Commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Second Edition) (Newly Revised)

Chapter 1: General Introduction

Original Text: Thus have I heard. At one time the Bhagavan was dwelling in the Kuru country, in a town of the Kurus named Kammasadhamma. There the Bhagavan addressed the bhikkhus: "O Bhikkhus." Those bhikkhus responded to the Bhagavan. The Bhagavan then said: "O Bhikkhus, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the extinction of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true way, for the realization of Nibbāna — the one and only path to be followed is the Four Foundations of Mindfulness."

Explanation: "Thus have I heard" — After the Buddha's Parinibbāna, Ānanda recounted before the assembly how the Buddha originally expounded this sutta. "At one time" does not specify a particular time because time cannot be fixed definitively; India had its time, China had another, and the heavens had yet another, with each celestial realm having different time measurements. Therefore, the suttas simply do not specify a precise time. As the Bhagavan taught for the benefit of beings in the three realms, including humans and devas, and not merely for beings of a specific region, his audience was exceedingly vast, hence the omission of a specific time. After the Bhagavan was seated, he first addressed the bhikkhus to focus their attention on the Dharma. Once the bhikkhus responded, their minds settled and became concentrated, ready to listen. Then the Bhagavan began his teaching.

By cultivating the contemplation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, one can attain the aforementioned benefits: purification of the mind, transcendence of immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, and grief, realization of the truth, and attainment of Nibbāna. For followers of the Hīnayāna, this result of practice is the supreme benefit. What is meant by "purification of the mind"? Purification means the absence of greed, hatred, delusion, their residual habits, attachments, ignorance, and defilements. The minds of sentient beings are generally impure, filled with countless afflictions and ignorance. What afflictions do they have? There is greed — craving for various people, things, objects, and principles; craving for wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, and sleep; desiring to possess whatever is encountered. There is hatred — easily becoming angry, irritated, resentful, jealous, or hostile when encountering circumstances. And there is delusion — understanding nothing of the true principles, knowing nothing, filled with ignorance within, unaware even of one's own delusion; the extremely deluded do not know they are deluded and refuse to admit it when others point it out.

In truth, every sentient being possesses the nature of delusion, harboring unresolved principles. Any matter about which there is ignorance constitutes delusion and ignorance. For instance, not understanding that the body composed of the five aggregates is a temporary combination of the four great elements; not understanding that the "I" of the five aggregates is illusory, impermanent, and transient; not knowing how to escape the suffering of birth and death; not knowing what suffering is, how it arises, or how to attain liberation; not understanding why there is the suffering of the six realms of rebirth, how to transcend the six realms, what a Buddha is, or how to become a Buddha. Yet, they know how to grasp and cling to all phenomena of the world, creating kamma through greed, hatred, and delusion, ultimately becoming bound by worldly phenomena in a deep pit of karmic obstacles, lacking freedom.

The minds of sentient beings contain both sorrow and suffering, which are numerous and subtle. To transcend these sorrows and sufferings, one must tread the path and cultivate it. "Transcend" means to cross over, to eliminate; only by eliminating these sorrows and sufferings can the mind attain coolness and peace. To realize the truth, one must tread and cultivate the path. What is the truth? The true truth is the genuine principle, aligning with the Buddha's teachings on liberation, the reality of the three realms, an indisputable fact. In the Hīnayāna, the truth is the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Suffering is a truth: the five aggregates of sentient beings in the world are suffering — this is truth, an existent reality. The origin of suffering is truth: this suffering arises from the accumulation of unwholesome kamma created by sentient beings' greed, hatred, and delusion over countless kalpas, which manifests as the karmic retribution of suffering — this is also truth.

The cessation of suffering is truth. Although sentient beings experience so much suffering, it can be extinguished through cultivation; suffering is not eternal and unceasing but can be eradicated — this too is truth. The Noble Eightfold Path cultivated to cease suffering is also truth. What is the method to cease suffering? It is the cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path; this method of practice is truth. By practicing according to the Noble Eightfold Path, one can eliminate immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, and grief. In summary, the Four Noble Truths — suffering, origin, cessation, and path — are the truths that sentient beings must cultivate. What are the benefits of realizing this truth? First, one will not fall into the three lower realms to suffer; one may even transcend the six realms of rebirth. Second, one can eradicate craving and attain liberation. After liberation, there is no sorrow, lamentation, pain, or grief; the three sufferings, eight sufferings, and immeasurable sufferings are all extinguished, and one attains the bliss of cessation, coolness, and peace.

