Commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Second Edition) (Newly Revised)
Chapter 2: Contemplating Mindfulness of the Body
Section 2: Observing the Walking, Standing, Sitting, and Lying Down of the Physical Body
Original text: 复次。诸比丘。比丘于行者。知我在行。又于住者。知我在住。于坐者。知我在坐。于卧者。知我在卧。又此身置于如何之状态。亦如其状态而知之。
Explanation: Furthermore, O bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu is walking, he should know in his mind, "I am walking." If he is standing still, he should know in his mind, "I am standing." If he is sitting, he should know in his mind, "I am sitting." If he is lying down, he should know in his mind, "I am lying down." And whatever state this body is placed in, he should know it just as that state is.
When the practice of contemplating the breath has reached proficiency, and the mind can remain concentrated at all times, no longer scattered or drowsy, one then begins to cultivate and train in meditative concentration and wisdom during activities. This is somewhat more difficult; contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) at this stage requires stronger meditative concentration and wisdom, requiring a stronger power of mental observation and more comprehensive awareness.
While contemplating during walking and movement, the mind must at all times know, "I am walking and moving." Walking means movement, not stillness; it refers to the body's walking, turning, and activity, meaning the body is not in a state of rest. Whether one's body is walking or doing other things, the mind must reflect back upon it and be aware of it, leaving no room for the mind to become scattered and chase after objects. For example, walking from home to outside, from one room to another room, or walking onto the street, walking on the way to work, or doing work and chores, or conversing with people—in all these activities one's mind must clearly know: "I am moving; what am I currently doing?" In this way the mind is tethered to the matter at hand; with the mind single-pointed, the mind becomes settled, the wisdom of discernment is enhanced, one sees things clearly, and one's thinking becomes meticulous.
After the training in meditative concentration and wisdom during bodily activities has been well practiced, one then proceeds to cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom when the body is at rest. Standing means staying, stopping; the body is standing upright, leaning without moving, in a state of stillness. At this time the mind must also know this; the mind must not be scattered and engage in deluded thoughts; the mind must be tethered to one's present physical body, not chasing after other objects or matters. When the body is not doing anything, the mind must also be single-pointed, not giving oneself opportunities for random thoughts.
When sitting, one must know "I am sitting." Whether sitting cross-legged in quiet meditation or sitting in a scattered manner, the mind must know this; the mind should rest only on the present state of the physical body, without deluded thoughts about other things. When the body is lying down, one must also know "I am lying down." Whether lying on the right side, the left side, or in any other posture, the mind must clearly know this. All these states must be clearly known in the mind; if one does not know, it indicates that the mind is drowsy, or that the mind is not focused and is engaging in deluded thoughts. A person with a scattered mind is always at a loss when asked anything; if you ask a drowsy person about something, they also know nothing—because without meditative concentration there is no wisdom.
"Whatever state this body is placed in, know it just as that state is." No matter what state the body is in—whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down; whether speaking, laughing, moving, or silent; whether in pain, fatigue, comfort, or tranquility (praśama)—the mind must know it. The mind must be extremely clear, neither scattered nor drowsy, lucid and bright. One must be clear about any state of the body: for example, whether the body is swaying or still, whether the legs are moving about or crossed, whether the waist is bent or straight—all these states must be known.
Original text: 如是。或于内身。观身而住。于外身。观身而住。又于内外身。观身而住。
Explanation: After practicing like this, the mind either abides in contemplating the state of the internal body, or abides in contemplating the state of the external body, or abides in contemplating both the internal and external body simultaneously, unmoving and undistracted.
Having accomplished the above, one then contemplates the internal body; one must be clear about the condition of the entire physical body, and all one's mental attention must abide on this. Regarding the internal body, from the five organs and six viscera, muscles, and bones to the external skin and facial features, the mind must know everything from head to toe. Then one contemplates the body abiding on the external body; the external body refers to form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas beyond the physical body—for example, the visual objects seen by the eyes, the sounds heard by the ears, the smells appearing in the surroundings, the tastes in the mouth, the tactile objects when the outside world contacts the physical body, the mental objects (dharma-viṣaya) together with the five sense objects, and so on—the mind must know all these dharmas. Then one contemplates the body abiding on both the internal and external body; the mind must simultaneously know the conditions of both the internal and external body. Without the power of meditative concentration, the power of wisdom is insufficient, and one can only know one or two things among them, remaining unclear about the rest.
