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Sammasati

An Exposition of Right Mindfulness

Ven. P. A. Payutto

Translated from the Thai by Dhamma-Vijaya

Contents

Preface

Sammasati: An Exposition of Right MindfulnessSati as AppamadaThe Social Value of SatiThe Role of Sati in the Process of Wisdom-DevelopmentSatipatthana as Sammasati

The Essence of SatipatthanaPractice as ProcessThe Fruits of PracticeFor What Reason is the Sati Which Keeps Abreast of thePresent Momentan Important Foundation of Vipassana?

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Preface

The present volume, in its original Thai version, is a partof a large volume entitled "Buddhadhamma", occupying21 out of 1,145 pages (approximately a 55th) of thewhole work. The "Buddhadhamma" is divided into twomain parts, namely Part I on the Middle Teaching

expounding the knowledge of nature and the naturallaw, and Part II on the Middle Way dealing with theBuddhist practice which consists in the application ofthat knowledge to the creation of the Noble Life. TheMiddle Way or the practice as described in Part II isdefined as the Noble Eightfold Path. Of the eight factorsof the Noble Path, Sammasatior Right Mindfulness is

the seventh one. It is this seventh factor of the NobleEightfold Path that is the subject matter of the presenttranslation, as evidenced in its title, Sammasati:AnExposition of Right Mindfulness.

The Thai version ofSammasatiwas publishedseparately as a booklet by the Dhamma Study-and-

Practice Group towards the end of B.E. 2528 (1985C.E.). "Dhamma-Vijaya", the present translator, readthe original Thai version. He found it interesting andhelpful to the practitioner of Buddhism, and took uponhimself the task of translating it into English. It is,consequently, through the efforts ofDhamma-Vijayathat the English version ofSammasatihas come into

being.

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Not only encouraging the translation of the work intoEnglish, Khun Panita Angchandrpen has but also beenenthusiastically urging the publication of the translation

and has intently overseen the book through the printingprocess. It is through her zealous and active goodwillthat this English version has come to appear in thepresent book form.

In place of a compositor, Phra Maha InsornCintapao Duangkid has relentlessly managed to get

through the whole task of word processing. Hisincreasing mastery of desktop publishing on amicroprocessor has rendered the production of the booklabour-saving, time-saving and money-saving.

My thanks go to all whose names are above-mentioned for their generous help in bringing about this

publication and to Khun Panya Vijinthanasarn for thedesign of the cover.

Phra Dedvedi (Prayudh Payutto)May 15, B.E. 2531 (1988 C.E.)

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Sammasati

An Exposition of Right Mindfulness

In the Noble Eightfold Path, the practice leading to thecomplete cessation of Unsatisfactoriness, Sammasatiiscounted as the second factor of the SamadhiSection,the 'Higher Mental Training'. The usual definition of

sammasatigiven in the Discourses is as follows:

"Bhikkhus. What is sammasati? This is call sammasati,namely, that a bhikkhu in this Dhamma Vinaya:

"1. Contemplates the body in the body with effort,sampajaaand sati, eradicating covetousness and

distress with regard to the world;[1]"2. Contemplates feeling in feelings with effort,sampajaaand sati, eradicating covetousness anddistress with regard to the world;

"3. Contemplates the mind in the mind with effort,sampajaaand sati, eradicating covetousness and

distress with regard to the world;

"4. Contemplates dhammas[2] in dhammaswith effort,sampajaaand sati, eradicating covetousness anddistress with regard to the world." [D.II.313]

Another definition, which appears in theAbhidhamma texts, is as follows:

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"What is sammasati? Satimeans to bear in mind orbring to mind. Satiis the state of recollecting, the stateof remembering, the state of non-fading, the state of

non-forgetting. Satimeans the satithat is a SpiritualFaculty, the satithat is a Spiritual Power, Sammasati,the Satithat is an Enlightenment Factor, that which is aPath Factor and that which is related to the Path. This iswhat is called sammasati." [Vbh.105, 286]

Sammasati, as defined in the Discourses, is a

synonym for the principles of Dhamma known as theFour Satipatthana. The four elements of this group havethe abbreviated names of:

1.Kayanupassana(contemplation or mindfulness ofthe body);

2.Vedananupassana(contemplation or mindfulness offeelings);3.Cittanupassana(contemplation or mindfulness ofmind);

4.Dhammanupassana(contemplation or mindfulnessofdhammas).

Before investigating the meaning ofsammasatiinterms of the Four Satipatthana, it would seemappropriate to make a few general points on the subjectofsatito serve as a basic foundation for our study.

Sati as Appamada

Satiis most simply rendered as 'recollection', but such atranslation may convey the idea that it is simply an

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aspect of memory. While memory is certainly a validelement ofsati'sfunction, it does not do full justice tothe essential meaning of the term. For to speak in the

negative vein, apart from its meaning of 'non-forgetting'(the direct counterpart of the positive term'recollection'), satialso refers to 'non-carelessness','non-distraction', 'non-fuzziness and confusion'. Thesenegatively expressed meanings ofsatipoint to thepositive qualities of care, circumspection, alertness toone's duties and the condition of being constantly

present in the awareness of the various things whichcome into contact with one and responding to themappropriately.

Particularly when speaking of ethical conduct, thefunctioning ofsatiis often compared to that of agatekeeper, whose job is to keep his eyes on the people

passing in and out, regulating affairs by permittingentrance and egress to those for whom it is proper andforbidding it to those for whom it is not. Thus satiis ofmajor importance in the field of ethics. It oversees us inthe performance of our duties and guards and restrainsus by preventing our taking foolish pleasure in the badand by preventing badness from sneaking into the

mind. Put in simple terms, satireminds us to do goodand to give no ground to the bad.