What is Nibbāna? Nibbāna is also called coolness and stillness, non-arising and non-ceasing, non-coming and non-going. Our present false "I" composed of the five aggregates undergoes birth and death, coming and going, afflicted and impure. From a broad perspective, the phenomenon of birth and death manifests as the birth and death of the five-aggregate body over countless kalpas, or the birth and death within a single lifetime — from birth to death — all are phenomena of arising and ceasing. From a subtle perspective, the five aggregates arise and cease moment by moment; the physical body and mental states are constantly and rapidly arising, ceasing, and changing without pause — the five aggregates are thus characterized by arising, ceasing, coming, and going. In the state of Nibbāna, there is no phenomenon of arising, ceasing, coming, or going; it is a pure state free from afflictions. Through cultivation, one realizes Nibbāna, attains the bliss of non-arising and non-ceasing, coolness, and stillness.

Nibbāna is divided into Mahāyāna Nibbāna and Hīnayāna Nibbāna. Hīnayāna Nibbāna includes the Nibbāna with residue attained by the third-fruition Anāgāmi and the Nibbāna without residue attained by the fourth-fruition Arahant. The Nibbāna attained by Mahāyāna Bodhisattvas, besides these two types of Hīnayāna Nibbāna, primarily includes the intrinsically pure Nibbāna of the self-nature, the realization of the unborn and unceasing eighth consciousness, the Tathāgatagarbha, and the non-abiding Nibbāna (apratiṣṭhita nirvāṇa) attained at the stage of Buddhahood, where the fundamental mind abides in the Land of Constant Light, the mind is still, yet it employs the Sambhogakāya, Nirmāṇakāya, and countless transformation bodies to liberate immeasurable sentient beings, while the Buddha abides nowhere, not even abiding in the state of Nibbāna.

The Nibbāna with residue and Nibbāna without residue attained by Arahants are realized through cultivating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, contemplating body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. What is Nibbāna with residue? It means there remains a slight residue of suffering to endure; although greed and craving have been extinguished in the mind, with no thought for the three realms, the physical body still exists, and in worldly life, one still experiences various minor sufferings. For example, in ancient India, under forty-degree heat, the direct sunlight on the body felt hot — this is suffering. Mosquito bites in summer causing itching and pain — this is also suffering. Also, due to karmic obstacles, the body may fall ill — again suffering. However, these are minor sufferings because, without desires or cravings, the experience of suffering is lessened and diminished. The source of suffering is craving; sentient beings crave everything. Craving brings suffering, the aftermath of craving brings suffering, whether craving is satisfied or not brings suffering; possessing and then losing causes even greater suffering.

What is Nibbāna without residue? The fourth-fruition Arahant has completely severed craving for the three realms. At the end of life, the five aggregates and eighteen elements are extinguished, with no future existence. Wisdom-liberated Arahants possess only the first jhāna; they must await the end of their lifespan to extinguish themselves. Both-liberated Arahants possess the four jhānas and eight attainments and can extinguish themselves anytime, anywhere, leaving only the indestructible eighth consciousness, the true mind. Then there is absolutely no suffering, for without a body and mind, there is nothing to experience suffering. Thus, after entering Nibbāna without residue, the Arahant attains the bliss of cessation, yet there is no actual experiencer of bliss, for there is no "person" to enjoy it. This is the Nibbāna without residue attained in the Hīnayāna.

By cultivating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, one can attain the aforementioned benefits: purification of the mind, transcendence of immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, and grief, realization of the truth, and attainment of Nibbāna — this is the supreme benefit for the Hīnayāna.

Original Text: What are the Four Foundations of Mindfulness? O Bhikkhus, herein, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world.

