Satipatthana Sutta

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, Thich 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 extinguishing of suffering and grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realization of nibbāna...." (Vipassana Research Institute, 1996, pp. 2, 3.)

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

Location of the Sutta

In the Pali Canon, the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta 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 55th page of the first volume of its three-volume Majjhima Nikaya (M), and is thus alternately represented as "M i 55."

As for the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta, this is the 22nd 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 289th page of the second volume of the PTS' three-volume Digha Nikaya (D), and is thus alternately represented as "D ii 289."

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, also called the Four Frames of Reference are also mentioned in the Samyutta Nikaya at SN 47.6 & SN 47.7. Since the teachings are found in the first four Nikayas and repeated in more than one place, the teachings can be considered one of the oldest and Buddhavacana. The Mahayana Chinese version of the scriptures contains a similar version of the Satipatthana Sutta, as well.

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

Contents

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:

1. Body (Kāyā)

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

2. Sensations/Feelings (Vedanā) (see also: Mindfulness of sensations)

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

3. Mind/Consciousness (Cittā) (see also: Awareness of the mind)

• lust (sarāgaṃ) or without lust (vītarāgaṃ)
• hate (sadosaṃ) or without hate (vītadosaṃ)
• delusion (samohaṃ) or without delusion (vītamohaṃ)
• contracted (saṅkhittaṃ) or scattered (vikkhittaṃ)
• lofty (mahaggataṃ) or not lofty (amahaggataṃ)[4]
• surpassable (sa-uttaraṃ) or unsurpassed (anuttaraṃ)[5]
• quieted (samāhitaṃ) or not quieted (asamāhitaṃ)
• released (vimuttaṃ) or not released (avimuttaṃ)

4. Mental Contents (Dhamma) (see also: Meditation on the Dhamma)

• The 5 hindrances
• The 5 aggregates of Clinging
• The Sense-Bases and their Fetters
• The 7 factors of enlightenment
• The Four Noble Truths

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

Ven. Soma (in his Dhamma book on this Sutta, 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."

See also

• Satipatthana Sutta chant
• Mindfulness of breathing
• Mindfulness of sensations
• Awareness of the mind
• Meditation on the Dhamma
• Meditation postures