When trained to the point where both the internal and external body can be clearly known, one mind can serve multiple purposes. For example, while doing one thing, one can simultaneously see in all six directions and hear in all eight directions, doing everything well, with excellent meditative concentration and abundant energy. Without meditative concentration, one may not even do a single thing well. If we can cultivate meditative concentration well, we will benefit life after life. For example, a person who is very intelligent and skilled at reading people and situations—understanding the essence of many things at a glance and grasping others' mental states—this is a manifestation of meditative concentration. While doing one thing, he can also attend to other matters simultaneously, well-connected and full of energy.
If someone has broad interests, it may be due to abundant energy, or it may be due to a scattered mind; one must look at the results of their work. If several things are done well simultaneously, it shows they have meditative concentration and strong wisdom. To give an example: in school, some students listen to the teacher in class while secretly reading extracurricular books, know the little antics of classmates nearby, are aware of what is happening outside the classroom, and can still answer the teacher's questions—doing everything well with high efficiency. Using less than half their energy, they can excel in their studies; this shows the student has both meditative concentration and wisdom. Other students prick up their ears listening to the teacher, appearing very attentive, yet do not know what the teacher is saying and cannot understand the content. They listen to the lecture while their minds are preoccupied with other things, possibly without even knowing it themselves; thus they encounter many obstacles in listening—both drowsiness and distraction. They spend hours on homework without completing it well, and they were not doing anything else; this shows the student has neither meditative concentration nor wisdom.
Some will say, "This child is just naturally bad at studying." In fact, it is because they did not train meditative concentration and wisdom in past lives, plus lacking interest in the subject matter, that their studying is like this in this life. If a person's meditative concentration is poor, their energy unfocused, and their wisdom poor, they cannot handle matters well; hence only with concentration can there be wisdom. If a person's mind is very scattered right now, is angry, or is anxious, at such times it is not easy to think through problems clearly. If one's energy is highly focused, matters are easily thought through, one quickly knows how to handle them, and the power of wisdom manifests.
Original text: 或于身观生法而住。于身观灭法而住。又于身观生灭法而住。
Explanation: The mind either abides in contemplating the dharmas newly arising within the body, or abides in contemplating the dharmas presently ceasing in the body, or abides in contemplating the arising dharmas and ceasing dharmas appearing simultaneously in the body.
"Abiding in contemplating arising dharmas in the body": during our walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, when new conditions appear in the body—whether the body feels tranquil and at ease, or feels fatigued, or internal organs change, or the skin changes—whenever something that was not there before now appears, one must know it. "Abiding in contemplating ceasing dharmas in the body": when phenomena previously present in the body now disappear, one must observe them. For example, if some part of the body had pain or illness and discomfort that has now vanished, one must know it. "Abiding in contemplating arising and ceasing dharmas in the body": whatever phenomena arise in the body and whatever phenomena cease must be observed, and the mind must know them all clearly and simultaneously; this requires very meticulous attention.
Original text: 尚又智识所成。及忆念所成。皆会有身之思念现前。彼当无所依而住。且亦不执着世间任何物而住。诸比丘。比丘如是。于身观身而住。
Explanation: Through the above contemplative practice on the physical body, what is accomplished by the cognition of wisdom, as well as what is accomplished by mindfulness within the mind, will all give rise to thoughts of the physical body appearing constantly, filling one's entire thinking. At this time, you should abide without any reliance on the physical body, and also abide without clinging to anything in the world. O bhikkhus, a bhikkhu should thus abide contemplating the body in the body.
After cultivating and observing in this way, one's present mind is entirely occupied with the body; every thought is about the physical body, and thus the concept of the physical body becomes firmly established. This concept is one with wisdom, knowing the true appearance of the physical body. Then one should abide without leaning on the physical body, abiding with nothing to rely on, extinguishing and eliminating the notion of having a body, not taking the physical body as truly being the self. The mind should become empty and tranquil, emptying the self. In this way one will enter deep meditative concentration; with the mind not clinging to the body or to self, one is not far from eradicating the view of the body.
