Satipatthana Sutta

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The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most popular discourses in the Pali Canon, embraced by both Theravada and Mahayana practitioners (see, for example, Nhat Hanh, 2005). (These two discourses are identical except that the latter includes extended exposition regarding mindfulness of the Four Noble Truths).

These discourses (Pāli: sutta) provide a means for practicing mindfulness in a variety of contexts and potentially continuously. Famously, the Buddha declares at the beginning of this discourse:

"This is the one and only way [Pāli: ekāyano ... maggo], monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the existinguishing of suffering and grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realisation of nibbāna...." (Vipassana Research Institute, 1996, pp. 2, 3.)

The meditation techniques identified in this sutta can be practiced individually or in tandem.

Text

Title translation

English translations of the title, "," include:

"The Arousing of Mindfulness Discourse" (Soma, 1999)
"The Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse" (Nyanasatta, 1994)
"The Frames of Reference Discourse" (Thanissaro, 1995)

According to Anālayo (2006, pp. 29-30), Thanissaro (2000) and Nyanaponika (1996, pp. 9-10), part of the reason for the variety in this title's translation has to do with how the compound Pāli word "" is analyzed. It can be interpreted as "" ("foundaton of mindfulness") or "" ("presence of mindfulness").

In regard to the prefix "Maha-" in the Pāli title of DN 22, this simply means "great" and likely refers to DN 22's expanded section on mindfulness of the Fourth Noble Truths.

Canonical placement

In the Pali Canon, the is the tenth discourse in the Majjhima Nikaya (MN) and is thus often designated by "MN 10"; in the Pali Text Society (PTS) edition of the Canon, this text begins on the 55^th page of the first volume of its three-volume Majjhima Nikaya (M), and is thus alternately represented as "M i 55."

As for the , this is the 22^nd discourse in the Digha Nikaya (DN) and is thus often designated by "DN 22"; in the PTS edition of the Canon, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta begins on the 289^th page of the second volume of the PTS' three-volume Digha Nikaya (D), and is thus alternately represented as "D ii 289."

In post-canonical Pali literature, the classic commentary on the (as well as for the entire Majjhima Nikaya) is found in Buddhaghosa's Papañcasudani (Bullitt, 2002; Soma, 2003).

In this sutta, the Buddha identifies four references for establishing mindfulness (satipatthana): body, sensations (or feelings), mind (or consciousness) and mental contents. These are then further broken down into the following sections and subsections:

Body (Kāyā)

Breathing (also see the Anapanasati Sutta)
Postures (Walking, Standing, Sitting, Laying Down)
Clear Comprehending
Reflections on Repulsiveness of the Body
Reflections on Material Elements
Cemetery Contemplations

Sensations/Feelings (Vedanā)

pleasant or unpleasant or neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant (neutral) feelings
worldly or spiritual feelings

Mind/Consciousness (Cittā)

passion or without passion
aversion or without aversion
delusion or without delusion
restricted or scattered
enlarged or not enlarged
surpassed or unsurpassed
concentrated or not concentrated
released or not released

Mental Contents (Dhammā)

Context

Personality-based typography

According to Analāyo (2006, pp. 24-25) and Soma (2003, pp. xxii - xxiv), the Papañcasudani recommends a different satipaṭṭhāna depending on whether a person:

tends more toward affective craving or intellectual speculation; and,
is more measured in their responses or quick reacting.

Based on these two dimensions the commentary's recommended personality-based satipaṭṭhāna is reflected in the grid below.

		experiential orientation (character)
		affective (extrovert)	cognitive (introvert)
reactivity / temperament	slow	body	mind
	quick	sensations	mental contents

Soma (2003, p. xxiv) adds that all practitioners (regardless of their character and temperament) should also practice mindfulness of Postures (moving, standing, sitting, lying down) and Clear Understanding, about which he writes: "The whole practice of mindfulness depends on the correct grasp of the exercises included in the two parts referred to here."

Single-focused, successive and simultaneous practices

There are a variety of ways that one could use the methods described in the including:

Focus on a single method. The method most written about in the English language is that of mindfulness of breath.
Practice the various methods individually in succession.
Maintain breath mindfulness as a primary object while using other methods to address non-breath stimuli.
Practice multiple methods either in tandem or in a context-driven manner.

Notes

Bibliography

Anālayo (2006). Satipatthāna: The Direct Path to Realization. Birmingham: Windhorse Publications. ISBN 1-899579-54-0.
Bullitt, John T. (2002). Beyond the Tipitaka: A Field Guide to Post-canonical Pali Literature. Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bullitt/fieldguide.html#atthakatha.
Goldstein, Joseph (1987). The Experience of Insight. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 0-87773-226-4.
Gombrich, Richard F. (1996). How Buddhism Began: The Conditioned Genesis of the Early Teachings. Cited in Anālayo (2006). London: Athlone Press. ISBN 0-415-37123-6.
Gyori, Thomas I. (1996). The Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthāna) as a Microcosm of the Theravāda Buddhist World View (M.A. dissertation). Cited in Anālayo (2006). Washington: American University.
Gunaratana, Henepola (1988). The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 955-24-0035-X. Available on-line at http://www.budsas.org/ebud/jhanas/jhanas0a.htm.
Ñanamoli Thera & Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.) (1994). Maha-sihanada Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar (MN 12). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.012.ntbb.html.
Nhat Hanh, Thich (trans. Annabel Laity) (2005). Transformation and Healing : Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness . Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press. ISBN 0-938077-34-1.
Nyanaponika Thera (1996). The Heart of Buddhist Meditation: A Handbook of Mental Training based on the Buddha's Way of Mindfulness. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser. ISBN 0-87728-073-8.
Nyanasatta Thera (trans.) (1994). The Foundations of Mindfulness (MN 10). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html.
Soma Thera (trans.) (1999). The Discourse on the Arousing of Mindfulness (MN 10). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.soma.html.
Soma Thera (trans.) (2003). The Way of Mindfulness. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 955-24-0256-5. Also available on-line in a 1998 version at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/soma/wayof.html.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1995). Satipatthana Sutta: The Frames of Reference (MN 10). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference (DN 22). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html.
Vipassana Research Institute (trans.) (1996). : The Great Discourse on Establishing Mindfulness. Seattle, WA: Vipassana Research Publications of America. ISBN 0-9649484-0-0.

External links

Global Online Satipatthana Recitation
Satipatthana Sutta read aloud (talking book) by Sally Clough

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