Buddhadhamma strongly emphasizes the importanceofsatiat every level of ethical conduct. Conductingone's life or one's Dhamma practice constantly governedby satiis called 'appamada', or heedfulness.Appamada

is of central importance to progress in a system of

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ethics, and is usually defined as non-separation fromsati. This may be expanded on as implying constantcare and circumspection, not allowing oneself to

stumble into harmful ways; not allowing oneself to missany opportunity for betterment; a clear awareness ofwhat things need to be done and what left undone;non-negligence; and performing one's daily tasks withsincerity and with unbending effort towardsimprovement. It may be said that appamadais theBuddhist sense of responsibility.

From the point of view of its significance, appamadais classified as an 'internal factor', as is yoniso-manasikara(skilful reflection), and forms a pair with itsexternal counterpart, kalyanamittata(association withgood and noble friends). The Buddha's words describingthe significance ofappamadasometimes overlap those

describing that ofyoniso-manasikara, for these twodhammasare of equal importance, though differing inapplication. Yoniso-manasikarais a member of thePaaSection; it is a tool to be used.Appamada, on theother hand, is a member of the SamadhiSection; it isthat which governs the use of the tool ofyoniso-manasikara, urges its employment and constantly

inspires one to further progress.

The importance and extent of the application ofappamadaat various levels of practice of ethicalconduct may be seen from the Buddha's own words inthe following examples:

"O Bhikkhus. The footprints of all land-bound creaturesfit within the footprint of the elephant; the elephant's

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footprint is said to be the supreme footprint in terms ofsize. Similarly all skilful dhammas have heedfulness astheir base, converge within the bounds of heedfulness.

Heedfulness may be said to be supreme amongst thosedhammas." [S.V.43]

"I see no other dhammawhich is as much a cause forarising of as-yet unarisen skilful dhammasand thedecline of already arisen unskilful dhammasasheedfulness. When one is heedful, as-yet unarisen

skilful dhammaswill inevitably arise and unskilfuldhammasthat have already arisen will inevitablydecline." [A.I.11]

"I see no other dhammathat is so conductive tosupreme benefit ..." [A.I.16]

"I see no other dhammathat is so conducive to the

stability, the non-degeneration, the non-disappearanceof the True Dhamma as heedfulness." [A.I.17]

"Looking at it as an 'internal factor' I see no otherdhammaso conducive to supreme benefit asheedfulness." [A.I.16-17]

Even the Pacchimavaca, the last instructions given bythe Buddha before he entered Parinibbana, concernedappamada:

"All conditioned things are subject to decay.Strive on with heedfulness." [D.II.156]

"Just as the light of dawn precedes the sunrise and is its

harbinger; so the perfection of heedfulness leads to and

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is the harbinger of the Noble Eightfold Path ... Thesingle dhammawhich is of most assistance in thearising of the Noble Eightfold Path is the perfection of

heedfulness ... I see no other kind ofdhammawhichhas such power to cause the as-yet unarisen NobleEightfold Path to arise, and the Noble Eightfold Pathwhich has arisen to come to maturity and completion. Abhikkhu who is heedful may expect to develop andcultivate the Noble Eightfold Path." [S.V.31, 32, 33, 35,36, 37, 41-45]

"O Bhikkhus, you should apply appamadain four areas:Abandon unwholesome action. Cultivate good actions.Neglect neither.

Abandon unwholesome speech. Cultivate good speech.Neglect neither.

Abandon unwholesome thoughts. Cultivate good

thoughts. Neglect neither.Abandon wrong views. Cultivate Right View. Neglectneither.When a bhikkhu has abandoned unwholesome actions,cultivated good actions ... abandoned wrong views andcultivated Right View, he will feel no apprehension orfear regarding his coming death." [A.II.119-120]

"O Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu should look after his mind withsatiby being heedful of four matters, namely bydetermining that:'My mind will not attach to those dhammaswhichencourage attachment;'My mind will not be averse to those dhammaswhich

encourage aversion;

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'My mind will not be deluded by those dhammaswhichencourage delusion;'My mind will not be intoxicated by those dhammas

which encourage intoxication.'When a bhikkhu's mind, through absence of lust, doesnot attach to those dhammaswhich encourageattachment, is not averse ... is not deluded ... is notintoxicated, he will be without dread or perturbation,fear or horror, and will feel no need to believe inanything, even the words of a sage." [A.II.120]

"Question: 'Is there any single dhammawhich providesboth sorts of benefit, both present and immediatebenefit and future or higher benefit?'

Answer: 'Yes, there is.'Question: 'What is that dhamma?'

Answer: 'That dhammais heedfulness.'" [A.III.364;

S.I.86]

"O King, that Dhamma which has been well expoundedby me is for those with good and noble friends[3], goodand noble companions, good and noble people asassociates. It is not for those with foolish immoralfriends, foolish immoral companions, foolish immoral

people as associates ... The possession of good andnoble friends is equal to the whole of the holy life.

"Therefore, O King, you should resolve thus: 'I will beone who has good and noble friends, good and noblecompanions, good and noble people as associates.' Themonarch who thus possesses good and noble friends

should conduct his life in reliance upon the principle ofnon-neglect of skilful dhammas.

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"When the King is heedful, conducts his life relying onheedfulness, then the Inner Circle, the Nobles of theCourt ... the Royal Guard ... right down to the townsfolk

and villagers will all think, 'His Majesty the King is aheedful person, he conducts his life relying onheedfulness. We also will be heedful people, we also willlive relying on heedfulness.'

