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The most important discourse ever given by the Buddha on mental development (鈥榤editation鈥�) is called the 厂补迟颈辫补迟迟丑腻苍补-sutta (惭补箩箩丑颈尘补苍颈办腻测补 I, No. 10, the Foundation of Mindfulness) or 惭腻丑补蝉补迟颈辫补迟迟丑腻苍补蝉耻迟迟补 (顿墨驳丑补 II, No. 22, Setting-up of Mindfulness).

The method of the practice of Mindfulness or the Four Foundations of Mindfulness was discovered by the Buddha. He practised it himself and got the best results from this practice and then for forty-five years he taught the Four Foundations of Mindfulness many times. After his death these methods were collected and recorded in what is known as the 笔腻濒颈 Canon.

This discourse is so highly venerated in tradition that it is regularly recited not only in Buddhist monasteries, but also in Buddhist homes with members of the family sitting round and listening with deep devotion.

Very often bhikkhus recite this sutta by the bed-side of a dying man to purify his last thoughts.

The ways of 鈥榤editation鈥� given in this discourse are not cut off from life, nor do they avoid life; on the contrary, they are all connected with our life, our daily activities, our sorrows and joys, our words and thoughts, our moral and intellectual occupations.

The discourse is divided into four main sections:

1. the first section deals with our body (办腻测补),
2. the second with our feelings and sensation (惫别诲补苍腻),
3. the third with the mind (citta), and
4. the fourth with various moral and intellectual subjects (dhamma).

The Buddha taught:

There are, monks, this only way to the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and distress, for the disappearance of pain and sadness, for the gaining of the right path, for the realization of 狈颈产产腻苍补: that is to say the four foundations of mindfulness.^[1]

People may argue here because the word used here is 鈥渆kaayano,鈥� one way. But in another place鈥搃n the Dhammapada鈥揃uddha said clearly, 鈥淭his alone is the way and there is no other way for the purity of wisdom.鈥� So we cannot argue that Buddha said there is any other way. He expressly said that this alone is the way and there is no other way. So author thinks we must accept that this is the only way for the purification of beings. If we consider it with reference to the practice it becomes clear.

But being with the practice of it鈥搈eaning the practice of Four Foundations of Mindfulness, 肠补迟迟腻谤辞 satipatthana is the real meaning of a significant life to live: it is the way of return oneself for taking refuge in oneself but not in any other man or superpower; it is the way to be an island for oneself.

During His last days before 辫补谤颈苍颈产产腻苍补, Lord Buddha solicitously taught 膧苍补苍诲补, his closest disciple, thus:

Therefore, 膧苍补苍诲补, you should live as islands unto yourselves, being your own refuge, with no one else as your refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, with the Dhamma as your refuge, with no other refuge? Here, 膧苍补苍诲补, a monk abides contemplating the body as body, earnestly, clearly aware, mindful and having put away all hankering and fretting for the world, and likewise with regard to feelings, mind and mind鈥搊bjects. That, 膧苍补苍诲补, is how a monk lives as an island unto himself... with no other refuge. And those who now in my time or afterwards live thus, they will become the highest, if they are desirous of learning. ^[2]

This is the only way for everybody; when this way is put into practice, many different results will come to different practicians because of their different tempreraments, capcities, validations, efforts, determinations, etc.

Here also we have the words 鈥渇oundation鈥� and 鈥渕indfulness.鈥� First, let us understand what mindfulness is. All of us have been practising mindfulness for, may be, years but sometimes when we are asked, 鈥淲hat is mindfulness?鈥� we may not be able to give a satisfactory answer.

鈥淢indfulness鈥� is the translation of the 笔腻濒颈 word 鈥�sati鈥�. So, this discourse is called, 鈥�厂补迟颈辫补迟迟丑腻苍补.鈥� This 鈥�sati鈥� is translated as mindfulness. May be there is no better word for it. 鈥�Sati鈥� literally means remembering, but it covers more than remembering actually. Etymologically, 鈥�sati鈥� means remembering but in normal usage 鈥�sati鈥� means more than that. Sati is defined in the Commentaries as remembering and its characteristic is said to be 鈥渘on-wobbling,鈥� that means 鈥渘ot floating on the surface.鈥� If it is sati, it must not be superficial; it must go deep into the object. Sati is said to have the function of not losing the object. As long as there is sati, or mindfulness, we do not lose that object; we do not forget that object. Mindfulness has the function of not losing or forgetting the object. It is like a guard at the gate. So, that is what we call mindfulness. Mindfulness is not superficial awareness; it is a deep and thorough awareness of the object.

鈥淔oundations of Mindfulness鈥� means actually, 鈥渟etting up鈥� of mindfulness or 鈥渇irmly established in mindfulness鈥� or 鈥渕indfulness firmly established鈥�. The 笔腻濒颈 word 鈥�蝉补迟颈辫补迟迟丑腻苍补鈥� is translated as foundations of mindfulness but we must understand that it means setting up of a firm mindfulness or establishing a firm mindfulness. So, the practice of establishing firm mindfulness is called the 鈥渇oundations of mindfulness.鈥�

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

顿墨驳丑补-Ni办腻测补 II. p. 290.

[2]:

顿墨驳丑补-Ni办腻测补 II. p. 100.