The Satipatthana Sutta - Discourse on the four stations of mindfulness
 

by Kingsley Heendeniya

The Satipatthana Sutta, the tenth in the Majjhima Nikaya, is the foremost of the small collection of Suttas that give a complete description of the Teaching of the Buddha. He delivered it at a town named Kammasadhamma, close to modern Delhi, in the country of the elitist Kuru people. The discourse is sometimes chanted at the deathbed of close relatives. I remember my mother reciting it when her mother was dying, 65 years ago. And unfortunately, it is commonly mistranslated and misinterpreted, even by scholars.

Mistranslations

The words at the beginning of the Sutta: Ekayano ayam bhhikkave maggo sattanam visuddhiya... is mistranslated as 'This, monks, is the only way leading to the purification of beings'; and the phrase Ekayano maggo as the 'direct path.'

The correct translation, by Nanamoli Thera, is: This way, monks, leads only to the purification of beings.' The only way to Nibbana is the Eight-factored Path (Ariyo atthangiko maggo). Satipatthana is one of them, the penultimate seventh. The translation 'direct path' (by Bhikkhu Bodhi) is also unnecessarily misleading - as if there is an alternate 'indirect path.'

Fruit or phala

The discourse is on developing right mindfulness (Sammasati). It necessarily leads (Opanayiko) to right concentration (Sammasamadhi) supported by the requisites right view, right intention, right speech, right livelihood, right effort and right mindfulness of the eightfold path. (Mahacattarisaka Sutta).

The Buddha therefore ends the discourse emphatically: 'Monks, if anyone should develop these four stations of mindfulness in such a way for seven years, six, five... seven months, six months...half a month, seven days, one of two fruits could be expected for Him: either full or direct knowledge (Abhinna) here and now, or if there is a trace of holding left (Upadana), non-return (Anagamita), the State culminating in Arahatta (Nibbana).

As anyone well learned in the Dhamma can expect, the Sutta contains the fundamentals leading to final purification, liberation, and an end to existence and dukkha.

Four frames of mindfulness

The foundation of the Dhamma - and of the Sutta - is built on developing contemplation of the body (Kayanupassana), feelings (Vedananupassana) and mind (Cittanupassana).

The fourth of the Satipatthana is contemplation their convergence in the teaching (Dhammanupassana). The Buddha accordingly brilliantly selects five main items from his repertoire of teaching: the five hindrances (Nivarana); five aggregates affected by holding (Panc'upanakkhanda); the six internal and six external bases (Salayatana); the seven factors of enlightenment (Bojjhanga); and the four noble truths (Ariya sacca). As elsewhere, he uses the technique of repeating the same thing in different ways, basing their relevance. The Buddha, it may be noted in passing, was the first to use relevance in the technology of teaching.

One begins practising satipatthana establishing mindfulness of in and out breathing, in solitude, to bring upon Samadhi or concentration.

Aims

As always instructed, at the beginning of Anapanasati, one must let go covetousness and grief for the world and focus the mind on the present: sitting, standing, walking; arising, fading, changing and disappearance of feelings, intentions, thoughts, ideas, and reflect in Dhamma terms on the nature of this body that is made of disintegrating repulsive matter, terminating for everyone in the cemetery.

The stage is now set to think about impermanence of feelings with indifference, merely watching them come and go, without analysing them. The aim is to develop detachment to the body, to regard it as 'not belonging to me, not mine, this not am I'.

This develops and maintains concentration on the nature of the body, feelings and mind, internally and externally. Here, the Commentary makes an odd interpretation. It explains 'externally' as contemplating the body, feelings and mind of another person - as if one can ever do it!

The translation arises when misunderstanding an elliptic statement of the Buddha: A stupid or intelligent man, constrained by nescience and attached by craving has thus acquired this body. So there is just this body and name-and-matter (Namarupa) externally. In that way there is a dyad. (Nidana/Abhisamaya Samyutta). Name-and-matter externally is all cognised phenomena apart from one's own body.

That is, one is concerned not with this or that particular phenomenon in one's experience but totally with oneself as determined by one's whole situation - as a young man, old man, sick man, husband, businessman, doctor etc.

Contemplating on things

The final part of the discourse, dhammanupassana or contemplation in things (Dhamma) cannot be practised unless one has correct learning, understanding and private experience of the basics of Dhamma, such as rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana, upadana, paticcasamuppada.

The Buddha skips namarupa, because that is the style in his recondite teaching. He thus over-arches and chooses the salayatana directly from the five aggregates of holding - the origin of belief in self and dukkha - finally wrapping up the discourse, elegantly leading to the salient, the start of his ministry, the four noble truths.

The reader will note that no attempt is made in this essay, to 'explain' the details of satipatthana. My aim is to point out current perverse misinterpretations and indicate that it is a very difficult sutta, because it is sufficient to escape from dukkha.

One must therefore master the teaching before starting to practice it. Alas, it is useless to learn and recite it parrot-wise, as my mother did.