LyrArc Insights

THE DISCOURSE ON THE FOUR FORMS OF MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is a discipline that can be practiced using the Dighima Nikaya 22, Sattipathana Sutra, which is in the words of the Buddha- similar to St. Paul in the King James or Tyndale version of the Bible. The most striking thing about it is the amazing simplicity of structure and language in which this is expressed so that it can be practiced to build awareness, and mindfulness in its four forms of mindfulness of body, mindfulness of feelings,  mindfulness of mind, mindfulness of mind-objects.

The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness (translated from the Pali text by Bhikkhu Soma 1949, Ceylon Daily News Press, Lake House, Colombo). So that the Buddha's words on mindfulness and the rigorous training and work of Bhikkhu Soma can be accessible to 3 billion people in India, China, Japan, Vietnam and to the wider Western world honoring Wilkins 19th century translation of the Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit, a companion text by Juan Mascaro in Penguin Classics and Swami Swarupananda in Belur Math press. 

"Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was living among the Kurus, at Kammāsadhamma, a market town of the Kuru people. Then the Blessed One addressed the monks thus: “Monks,” and they replied: “Venerable sir.” The Blessed One spoke as follows: “This is the only way, monks, to purify beings, surmount sorrow and lamentation, destroy pain and grief, reach the right path and realize Nibbāna, it is the way of the four foundations of mindfulness. What four? Herein (in this dispensation), a monk lives practising body contemplation on the body, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful (of it), having overcome covetousness and grief concerning the world (of the body); he, lives practising feeling contemplation on feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome covetousness and grief concerning the world (of feeling); he lives practising mind contemplation on the mind, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome covetousness and grief concerning the world (of the mind); he lives practising mind-object contemplation on mind-objects, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome covetousness and grief concerning the world of (mental objects)."

I. The Contemplation of the Body

1. Mindfulness on Breathing

“And how, monks, does a monk live practising body contemplation on the body? Herein, a monk having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to a lonely place sits down cross-legged, keeping the body erect and his mindfulness alert, mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. When breathing in a long breath, he knows: ‘I breathe in a long breath’; when breathing out a long breath, he knows: ‘I breathe out a long breath’; when breathing in a short breath, he knows: ‘I breathe in a short breath’: when breathing out a short breath, he knows: ‘I breathe out a short breath.’ ‘Conscious of the entire process I will breathe in,’ thus he trains himself: ‘Conscious of the entire process I will breathe out,’ thus he trains himself. “Thus he lives practising body contemplation on the body internally or externally or both internally and externally (that is, contemplating his own breathing and another’s breathing, and contemplating his own and another’s breathing alternatively). Thus he lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world. Thus indeed, a monk lives practising body contemplation on the body."

2. The Postures of the Body

“And again, when going, he knows: ‘I am going’; when standing, sitting, lying down, he knows (i.e., he is aware of the posture); he knows any other position of the body. Thus he lives practising body- contemplation on the body… (as before). He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

3. The Fourfold Clear Comprehension

“And again, in going forward and in going backward, he applies clear comprehension; in looking straight forward and in looking elsewhere, he applies clear comprehension; in bending and in stretching, he applies clear comprehension; in wearing the robes, carrying the alms bowl, in eating, drinking, chewing, savouring, in answering the calls of nature, he applies clear comprehension; in walking, in standing, in sitting, in sleeping29; in waking, in speaking and in keeping silence, he applies clear comprehension. Thus he lives practising body contemplation on the body…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

4. The Reflection on the Repulsiveness of the Body

“And again, he reflects on this very body encased by the skin and full of impurities from the soles up and from the hair of the head down, thinking thus: ‘There are in this body, hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, flesh, sinews, bones….’ Thus he lives practising body contemplation on the body…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

5. The Reflection on the Material Elements

“And again, he reflects on this very body… thinking thus: ‘There are, in this body, the elements of solidity, fluidity, temperature and motion …’ Thus he lives practising body contemplation on the body…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

6. The Nine Cemetery Contemplations

“And again, if he sees a dead body… he contemplates on his own body thus: ‘Verily, this body of mine too is of the same nature; it will become like that and will not escape from it.’ Thus he lives practising body contemplation on the body…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world. (The discourse explains nine different stages of the corpse. In each case the meditator contemplates on his own body thus: “Verily, this body of mine too is of the same nature; it will become like that and will not escape it.”)

II. The Contemplation of Feelings

“And, how does a monk live practising feeling-contemplation on feelings? Herein, a monk when experiencing a pleasant feeling, knows: ‘I experience a pleasant feeling’; when experiencing a painful feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a painful feeling’; when experiencing a neutral feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a neutral feeling.’ When experiencing a pleasant worldly feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a pleasant worldly feeling’; when experiencing a pleasant unworldly feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a pleasant unworldly feeling’; when experiencing a painful worldly feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a painful worldly feeling’; when experiencing a painful unworldly feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a painful unworldly feeling’; when experiencing a neutral worldly feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a neutral worldly feeling’; when experiencing a neutral unworldly feeling, he knows: ‘I experience a neutral unworldly feeling.’31 Thus he lives practising feeling contemplation on feelings internally or externally… (as before)…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