Now one acknowledges that the physical body is empty and is not the self, yet the mind also does not cling to any other thing in the world, abiding thus with an empty mind, with nothing for the mind to rely on, not attaching to any mark. After expelling the notion of the body, the mind should also not attach to any other things. If at this time the mind is craving gold, silver, and jewels, then the practice has not been done well; there are still things in the mind, not empty and pure. As the practice progresses, the mind must empty out all dharmas: the physical body is not the self, and nothing in the world is the self or belongs to the self; all dharmas must be diluted and emptied. Then meditative absorption becomes deep, attachments and desires all diminish or disappear, and the mind neither craves the physical body nor craves anything else.
The above is "abiding in contemplating the body in the body." The practitioner's mind no longer acknowledges this body, not taking the body as the self, because the body undergoes various arising and ceasing changes—it is not the self; this cognition of wisdom should arise. Once one has the notion that the body is not the self, it becomes easy to forget the body. Forgetting the body enables attaining meditative concentration and eradicating the view of the body, and can also eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi); the practitioner should apply effort in this way. If the mind has many deluded thoughts, this principle cannot be thought through thoroughly and clearly. Therefore, to have wisdom, meditative concentration must come first; cultivate meditative concentration well, and with concentration, wisdom can be drawn forth to arise, giving an objective understanding of the physical body.
Original text: 复次。诸比丘。比丘不论行往归来。亦由于正智而作。彼观前顾后。亦由于正智而作。彼于屈于伸。亦由正智而作。
Explanation: The World-Honored One admonished the bhikkhus: "You bhikkhus, whether traveling to other places or returning from outside, must have right wisdom and right mindfulness in your minds, knowing what you are currently doing; the mind must not be scattered or lose mindfulness, must not be drowsy or restless; act in all things through right wisdom. Whether looking forward or looking behind, you must clearly know in your mind what you are doing, neither drowsy nor scattered, also possessing right wisdom and right mindfulness, acting through right wisdom. Whether bending or stretching the body, whatever posture the body takes, the mind must be lucid and aware, clearly knowing what you are doing, not drowsy or restless, possessing right wisdom and right mindfulness; everything is done through right wisdom."
Whatever the practitioner does throughout the day, they must have right awareness and right mindfulness, with the mind neither drowsy nor scattered, lucidly aware of everything currently being done, having both concentration and wisdom. For example, when we go out on an errand and return after finishing, the entire process is also done through right wisdom, with the mind perfectly clear, neither scattered nor drowsy, completely clear about whatever is being done, the mind lucid with vivid knowing. Whether looking ahead or behind the body, whatever one looks at—looking forward and back, glancing left and right—the mind must be clear and lucid.
Original text: 彼于着僧伽梨（袈裟）衣钵。亦由于正智而作。彼于食饮咀嚼尝味。亦由于正智而作。彼于大小便。亦由于正智而作。彼于行住坐卧醒语默。亦由于正智而作。
Explanation: The Buddha said, "Bhikkhus, when you put on the saṃghāṭī (kasaya robe) and hold the alms bowl, you must also have right mind and right intention, clearly knowing that you are holding the bowl for alms, with the mind not scattered or restless; these acts are all done through right wisdom and right mindfulness. After returning from alms-begging, in daily trivial matters such as eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting, you must also have right awareness and right mindfulness, completing them with perfect clarity, without restlessness in the mind. Even when going to the toilet to urinate or defecate, you must have right wisdom and right mindfulness, knowing what you are currently doing, with the mind not scattered. When bhikkhus are walking, standing, sitting, lying down, waking, speaking, or silent, they must clearly know what they are doing and what their present state is, with right wisdom and right mindfulness, neither scattered nor drowsy."
When monastics go out to beg for alms, they must put on the three robes and take the alms bowl to go begging. When a bhikkhu dons robes and holds the bowl, it must also be done through right wisdom, not muddled and drowsy, but with concentration and wisdom, with a lucid mind, done with right awareness and right mindfulness. Then when going out on errands and dealing with people, one must also have right awareness and right mindfulness, clearly doing every matter well, with the mind not muddled. That is to say, apart from when asleep and the mind cannot be aware, at all other times one must have right awareness and right mindfulness, perfectly clear, with vivid knowing. If the mind is not lucidly aware, there are two causes: one is drowsiness, the other is distraction. As meditative concentration improves, the mind will concentrate on the matter at hand, and one will know the surrounding affairs. The condition of the entire physical body, and even the condition of the external body and all surrounding circumstances, can all be perfectly clear and lucid.
