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sammāsati

fem nom sg of sammāsati (noun); fem voc sg of sammāsati (noun); masc nom sg of sammāsati (adj); fem nom sg of sammāsati (adj); …

1. sammāsati (fem): right mindfulness; perfect presence; correct awareness
2. sammāsati (adj): with correct present moment awareness; having perfect memory
3. sammāsatī (adj): with correct present moment awareness; having perfect memory

Built from

• sam — prefix · together, completely
  Things brought into one focal point; intensifies the root's sense of gathering and unifying.
• ā — prefix · toward, up to
  Reverses or directs the root's action; here turning remembrance toward the present moment.
• smṛ — root · remember, be mindful
  Cognate with Sanskrit smṛti and English smart (keen); the core sense of holding something in mind.
• ti — ending · feminine abstract noun
  Nominalizes the verbal root into an abstract quality; in Pali feminine forms often mark abstract nouns and doctrinal concepts.

Analysis. sam + mā + sati: 'together-placed remembering', the eighth factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, bringing attention fully into focus on the present moment.

Etymology. sam- (together, completely) + √smṛ (remember, be mindful), cognate with Sanskrit smṛti 'memory' and English smart (originally keen, quick-witted). The prefix sam- shows how scattered attention is gathered into one focal point.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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