"O King, if you are a heedful person and conduct yourlife in reliance upon heedfulness you will be cared for

and protected. The Inner Circle will receive care andprotection ... everything right down to the houses andbarns of your subjects will receive care and protection."[S.I.87-89]

The Social Value of Sati

In the following quotation from the Sedaka Sutta, theBuddha's words describing the value ofsatibring outwell the closeness, in practical terms, of its nature andvalue to that ofappamada. The passage helps to furtherclarify our understanding of both of these dhammas,and, at the same time, to demonstrate the Buddhist

attitude towards life in its social dimension. It testifiesthat Buddhadhamma sees the internal life of theindividual as intimately related to the external life ofsociety and holds that values in the two realms areinseparably connected, that they correspond, and are,in fact, identical:

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"O Bhikkhus. Once upon a time, a bamboo-acrobat setup his pole and called to his pupil, saying, 'Come, mylad, climb the pole and stand on my shoulders', and the

pupil did as he was bidden. Then the bamboo-acrobatsaid to his pupil, 'Now, my lad, you look after me welland I'll look after you. By watching and protecting eachother in this way, we will show off our skills, get a goodfee, and come down safe from the bamboo pole.'

"At these words, the pupil said to the acrobat, 'Master,

it can't be done like that. You look after yourself,Master, and I will look after myself. If we both watchand protect ourselves then we will be able to show offour skills, get a good fee, and come down safe from thebamboo pole.'

"The Blessed One said, 'That was the correct way of

practice in that case. In the same way as the pupilspoke to his master, Bhikkhus, when thinking, 'I willprotect myself' you must practise satipatthana(bemindful), and when thinking, 'I will protect others' youmust also practise satipatthana.'

"O Bhikkhus, protecting oneself, one protects others;protecting others, one protects oneself. And how doesone, in protecting oneself, protect others? By earnestpractice, cultivation and development (ofsatipatthana).In this way, by protecting oneself, one protects others.

And how does one, in protecting others, protectoneself? By forbearance, by non-violence, by possessinga heart ofmettaand compassion. In this way, by

protecting others, one protects oneself.

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"'I shall protect myself,' with this intention, Bhikkhus,satipatthanashould be practised.

"'I shall protect others,' with this intention, Bhikkhus,satipatthanashould be practised.

"Protecting oneself, one protects others; protectingothers, one protects oneself." [S.V.168-169]

Footnotes:1. "Whatever is of a nature to dissolve (paloka),

Ananda, this is called the world in the Discipline of theNoble. Now what is of a nature to dissolve? The eye,

Ananda, ... visible objects ... visual consciousness ...visual contact ... the ear ... sounds ... mind contact, and

whatever arises conditioned by mind contact, felt aspleasant or painful or neutral -- that is of a nature to'dissolve'." (Translator) [Back to text]

2. All mental and physical phenomena. [Back to text]

3. A good and noble friend, or kalayanamitta, is said tohave the following seven qualities: He inspires love,

respect and emulation; he is a counsellor and a patientlistener; he is able to deliver deep discourses or to treatprofound subjects; he never leads one in harmful oruseless pursuits. (Translator) [Back to text]

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The Role of Sati in the Process of Wisdom-Developmentorthe Eradication of Defilements

Appamada, or heedfulness, refers to the uninterruptedpresence ofsatiin one's life and the constant use of itin one's daily tasks.Appamadamakes one careful andprudent; it prevents one from falling, through error, intobad or harmful ways. It restrains; it reminds one not tobecome fascinated by enjoyable things and mindlessly

indulge in them. It urges one not to becomecomplacent, and stimulates one to make earnest effortsto continually push on. It makes one constantlyconscious of one's duties, by providing a clearawareness of what needs to be done and what doesnot, what has been done already and what remains tobe done. It helps one to perform one's various tasks

with circumspection and precision. Thus, as has beenstated before, appamadais of major significance in asystem of ethics.

At any rate, it may be seen that appamadahas awide-ranging ethical significance in regard to one'sgeneral conduct in life. It is called for in increasing

degrees from the stage of keeping precepts right up tothat ofsamadhi. It infuses these activities at every levelin association with a large number of other dhammas,particularly vayama(effort), with which it is combinedat all times. Looked at, however, solely in terms of themind during the process of wisdom-development (theuse of wisdom to cleanse the mind), appamada

becomes that which gives devoted support and

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encouragement from without. At this level, attention isconfined to the workings of the mind, and finelydiscriminates between the various phenomena present

in a moment-by-moment analysis. It is at this stage thatsaticlearly fulfills its true function and plays theprominent role implied by its name.

An understanding of the essential meaning ofsatimay be gained by contemplating its function on thoseoccasions when its role is clearly distinguishable from

that of other dhammas, most notably in the practicecalled satipatthana. On such occasions the function ofsatimay be summarized as follows:

The primary feature of the working ofsatiis that itprevents the mind from drifting. It does not allowmental states to pass by unheeded. It prevents the

mind from becoming agitated and restless. It isattentive, as if keeping its eyes on each impression thatpasses into consciousness and then bearing down on it.When one wishes to concentrate on a particular object,it maintains one's attention fixedly upon it, not allowingthe object to drift away or disappear. By means ofsati,one keeps placing the mind on the object, or

recollecting it, not allowing oneself to let it slip from themind. There is a simile likening it to a pillar, because itis firmly embedded in its object, or to a gate-keeper,because it watches over the various sense-doorsthrough which sense-data pass, inspecting all thatenters. The proximate cause for the arising ofsatiis afirm and clear perception of the object, or any of the

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different sorts ofsatipatthanathat will be spoken ofbelow.

Looking at it from the point of view of ethics, one willdiscern both negative and positive aspects of thefunctioning ofsati. Negatively, satiis a guardian. Itrestrains the mind from agitation, protects one fromerror, and prevents one from stumbling into undesirablemental states or situations. It allows no opportunity forunwholesomeness to enter the mind and prevents the

misuse of thought.

On the positive side, satiis the controller andinspector of the stream of sense-consciousness,mentality and all one's actions, ensuring that they all liewithin desired parameters. It keeps the mind harnessedto its chosen object. It is thus the tool for laying hold of

or clasping onto an object, and its action is rather likeplacing the object in front of the mind for consideration.

