dhammas in dhammas’. The Samudaya Sutta, SN47.42, mentions the origination and cessation of the four references of mindfulness. For mental phenomena the origination is attention, which is focusing on an object, and the cessation of attention brings on the cessation of mental phenomena.
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