Achieving a mind without random thoughts is not easy. If one trains well, meditative concentration will be excellent, and the power of wisdom will likewise be excellent; when reading books and contemplating dharma meanings, one can easily think through to understanding. Otherwise, reading Buddhist sutras becomes very difficult—one has deluded thoughts while reading, and no matter how many times one reads, one cannot understand the true meaning within. Or when communicating with others, one's attention is unfocused and the mind scattered; one cannot understand what the other person is expressing, and cannot articulate one's own views clearly. If the mind is still to a certain degree, from another person's expression or gesture one will know their purpose and what they want to do—even before they themselves know it, you will already know.
In this passage of scripture, the World-Honored One is teaching us meditative concentration in movement, Chan in movement, which is also the foundation of Mahāyāna Chan investigation. If we have this foundation, we can then replace this knowing of the body's various states with a huatou (critical phrase) and investigate Chan. Like investigating a huatou or a gong'an (public case), when the investigation reaches the point where only the meaning of the huatou remains, the entire huatou condensed into a single point, a single knowing, carried by the mind, suspended deeply in the heart, investigated minutely, one can see the mind and realize the nature. So although this method is a Small Vehicle practice, it also connects to Mahāyāna Chan investigation; the practices of the Great and Small Vehicles are ultimately interconnected, and all meditative concentrations are interconnected as well—they are not opposed or contradictory.
Original text: 如是。或于内身观身而住。于外身观身而住。又于内外身观身而住。或于身观生法而住。或于身观灭法而住。又于身观生灭法而住。
Explanation: Practicing in this way, the mind either abides in contemplating the body within the internal body, or abides in contemplating the body within the external body, or abides in contemplating both the internal and external body simultaneously. The mind either abides in contemplating the newly arising dharmas in the physical body, or abides in contemplating the ceasing dharmas in the physical body, or abides in simultaneously contemplating the arising and ceasing dharmas of the physical body.
The practice method here is the same as the breath-contemplation method described above; both have us contemplate the physical body while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, knowing all the various states of the body, and also knowing one's external body, the realms of the six sense objects. This requires even higher meditative concentration and stronger power of observation, and in the future one will attain the meditative concentration and wisdom of seeing in six directions and hearing in eight directions. If meditative concentration and wisdom are insufficient, and one is only focused on observing the body, not knowing when a car comes from over there, nor aware when other situations arise, it shows the power of wisdom is still not broad enough. If meditative concentration is good enough, while observing one's own body one will know when a car comes from over there and can avoid it; knowing the people, matters, and things in all directions, one can handle many things simultaneously. If meditative concentration is poor, one may not even do a single thing well.
Original text: 尚又智识所成。及忆念所成。皆会有身之思念现前。彼当无所依而住。且不执着世间任何物而住。诸比丘。比丘如是。于身观身而住。
Explanation: As one contemplates again and again, wisdom arises therein, and mindfulness of the physical body also arises, so that the mind is filled with thoughts about the physical body. At this time the practitioner should have the mind not leaning on the physical body, able to view the physical body objectively, not tightly binding the physical body to oneself, and the mind should also not cling to anything in the world. O bhikkhus, a bhikkhu should abide thus in contemplating the physical body.
This practice method is just as described above: while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, when new phenomena arise in the body, one must know it; when some phenomenon in the body disappears, one must also know it; phenomena simultaneously arising and ceasing in the body must all be known, not muddled about a single dharma, perfectly clear and lucid at all times. After the contemplative practice on the various arising and ceasing dharmas within the body is complete, the mind will be filled with this physical body, the thoughts filled with this body. Finally, one must extinguish the notion that this body is the self; in one's thinking there should no longer be "this body of mine." The mind must be empty; internally one neither abides relying on the physical body nor abides relying on any dharma in the world—empty and pure, not a single dharma in the mind. In this way one can empty out this body-self, not acknowledging this body as the self, and will enter a kind of empty meditative absorption in which there is no longer the notion of the body, and one can eradicate the view of the body as self (the view that the body is mine). This is the practice method of abiding in contemplating the body in the body; bhikkhus should cultivate it diligently.