In the Buddhist path of practice, there is greatemphasis on the importance ofsatias evidenced in theBuddha's saying that satiis required (i.e. should beemployed) in every situation. Satiis also compared tosalt, which must be used in every curry, and to a primeminister, who must be involved in every branch ofgovernment. Satimay either restrain the mind orsupport and sustain it, depending on the needs of thesituation.[Vism.130, 162, 464]

When considering in toto the features ofsati'sfunctioning as mentioned above, one will see the

benefits aimed at in training in satito be as follows:

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1. The maintenance of the mind in a required conditionby the monitoring of the cognitive process and thestream of thought, accepting only that which is

conducive to it and barring all that which is not andthus, by channelling and stilling the thought-stream,facilitating the attainment of samadhi.

2. The enabling of the body and mind to dwell in a statewhich might be called 'self-sufficient' by virtue of thesense of spaciousness, relaxation and well-being

intrinsic to it regardless of external circumstances -- astate wherein one is prepared to face any experiencethat might occur and to deal effectively with all of one'saffairs.

3. The ability, in the state ofsamadhi, to guide thecognitive process and the stream of thought and to alter

or expand the fields of their activities in variousdimensions.

4. The ability to take hold of a meditation object and, asit were, to lay it down in front of the mind so thatsubsequent investigation by the wisdom-faculty mayproceed with optimum clarity as a basis on whichwisdom can be developed and brought to perfection.

5. The purification of all volitional actions of body,speech and mind and liberation from compulsiveindulgence in defilement and subjugation to craving andclinging, and the informing (in combination withsampajaa) of one's actions with wisdom, an entirelypurified logic.

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The fourth and fifth benefits listed here are the goalsof an advanced stage of development, and may beobtained only through a specially prescribed method of

practice that, according to our definition ofsammasati,is the Four Satipatthana.

Satipatthana as Sammasati

'Satipatthana' is sometimes translated as 'the

Foundations of Mindfulness' and sometimes as 'theEstablishing of (i.e. governance by) Mindfulness'.Technically, it is the method of practice that makes useofsatimost fruitfully, as indicated in the Buddha'swords in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta:

"This is the one way, O Bhikkhus, for the purification of

beings, for the passing beyond sorrow and lamentation,for the cessation of pain and distress, for the attainmentof the Supramundane Path, for the realization ofNibbana, namely, the Four Satipatthana." [D.II.290;M.I.55]

The development ofsatipatthanais a very popular

method of Dhamma-practice and is highly praised andrevered. It is considered to incorporate both samatha(calm) and vipassana(insight) cultivation. The wayfarermay choose either to develop samathauntil theattainment of absorption before developing vipassanabased on the Four Satipatthanaas a way of reaching hisgoal, or he may develop satipatthana-vipassanain

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dependence on only an initial level ofsamadhi, theminimum that is sufficient for his purposes.

Vipassanais an important principle of Buddhistpractice which, though widely known, is also widelymisunderstood, and is thus a matter deserving someclarification. The following basic outline ofsatipatthanawill help to provide a better understanding of themeaning ofvipassana, from its essential nature to itsfield of actions and its variations, as well as the extent

to which its application is possible in daily life and whatthe benefits of such application may be. However, thereis no intention to make a thorough study ofvipassanahere. The aim is merely to convey as much of anunderstanding of it as can be obtained from looking atthe essential features.

In brief, the main elements ofsatipatthanaare asfollows:

1. Kayanupassana, contemplation or mindfulness of thebody:

(a)Anapanasati:going to a secluded place, sittingcross-legged and focusing sation one's inhalations and

exhalations.

(b) Iriyapatha:Focusing on posture, clearly perceivingthe present mode of disposition of the body, whetherstanding, walking, sitting, or lying down.

(c) Sampajaa:maintaining clear comprehension inevery kind of action and movement, e.g., movingforward, looking around, stretching out the arm,

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dressing, chewing, eating, drinking, urinating, excreting,waking up, going to sleep, speaking and keeping silent.

(d) Patikulamanasikara:contemplating one's body, fromthe top of the head to the soles of the feet, as arepository of a large number of unattractiveconstituents.

(e) Dhatumanasikara:contemplating one's body byconsidering it separated into its four constituentelements.

(f) Navasivathika:looking at corpses in nine differentstages of decay, from one newly dead to one reducedto crumbling bones, and, in each case, applying what isseen to oneself, reflecting that one's own body mustmeet a similar fate.

2. Vedananupassana, mindfulness of feeling: i.e. when afeeling of pleasure, pain, or indifference arises, whetherassociated with sensual desires or unassociated withthem, one has a clear perception of it in its actuality atthe moment of occurrence.

3. Cittanupassana, mindfulness of mind: i.e. how the

mind is at a given moment -- for instance, whethersensual desire is present in it or not, whether aversion ispresent in it or not, whether it is agitated orconcentrated, liberated or still fettered, etc., one has aclear perception of the underlying state of mind, in itsactuality in the present moment;

4. Dhammanupassana, mindfulness ofdhammas:

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(a) Nivarana[4] (hindrance): clear perception, in thatmoment, of whether any of the Five Hindrances ispresent in the mind or not, the way in which as-yet

unarisen hindrances arise, how hindrances alreadyarisen may be abandoned, and how hindrances alreadyabandoned may be prevented from re-arising.

(b) Khandha(aggregate): comprehension of the natureof each khandha, how it arises and how it ceases.

(c)Ayatana(sense-base): clear perception of each ofthe internal and external sense-bases and of the fettersthat arise dependent on them, how those already arisenmay be abandoned and how those already abandonedmay be prevented from re-arising.

(d) Bojjhanga[5] (limbs of enlightenment): clearperception, in that moment, of whether or not any of

the Seven Limbs of Enlightenment is present in one'smind, how those as-yet unarisen may arise and howthose already arisen may be developed to fullness.