Explanation: The Buddha said: "What are the Four Foundations of Mindfulness? O Bhikkhus, regarding the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a bhikkhu first contemplates the physical body, with the mind abiding in the contemplation of the physical body, diligent and unified, endowed with clear comprehension and mindfulness, having removed worldly covetousness and grief."

The first establishment is mindfulness of the body: dwelling contemplating the body in the body. First, observe our body; all mental attention must dwell on one's own body. At this time, the mind should not consider other matters or engage in other wandering thoughts; all attention should be focused together on observing the physical body. After dwelling in contemplation of the body, one can observe a result: understanding that the body is impure and impermanent. Finally, one concludes that this body is empty, suffering, and impermanent — not the self, nor belonging to the self — thus severing the view of self regarding the body.

"Ardent and unified" means not being lazy or slack, not contemplating only for a short while before becoming lax and letting the mind wander. One should always diligently contemplate the body; except when asleep, one should be in contemplation of the body at all other times, thus extinguishing suffering. This is a general outline; the specific methods of contemplation are not yet discussed here. What is "clear comprehension and mindfulness"? If, while contemplating the body, the mind scatters and one loses awareness of the body's condition, this is not clear comprehension and mindfulness. All mental attention should be focused on the body or on what the body is currently doing — this is clear comprehension and mindfulness. One should not do two things simultaneously; if, while contemplating the body, one thinks of other matters and the mind becomes distracted, that is not clear comprehension and mindfulness.

Practicing thus enables one to remove worldly covetousness and grief, because the mind is constantly focused on the body, not recalling the past nor hoping for the future, thus having fewer afflictions. By paying attention only to what is being done at present, the mind does not give rise to suffering, joy, sorrow, or pleasure due to remembering yesterday's or the day before's events. If one considers or plans for tomorrow or the day after, thoughts and schemes arise, the mind becomes impure, filled with distracting thoughts, becoming noisy and impure, and afflictions begin to arise. If attention is solely on the present body and what the body is doing, without other distracting thoughts, the mind has no covetousness or grief. This is the first contemplation: dwelling contemplating the body.

Original Text: He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world.

Explanation: The second contemplation is contemplation of feelings: constantly observing one's internal feelings, with the mind dwelling in observing sensations. Observe the various bodily sensations and mental feelings; all mental attention must dwell on observing feelings, without worldly covetousness or afflictions in the mind. When do feelings arise? Feelings arise when the eye sees forms, when the ear hears sounds, when interacting with others, and during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down — that is, when the six sense bases contact the six sense objects, various feelings arise. Whenever any event occurs, as long as the six sense objects are present, there are internal feelings and bodily sensations; we must continuously observe these feelings.

The result of observing feelings is that when wisdom arises, one perceives that all feelings are suffering. Then we no longer cling to feelings, giving rise to a mind of renunciation and cultivation, ultimately extinguishing these feelings through cultivation, without attachment to them. Through contemplation and reflection, one realizes that these feelings are also devoid of self-nature, are suffering, and since they are suffering, they are not the self nor belong to the self.

Dwelling contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent and unified, means being extremely diligent, continuously observing various feelings without giving rise to worldly covetousness, other grief, other thoughts, or distracting thoughts — this is diligence. Diligence also has another meaning, called the Four Right Efforts: to prevent unarisen unwholesome states from arising; to abandon arisen unwholesome states; to arouse unarisen wholesome states; and to maintain arisen wholesome states. Through diligent practice of the Four Right Efforts, one strives to abandon the unwholesome and cultivate the wholesome. Wholesome states can also refer to the mindfulness of single-minded concentration; unwholesome states can refer to scattered, clinging thoughts. Striving to abandon the unwholesome and cultivate the wholesome is diligence.

After diligent practice, one attains clear comprehension and mindfulness, with the mind constantly observing feelings — this is clear comprehension and mindfulness. If one is unaware of the body's feelings, it is not clear comprehension, because the mind has turned to other matters and lacks focus. What we are doing now is only this one thing: observing the body's feelings, concentrating mental energy to do this one thing well — this is clear comprehension and mindfulness. With clear comprehension and mindfulness, one can remove worldly covetousness and grief, clearly perceiving in the present that feelings are suffering, that feelings are not the self nor belong to the self, thus severing the view of self. After severing the view of self, craving gradually diminishes, one no longer clings to feelings, thus extinguishing covetousness and grief, and at this time, meditative concentration also arises.

