Satipaṭṭhānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 10

Mindfulness Meditation · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā among the Kuruskurūsu was stayingviharati Kammāsadhammakammāsadhammaṁ namednāma of the Kuruskurūnaṁ a townnigamo.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the monksbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
“monks!” (quote)“bhikkhavo”ti.
“venerable sir” (quote)“Bhadante”ti thosete monksbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near the Kuru town named Kammāsadamma. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

the direct“Ekāyano thisayaṁ, monksbhikkhave, pathmaggo of beingssattānaṁ for the purificationvisuddhiyā, of sorrow and lamentationsokaparidevānaṁ for overcomingsamatikkamāya, of pain and sadnessdukkhadomanassānaṁ for the endingatthaṅgamāya, of the methodñāyassa for the attainmentadhigamāya, of nibbāna (extinguishment)nibbānassa for the realizationsacchikiriyāya, namelyyadidaṁ the fourcattāro establishments of mindfulnesssatipaṭṭhānā.

“Mendicants, the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.

whichKatame fourcattāro?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati ardentātāpī clearly comprehendingsampajāno mindfulsatimā, having removedvineyya in the worldloke covetousness and displeasureabhijjhādomanassaṁ;
in feelingsvedanāsu observing feelingsvedanānupassī meditatesviharati ardentātāpī clearly comprehendingsampajāno mindfulsatimā, having removedvineyya in the worldloke covetousness and displeasureabhijjhādomanassaṁ;
in the mindcitte observing the mindcittānupassī meditatesviharati ardentātāpī clearly comprehendingsampajāno mindfulsatimā, having removedvineyya in the worldloke covetousness and displeasureabhijjhādomanassaṁ;
in principlesdhammesu observing principlesdhammānupassī meditatesviharati ardentātāpī clearly comprehendingsampajāno mindfulsatimā, having removedvineyya in the worldloke covetousness and displeasureabhijjhādomanassaṁ.
the summaryUddeso is finishedniṭṭhito.

What four? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

contemplation of the bodyKāyānupassanā

1. Observing the Body

contemplation of the body: breathing sectionKāyānupassanāānāpānapabba

1.1. Mindfulness of Breathing

And how does a mendicant meditate observing an aspect of the body? It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. Breathing in heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’ Breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the physical process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the physical process.’ It’s like a deft lathe-turner or lathe-turner’s apprentice. When drawing a long pull they know: ‘I’m drawing a long pull,’ and when drawing a short pull they know: ‘I’m drawing a short pull.’

thusIti internallyajjhattaṁ orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati, externallybahiddhā orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati, internally and externallyajjhattabahiddhā orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati;
observing the nature of arisingsamudayadhammānupassī orvā in the bodykāyasmiṁ meditatesviharati, observing the nature of vanishingvayadhammānupassī orvā in the bodykāyasmiṁ meditatesviharati, observing the nature of arising and vanishingsamudayavayadhammānupassī orvā in the bodykāyasmiṁ meditatesviharati.
'there is‘Atthi a body' (quote)kāyo’ti orvā moreover for thempanassa mindfulnesssati establishedpaccupaṭṭhitā ishoti. just enoughYāvadeva for a measure of knowledgeñāṇamattāya for a measure of mindfulnesspaṭissatimattāya independentanissito andca meditatesviharati, notna andca anythingkiñci in the worldloke graspsupādiyati.
in this way tooEvampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati.
the breathing sectionĀnāpānapabbaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ.

And so they meditate observing an aspect of the body internally, externally, and both internally and externally. They meditate observing, with respect to the body, the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish. Or mindfulness is established that the body exists, to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. They meditate independent, not grasping at anything in the world. That’s how a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body.

contemplation of the body: postures sectionKāyānupassanāiriyāpathapabba

1.2. The Postures

furthermorePuna moreovercaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu walkinggacchanto orvā 'I am walking' (quote)‘gacchāmī’ti knowspajānāti, standingṭhito orvā 'I am standing' (quote)‘ṭhitomhī’ti knowspajānāti, sittingnisinno orvā 'I am sitting' (quote)‘nisinnomhī’ti knowspajānāti, lying downsayāno orvā 'I am lying down' (quote)‘sayānomhī’ti knowspajānāti.
in whateverYathā wayyathā orvā moreover theirpanassa bodykāyo disposedpaṇihito ishoti in just thattathā waytathā itnaṁ knowspajānāti.

Furthermore, when a mendicant is walking they know: ‘I am walking.’ When standing they know: ‘I am standing.’ When sitting they know: ‘I am sitting.’ And when lying down they know: ‘I am lying down.’ Whatever posture their body is in, they know it.

thusIti internallyajjhattaṁ orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati, externallybahiddhā orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati, internally and externallyajjhattabahiddhā orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati;
observing the nature of arisingsamudayadhammānupassī orvā in the bodykāyasmiṁ meditatesviharati, observing the nature of vanishingvayadhammānupassī orvā in the bodykāyasmiṁ meditatesviharati, observing the nature of arising and vanishingsamudayavayadhammānupassī orvā in the bodykāyasmiṁ meditatesviharati.
'there is‘Atthi a body' (quote)kāyo’ti orvā moreover for thempanassa mindfulnesssati establishedpaccupaṭṭhitā ishoti. just enoughYāvadeva for a measure of knowledgeñāṇamattāya for a measure of mindfulnesspaṭissatimattāya independentanissito andca meditatesviharati, notna andca anythingkiñci in the worldloke graspsupādiyati.
in this way tooEvampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati.
the postures sectionIriyāpathapabbaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ.

And so they meditate observing an aspect of the body internally, externally, and both internally and externally. With respect to the body, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish. Or mindfulness is established that the body exists, to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. They meditate independent, not grasping at anything in the world. That too is how a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body.

contemplation of the body: awareness sectionKāyānupassanāsampajānapabba

1.3. Situational Awareness

furthermorePuna moreovercaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu in going outabhikkante in coming backpaṭikkante acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti, in looking aheadālokite in looking asidevilokite acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti, in bendingsamiñjite in stretchingpasārite acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti, in bearing robe, bowl and cloaksaṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti, in eatingasite in drinkingpīte in chewingkhāyite in tastingsāyite acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti, in urinating and defecatinguccārapassāvakamme acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti, in walkinggate in standingṭhite in sittingnisinne in sleepingsutte in wakingjāgarite in speakingbhāsite in keeping silenttuṇhībhāve acting with awarenesssampajānakārī ishoti.

Furthermore, a mendicant acts with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent.

thusIti internallyajjhattaṁ orvā in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati and so on…pe…
in this way tooevampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu in the bodykāye observing the bodykāyānupassī meditatesviharati.
the awareness sectionSampajānapabbaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ.

And so they meditate observing an aspect of the body internally … That too is how a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body.

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