(e)Ariyasacca: clear and authentic perception of eachof the Four Noble Truths.

In the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, at the end of everyone of the above clauses, there is an identical refrain:

"The bhikkhu contemplates the body[6] in the bodyinternally (i.e. one's own body), contemplates the bodyin the body externally (another's body), or contemplatesthe body in the body both internally and externally. Hecontemplates arising in the body; he contemplateddissolution in the body; he contemplates both arising

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and dissolution in the body. He possesses clearmindfulness of the existence of the body, solely to theextent necessary for a bare knowledge of it, sufficient

for it to serve as an object of recollection. Thus he livesindependently, clinging to naught in the world."

The Essence of Satipatthana

One may see from the salient points ofsatipatthana

summarized above that satipatthana(and this includesvipassana) is not a principle that necessarily demandsfor its practice either withdrawal from society intoseclusion or a fixed time schedule. Consequently, manywise teachers have encouraged its integration into dailylife.

In essence, the teaching ofsatipatthanainforms usthat our lives have just four areas which require thewatchful eye and governance ofsati, namely, (1) thebody and its behaviour, (2) the various feelings ofpleasure and pain, (3) the different states of mind and(4) dhammas. Conducting one's life with satiguardingover these four points will help to ensure a freedom

from danger and suffering and a life of clarity and well-being, culminating in the realization of the ultimatetruth.

One may also see from the outline ofsatipatthanaabove that, in practice, satiis never employed alone,but always in conjunction with other dhammas. One

such dhamma, which is not specifically mentioned in the

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text, is samadhi, which must be present, at least in aweak form, sufficient for the purpose in hand.[7] Thethree dhammassingled out by name in the definition of

sammasatiabove are:

1.Atapi(there is effort). This refers to Samma Vayama(Right Effort), the sixth factor of the Noble EightfoldPath, which entails guarding against and abandoningwhat is unwholesome and creating and maintainingwhat is wholesome.

2. Sampajano(there is clear comprehension). Thisrefers to the wisdom-faculty.

3. Satima(there is mindfulness).

A noteworthy clause is the second, 'Sampajano',rendered as 'There is clear comprehension

(sampajaa)'. Sampajaais a dhamma which usuallyappears coupled with sati. Sampajaais the wisdom-faculty (paa). Thus the training in satiis one elementin the process of wisdom development. Sampajaa(paa) is the clear and penetrative understanding ofthe object or action fixed upon by satiin regard to itspurpose, its nature and the way to proceed in relation

to it, free from delusion and misunderstanding.

The subsequent phrase, "... eradicating covetousnessand distress with regard to the world ...", demonstratesthe attitude that results from the possession ofsati-sampajaaas being one of equanimity and freedom, astate unbound by defilements, whether rooted in

attachment or in aversion.

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The phrase, shared by every clause, "... he seesarising and dissolution ...", points to the contemplativeunderstanding of those things in terms of the Three

Characteristics, resulting in a perception and experienceof them as they actually exist. The phrase, "...mindfulness of the existence of the body ...", forexample, refers to an awareness of the body in itsactuality, without clothing it in conceptualizations,interpretations, or attachments, not labelling it as aperson or as self, as 'him' or 'her' or 'me' or 'my body'.

This attitude is thus one of freedom, independent, inthat it is untied to any external condition, and is withoutany grasping at the things of the world with craving andclinging.

To further elucidate this matter, a few importantphrases from the Pali text will here be translated and

briefly explained:

1. Kaye kayanupassi(contemplating the body in thebody).This phrase refers to seeing the body simply as a body,or as a meeting place or assembly point for the variousorgans which are its component parts. It means not

seeing the body as being 'him' or 'her' or 'me' or 'thisperson' or 'that person', nor as belonging to anyone; notseeing a man or a woman, for example, in hair of thehead or hair of the body or a face. In other words, onesees directly in accordance with the truth, in agreementwith the actual state of the body; what one seescorresponds to what one is looking at, i.e. one looks at

a body and sees a body, rather than looking at a body

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and seeing 'Mr. Smith' or someone hateful or someoneattractive. This accords with the saying of the oldmasters, "One does not (usually) see what one is

looking at. One sees, on the contrary, what one hastruly not seen. Not seeing truly, one becomes attached;and, when one is attached to something, there is noliberation."[8]

2.Atapi sampajano satima(there is effort, clearcomprehension and mindfulness).

In other words, there is Samma Vayama(Right Effort),Samma Ditthi(Right View) and Samma Sati(RightMindfulness), the three factors of the Noble EightfoldPath which must always be employed in conjunction forthe development of every aspect of the Path.[9]

(a) Effort (vayama) energizes the mind. It prevents the

mind from becoming discouraged or depressed, fromdilly-dallying or regressing, and so gives no opportunityfor unwholesome dhammasto arise. It is a force whichurges the mind to press on, and which encourages thegrowth of the various wholesome dhammas.

(b) Clear comprehension (sampajaa) is the wisdom-faculty which contemplates and fully comprehends theobject brought into focus by satiand prevents delusionfrom arising in regard to it. It correctly understands theway in which the object actually exists.

(c) Mindfulness (sati) is that which fixes onto the object,enabling one to keep abreast of it at every moment, notallowing it to slip from the mind or to become unclear or

confused.

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3. Vineyya loke abhijjhadomanassam(he destroyscovetousness and distress with regard to the world).When one practises in this way, the mind becomes

spacious and bright, and neither desire and attachmentnor sorrow and aversion can overwhelm it.

4.Atthi kayoti panassa sati paccupatthita hoti yavadavananamattaya patissatimattaya(he has clear mindfulnessof the existence of the body only to extent that willserve to make it an object of gnosis (ana) and

recollection).Satifocuses clearly and directly on the truth that thebody is merely the body, that no being, person, man, orwoman is implied by it. There is perception of the bodymerely for the sake of the development andenhancement ofsati-sampajaa, not in order toindulge in fanciful daydreams or senseless proliferations.