This method of contemplation begins with ordinary beings before attaining the first fruition and continues until when? It can continue until attaining the fourth fruition of Arahantship. Through contemplation, one can attain the fruitions of Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna), Once-returner (Sakadāgāmi), Non-returner (Anāgāmi), and Arahant. Ultimately, all covetousness can be completely severed, all afflictions of the three realms eradicated, enabling one to remove worldly covetousness and grief. This is the second contemplation: dwelling contemplating feelings.

Original Text: He dwells contemplating mind in mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world.

Explanation: Dwelling contemplating mind in mind — how many minds are there? Which mind is contemplated? The mind can be divided into the true mind and the deluded mind. There is one true mind, called the eighth consciousness, Tathāgatagarbha. There are seven deluded minds: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness, and the seventh consciousness, the mental faculty (manas), which is the "I" that constantly exercises volition. Adding these seven deluded minds and one true mind makes eight consciousnesses. When contemplating mind, we contemplate the first seven consciousnesses or the first six, because the eighth consciousness is not realized and thus cannot be contemplated; the Hīnayāna does not require contemplation of the true eighth consciousness. The seventh consciousness, manas, is also difficult to perceive and contemplate, but generally, people regard some functions of the seventh consciousness as functions of the sixth consciousness. Therefore, as long as the mind can observe deluded thoughts, it falls within the scope of mind contemplation, without needing to distinguish whether it is the sixth or seventh consciousness — focusing mainly on observing the sixth consciousness (mind-consciousness), with the seventh consciousness as supplementary.

Dwelling contemplating mind in mind — how to contemplate the mind? Contemplate the impermanence of the mind. What is impermanence? The arising, ceasing, changing, and inconstancy of the mind is impermanence. Observe that the six consciousnesses arise and cease daily — this is impermanent. The most apparent manifestation of impermanence is the momentary arising and ceasing of the six consciousnesses, the constant shifting of thoughts. From the perspective of the overall impermanence of the six consciousnesses, the mind is always changing: now it has one thought, soon it changes to another. This mind cannot be grasped by others nor by oneself. The mind is always changing: thoughts change, ideas change, all plans and intentions change; promises made are hard to keep. Therefore, this mind is impermanent, unreliable; one cannot even rely on oneself, so how can others rely on it? It is unreliable; this mind is utterly untrustworthy.

Contemplating mind in mind also requires diligence without slackness, without distracting thoughts, with clear comprehension and mindfulness. All mental attention is on contemplating the mind; now, at this moment, one is only aware of one's own thoughts, not thinking of or clinging to other matters — this is clear comprehension and mindfulness. With clear comprehension and mindfulness, one can remove worldly covetousness and grief, meaning severing attachment to the world. After severing craving, all grief can be extinguished. This is the third contemplation: dwelling contemplating mind.

Original Text: He dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world.

Explanation: Dwelling contemplating phenomena in phenomena — what phenomena are included? The phenomena of the five aggregates, the phenomena of the six sense objects, the phenomena of the six sense bases, the phenomena of the six consciousnesses, the phenomena of the twelve sense spheres, the phenomena of the eighteen elements — all phenomena arising from the interplay of the five aggregates, including walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking, silence, words, laughter, and so forth. Specifically, one contemplates the five clinging-aggregates, the Four Noble Truths, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, the twelve sense spheres, and the eighteen elements. Contemplating these phenomena requires even more diligent and unified observation, with clear comprehension and mindfulness, having removed worldly covetousness and grief. What is the result of dwelling contemplating phenomena? The result is realizing that within all phenomena, there is no self nor anything belonging to the self. This is the Hīnayāna realization of non-self in phenomena and non-self in persons; all phenomena arising from the five aggregates and eighteen elements are not the self. Ultimately, one can attain the third and fourth fruitions, completely sever craving for the three realms, extinguish all sorrow, lamentation, pain, and grief, attain a cool and liberated mind, and transcend the three realms. Next, the Bhagavan specifically instructs on how to cultivate the contemplation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.