III. The Contemplation of Mind

“And how does a monk live practising mind contemplation on the mind? Herein a monk knows the mind with lust as being with lust; the mind without lust, as being without lust; the mind with hate as being with hate; the mind without hate as being without hate; the mind with delusion as being with delusion; the mind without delusion, as being without delusion; the shrunken state of mind, as the shrunken state (that is, an inert state of mind); the distracted state of mind, as the distracted state (that is, a restless state of mind); the developed state of mind as the developed state (the consciousness of rūpa and arūpa jhāna, i.e. meditative absorptions of the form and formless sphere); the undeveloped state of mind as the undeveloped state (the ordinary consciousness of sensuous existence); the surpassable mind as surpassable (the consciousness of sensuous existence); the unsurpassable mind as unsurpassable (the consciousness of the form and formless sphere); the concentrated mind as concentrated; the unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; the liberated mind as liberated; the unliberated mind as unliberated. Thus he lives practising mind-contemplation on the mind internally or externally… (as before)… He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

IV. The Contemplation of Mind-objects

“And how does a monk live practising mind-object contemplation on the mind-objects?

1. The Five Hindrances

“Herein a monk lives practising mind-object contemplation on the mind-objects of the five hindrances. And how does he practise mind-object contemplation on the mind-objects of the five hindrances? Herein, when sense desire is present in him, the meditator knows: ‘There is sense desire in me,’ or when sense desire is absent, he knows: ‘There is no sense desire in me.’ He knows how the abandoning of arisen sense desire comes to be; and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned sense desire comes to be. (The same with regard to ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and sceptical doubt.) Thus he lives practising mind-object contemplation on mind—objects internally or externally…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

2. The Five Aggregates of Clinging

“Herein a meditator thinks: ‘Thus is material form, thus is the arising of material form, thus is the passing away of material form. (Similarly with regard to feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness.) Thus he lives practising mind-object contemplation on mind-objects internally or externally…. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

3. The Six Internal and the Six External Sense-bases

“Herein a meditator knows the eye, knows material (visible) forms and the fetter that arises dependent on both (the eye and forms); he knows how the arising of the non-arisen fetter comes to be; he knows how the abandoning of the arisen fetter comes to be, and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned fetter comes to be. He knows the ear and sounds … the nose and smells … the tongue and savours … the body and tactile objects … the mind and mind-objects, and knows the fetter arising dependent on both; he knows how the arising of the non-arisen fetter comes to be; he knows how the abandoning of the arisen fetter comes to be; and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned fetter comes to be. Thus he lives practising mind-object contemplation on mind—objects internally or externally …. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

4. The Seven Factors of Enlightenment “Herein, when the enlightenment factor of mindfulness is present in him, the meditator knows: ‘The enlightenment factor of mindfulness is in me’; or when the enlightenment factor of mindfulness is absent, he knows: ‘The enlightenment factor of mindfulness is not in me.’ He knows how the arising of the non-arisen enlightenment factor of mindfulness comes to be; and he knows how the consummation of the development of the arisen enlightenment- factor of mindfulness comes to be. (Similarly with regard to the other six factors of enlightenment: investigation of dhammas, energy, rapture, calm, concentration and equanimity.) Thus he lives practising mind-object contemplation internally or externally. He lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world."

5. The Four Noble Truths

“Herein a monk knows according to reality: ‘This is suffering; this is the arising of suffering; this is the cessation of suffering; this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.’ Thus he lives practising mind-object contemplation on mind—objects internally or externally or both internally and externally…. He lives contemplating origination factors in mind-objects, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in mind-objects, or he lives contemplating both origination and dissolution factors in mind—objects. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought, ‘mental objects exist,’ to the extent necessary for just knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives independent, clinging to nothing in the world. Thus indeed, monks, a monk lives practising mind-object-contemplation on the mind-objects of the Four Noble Truths. “Verily, O monks, should any person practise these four arousings of mindfulness in this manner for seven years, then he should expect one of two results: knowledge (of final Deliverance, i.e., arahatship or sainthood) here and now, or, if there be yet a remainder of clinging, the state of non-return (anāgāmitā, the penultimate stage of sainthood). “Let alone seven years, should any person practise these four arousings of mindfulness in this manner for seven months … six months … five months … three months … two months … a month … half-a-month—then he should expect one of two results: knowledge here and now, or, if there be yet a remainder of clinging, the state of non-return. “Let alone half-a-month, should any person practise these four arousings of mindfulness in this manner for seven days, then he should expect one of two results: knowledge here and now, or, if there be yet a remainder of clinging, the state of non-return. “Because of this it was said: ‘This is the only way, O monks, for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the destroying of pain and grief, for reaching the right path, for realizing Nibbāna, namely, the four arousings of mindfulness.’” Thus spoke the Blessed One. Glad at heart, the monks welcomed the words of the Blessed One."

Originally translated by Bhikkhu Soma and published in 1949 by Ceylon Daily News Press, Lake House Press and Dedicated to Venerable Mahanayaka Thera of Colombo, Ceylon and Venerable Maha Thera Pandava of Moulmein, Burma. Cited by Thera, Piyadassi. Buddha’s Ancient Path, The (pp. 171-176). (Function). Kindle Edition.