The same applies in the case of feelings, mind anddhammas.

5.Anissito ca viharati(and he dwells independently).His mind is free, not tied to any condition. He does notgive his heart away to any thing or person. Speakingtechnically, he doesn't rely on craving and views as a

support; he is unaffected by them. When encounteringsome experience, for example, he is directly aware ofthe thing being experienced in its actuality, withoutresorting to craving and views to colour and embellish itand to lull him into indulgence. In short, he doesn'tentrust his powers of thought, his imagination, or hishappiness to craving and views.

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6. Na ca kici loke upadiyati(clinging to naught in theworld).He does not grasp at or attach to anything at all,

whether form, feeling, perception, volitional formation,or consciousness as being self or belonging to self.

7.Ajjhattam va ... bahiddha va(internally ... externally).Teachers have differed in their explanations of thisphrase, but the consensus of opinion in theCommentaries is that 'internal' refers to oneself and

'external' refers to others.[10] Such an interpretationagrees with the Abhidhamma texts, which elucidate themeaning of the term clearly, e.g., "And how does abhikkhu see the mind in the mind externally? Here,when the mind of another person is lustful, he clearlyperceives that that is so, etc."[11] Some people mightwonder at this point whether it is proper to go prying

into the affairs of other people's bodies and minds, andhow in fact one could see the truth of them anyway. Asfor this, we take it quite simply to be that the aim of thetraining is to use satiwith all of the things with whichwe must have dealings, and to perceive in them nomore than what is actually there. In our daily lives it isinevitable that we will have to have dealings with other

people, and those dealings should be mindful ones. Ourperceptions of others should accord with the way theyare and be based only on direct personal experience,not exceeding what has been discerned by us in thecourse of our dealings with them. (If one possesses thegnosis (ana) enabling one to read others' minds, thenone's 'knowledge' should not exceed the bounds of that

gnosis. If one does not possess that gnosis, there is no

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need to be inquisitive.) In that way, one will notproliferate and work oneself into a turmoil regardingother people, and give birth to such dhammasas greed

and aversion. If one doesn't know the mental states ofothers, or lives alone, it doesn't matter; it is not anessential part of the practice. There is no question ofbeing required to monitor other people's behaviour inorder to detect the states of their bodies and minds.

One way of summarizing the above would be to say

that the development ofsatipatthanaentails a dwellingwith satiand sampajaawhich ensures that the imageof self which the mind of Ignorance creates andfashions can find no gap through which it can insinuateitself into one's thoughts and create problems.

Some scholars in the West have looked at

comparisons ofsatipatthanawith contemporarymethods of psychotherapy. In their assessment of therelative merits of the two systems, they have come tothe conclusion that satipatthanaprovides better results.Moreover, in that it is a method which may feasibly bepractised by anyone by himself, and, as its value is notrestricted to times of mental abnormality but may

normally be employed for good mental health, it is ofwider application.[12] However, these views will not bediscussed here; instead, there will be a further summaryof the prominent features ofsatipatthana, this time interms of contemporary modes of thought.

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Footnotes:

4. The Nivaranas(hindrances to the working of the

mind) are five-fold, namely: kamachanda(sensualdesire), byapada(ill-will), thinamiddha(sloth andtorpor), uddhaccakukkucca(agitation and anxiety), andvicikiccha(sceptical doubt). [Back to text]

5. The Bojjhanga(Limbs of Enlightenment) are: sati,dhammavicaya(investigation ofdhammas), viriya(effort),piti(bliss),passaddhi(calm), samadhi andupekkha(equanimity). [Back to text]

6. The word 'body' may be changed to 'feelings', 'mind',or 'dhammas', according to the case. [Back to text]

7. This is called vipassanasamadhiand occupies a levelbetween khanika(momentary) samadhiand upacara

(close to absorption) samadhi. [Back to text]

8. D.N. Commentary. The phrase, 'the body in the body'is glossed in several different ways by thecommentators, with an overall emphasis on the aim ofthe contemplation. One interpretation, for example,takes it as focusing on the body without muddle,

attending, in the body, only to the body -- not tofeelings, mind-states, or dhammasassociated with it.Another takes it to mean attending to the smaller partswhich comprise the body as a unit, distinguishing thedifferent components and looking at them individually,(continued) until one sees that the whole body isnothing other than a congregation of smaller

constituents, that there is nobody there, no 'Mr. A' or

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'Ms. B'. It thus implies the analysis of a composite unit,the dismantling of a complex structure, and is anendeavour comparable to that of removing all the

leaves and the spadix of a banana tree and finding noheart-wood, no essential tree. (The phrases, 'feelings infeelings', 'mind in mind', and 'dhammasin dhammas'may be understood in the same way.) [Back to text]

9. This agrees with the principle enunciated in theCattarisaka Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya, Uparipannasaka,

258-278). As for the equation ofatapiwith sammavayama, see Vibhanga, 437-439. [Back to text]

10. For example: Digha Nikaya Commentary, Vol. II,498; Majjhima Nikaya Commentary, Vol. I, 385;

Vibhanga Commentary, 283, 286. [Back to text]

11. For example: Vibhanga, 445-447. It may be noted

that there is an exposition of the psychic power thatvouchsafes a penetration of the minds of othersappearing at Digha Nikaya, Silakkhandhavagga, 135.[Back to text]

12. See N. P. Jacobson, Buddhism, The Religion ofAnalysis, Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University

Press, 1970, pp. 93-123. [Back to text]

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Practice as Process

The constituent factors in this process of practice aretwo-fold: the passive (that which is focused on,observed, concentrated on, contemplated), and theactive (focusing, observation, concentration,contemplation).

The passive constituents are those ordinary,mundane things common to all of us: the body and itsmovements, thoughts, feelings and so on as they occur(only those existing at the present moment are validobjects of contemplation).

The active constituents of focusing, concentration,observation and contemplation form the basic agents ofsatipatthanaand are functions ofsatiand sampajaa.

Satiis that which keeps hold of the chosen object.Sampajaais the wisdom-faculty which realizes thenature and purpose of the thing or state beingcontemplated, as, for example, when focusing one'scontemplation on the movements of the body whenwalking, one has a comprehension of such things as thereason for walking and the intended destination.Sampajaaunderstands the object or the action as itis, without coating it with feelings and so on.

There is a point to be wary of which should bestressed here, concerning a wrong understanding thatmay lead to misguided and fruitless practice. Somepeople misconstrue the meaning of the common

translation ofsatias 'recollection' and ofsampajaaas

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'self-awareness'. They establish sation the sense of selfand then feel aware of themselves as the agents of thevarious actions, 'I am doing this, I am doing that'; their

practice thus becoming a creation or strengthening ofthe concept of self. The mind becomes absorbed onthat self-concept and develops a rigidity, or if not, at thevery least, it strays from its task, thus spoiling theresults of the work being undertaken. One who hasformed such a wrong understanding should look at themeaning ofsatiin its sense of 'bearing in mind',

maintaining the mind on its object, on the task beingperformed, or in the flow of action. He or she shouldlook at the meaning ofsampajaain its sense of clearcomprehension of that which satiis bearing in mind. Inother words, it is not a matter of using satito focus onthe sense of self, 'I am doing this, I am doing that'; itimplies bearing the task itself in mind, rather than the'performer' of the task. Satishould pay attention to theaction being performed or to the state that is presentlyoccurring to the extent that there is no room to think ofoneself, or the 'actor'. The heart must abide with theaction until the feeling of 'I' or agency is maderedundant.

The essential feature of focused contemplation lies inthe accurate, undistorted perception of its object, i.e.looking, seeing and understanding what that object is,its characteristics and the effects of its presence. Itentails facing up to, acknowledging, considering andunderstanding. Bare attention is maintained on theobject at every moment, without reacting to it in any

way; without evaluation, criticism, or judgement of it as

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being good or bad, right or wrong, etc. There is nointerpretation of the object in the light of one'semotions, prejudices or attachments as being agreeable

or disagreeable, pleasant or unpleasant. One merelyunderstands the way that thing, that state, that aspectis, without supplementing one's perception of it withsuch thoughts as 'mine', 'his', 'me', 'her', 'Mr. A.', 'Ms.B.', etc. To take the example of contemplation of thefeelings in one's heart: at the moment that a painfulfeeling arises, one knows that a painful feeling is

arising, the way in which it has come about, and theway in which it is presently dissipating. In thecontemplation of mental phenomena, as the examplewhen anxiety or depression occurs in the mind, one layshold of that anxiety or depression and contemplateshow it has come about and how it has developed. At atime when anger arises, and, on becoming the object ofawareness, subsides, then one takes up that past angeras an object of contemplation and considers its benefitsand ill effects, the cause for its arising and the way inwhich it disappears. It can become enjoyable to study,reflect on and analyse one's suffering! When it is purelysuffering that is presently arising and passing away, andis not 'my suffering' or 'I am suffering', then thatsuffering is robbed of all its power to harm the one whocontemplates it. Whatever form of goodness orunwholesomeness appears or is present in the mind,one faces up to it, without any effort at avoidance. Onecognizes it and pays attention to it as it is, from themoment of its occurrence until it meets its natural end,

and then switches attention to something else. It issimilar to watching actors perform a play, or to being a

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bystander at some event. It is an attitude that iscomparable to that of a doctor performing an autopsy,or that of a scientist observing the subject of his study,

rather than that of a judge listening to evidence in atrail. It is an objective rather than a subjectiveapproach.

An important characteristic of the state that isinformed at all times by sati-sampajaais that ofdwelling in the present moment. Satiis mindful at each

moment of what is arising, what is happening, or whatone is doing and does not allow the mind to wander off.There is no attachment to, or lingering on, any pastexperience, and no floating off into the future in searchof things that have not yet happened or do not yetexist. There is no straying back into the past or forwardinto the future. If some unresolved matter from the past

or some future obligation is to be considered, then satilays hold of the relevant details, and the wisdom-facultyreflects on them in a purposeful way, so that everymatter becomes a present object of mind. There is noaimless or superfluous drifting into past or future.Dwelling in the present moment means freedom fromsubjection to craving. The mind not seduced or

motivated by selfish desire exists with a wisdom whichliberated it from the various expressions ofdukkha,such as grief and regret, agitation, anxiety anddepression, and gives rise to an awareness that isaccompanied by spaciousness, clarity and ease.

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The Fruits of Practice

Purity: When satiis fixed exclusively on the object on

which one desires to focus and sampajaacomprehends that thing in its true light, then the streamof consciousness and thought will be naturallymaintained in purity, for there will be no room for thevarious defilements to arise. When examining andanalysing phenomena simply as they are, withoutappending emotions and conceptualizations based on

subjective prejudices and preferences, then there will beno clinging. It is a method of eradicating existingcankers (asava[13]) and protecting the mind from theoccurrence of those that are as-yet unarisen.

Freedom: The pure state of mind spoken of abovewill also be blessed with freedom, being unperturbed by

the various sense-impressions which impinge upon it,through utilizing every one of them as material forobjective study. When sense-data is not interpreted inline with the dictates of the cankers, it exerts nosubjective influence over the one who experiences it.That person's behaviour will be liberated from thedefilements that act as unconscious drives or

motivations. This is what is referred to in the text as'dwelling independently (i.e. not being the servant ofcraving and views) and clinging to naught in the world'.

Wisdom: In the train of such a mental process, thewisdom-faculty will function with maximumeffectiveness. The absence of obfuscation or diversion

by emotions, proclivities and prejudices ensures a

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perception of things as they actually exist, an authenticawareness.

Liberation from dukkha: When the mind dwells in astate of wakefulness, understanding things in theiractuality and able to maintain such a vision, thosepositive and negative inclinations in relation to thingswhich are unfounded on a purified logic will be unableto arise. Thus there will be an absence of states rootedin covetousness (abhijjha) or in distress (domanassa),

and freedom from the various expressions of anxiety.This is the state of mind which is called 'released'. It isexperienced as a light spaciousness, relaxation, serenityand independence.

In fact, all of the fruits of practice mentioned aboveare different, related aspects of a single whole. To

summarize in terms of Dependent Origination[14] andthe Three Characteristics: At first, human beings areignorant of the fact that the self they cling to itultimately non-existent, that is merely a flux, consistingof a great number of interrelated material andimmaterial phenomena, constantly arising anddegenerating in accordance with complex causal and

conditioning processes. When one is unaware of thistruth, one clings to the feelings, thoughts, desires,habits, attitudes, beliefs, opinions and sense-consciousness that arise at each moment as being one'sself and feels that that one's self is continuallychanging: 'I was that, now I am this, I felt that way,and now I feel this way', etc. In perceiving an 'I' as a

subject who has likes and dislikes, one is simply being

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deceived by such things as thoughts and feelings. Thisdeluded condition of the mind is the source of wrongthinking. As a consequence of it, one's thoughts,

feelings and actions are all held in subjection to theexigencies of whatever is being clung to as self at themoment. In coming to practise according to theprinciples ofsatipatthana, every kind of material andimmaterial phenomenon contained within the mentalcontinuum is seen to be arising and ceasing inaccordance with its nature. When analysing the various

constituents of this flux by segregating them in terms ofcontent or temporal sequence, and thus perceiving acontinuity of change, the process-nature of ourexistence, one is no longer deceived into clinging ontoanything as being one's self, and phenomena lose theirpower to coerce.

If this insight attains an optimum profundity andclarity, there is realization of the state of liberation. Itestablishes the mind in a new mode of being, as a light,bright stream, free of inner knots, proclivities andattachments. It is the birth of a new personality. To putit another way, it is the state of perfect mental health,comparable to a body which is said to be in perfect

health when, in the absence of any disturbing illness, allof its organs function smoothly at their full, normalcapacity. In this simile, the practice ofsatipatthanaisviewed as a method of eradicating the variousmalignancies of the mind, eliminating all those thingswhich form knots and obstructions to its smoothworking. Satipatthanacreates a spaciousness in the

mind. One becomes ready to conduct one's life, to face

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up to and deal with everything in one's world withresolution and good cheer.

This matter may be summarized with the followingwords of the Buddha:

"O Bhikkhus, there are two kinds of disease: physicaldisease and spiritual disease (literally 'mental disease').Those beings who may assert that they have beenwithout physical disease for a whole year are to befound in the world. Those people who may assert thatthey have been without physical disease for two years... three years ... four years ... five years ... ten years ...twenty years ... thirty years ... forty years ... fifty years... a hundred years are to be found. But hard to find inthis world are those beings who may assert that theyhave been free from spiritual disease, even for a single

moment, apart from those in whom the cankers havebeen destroyed." [A.II.142-143]

Venerable Sariputta:'Extremely clear are your featurestoday, householder, your countenance is radiant. Surelyyou have been listening to a Dhamma talk from theBlessed One.'

The Householder Nakulapita:'Venerable Sir, how couldit be otherwise? I have just been sprinkled with thenectar of a Dhamma discourse by the Blessed One.'

Venerable Sariputta:'With what kind of Dhammadiscourse did the Blessed One sprinkle nectar uponyou?'

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The Householder Nakulapita:'Venerable Sir, I enteredthe presence of the Blessed One, paid my respects tohim, and having sat down in an appropriate place I

spoke to the Blessed One thus, 'Lord, I am at the end ofmy life, I am a broken-down old man, I am far gone inyears, my body is beset by illnesses and is in constantpain. Moreover, I am one who has seldom had theopportunity to behold the gladdening sight of the Lordand the Sangha. May the Lord, out of compassion, giveme a teaching that will conduce to my long-lasting

benefit and happiness.'

'The Buddha:"That is correct, Householder, it is so. Thisbody is inevitably beset by illness, just as an egg issurrounded by a shell. For one carrying this body about,who but a fool could claim to be free from illness, evenfor a moment. Therefore, Householder, you should train

yourself thus, 'Even though my body is beset by illness,my mind will not be." Venerable Sir, this was theDhamma discourse with which the Lord Buddhasprinkled nectar upon me.' [S.III.1-2]

For What Reason is the Sati Which Keeps Abreastof the Present Moment an Important Foundationof Vipassana?

Our most ordinary, mundane activity, one that is goingon constantly in our daily lives, is the cognition ofsense-impressions through the eyes, ears, nose,tongue, body and mind. Sense-consciousness is always

accompanied by a feeling -- either of pleasure and ease,

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of pain and discomfort, or else of indifference. In thepresence of feeling, a reaction takes place in the mind;if pleasure and ease are evoked by an object, there is

liking and attachment. If pain and discomfort areevoked, there will be dislike and aversion. When there isliking of something, there arises the desire toexperience more of it, to repeat the enjoyment, toobtain or possess. When there is dislike of something,there arises the desire to escape from it, to rid oneselfof it or destroy it. This process is continuing all the time,

both on subtle levels which tend to remain unobserved,and, on occasion, with an intensity which is plainlyrecognizable and which inflicts clearly discernible andlasting effects on the mind. Whenever the processdisplays this intensity, or is so strikingly evident, it willusually induce long and involved mental proliferations,and, if the matter finds no resolution in the heart, it willthen intrude into the whole range of one's speech andactions. Thus people's lives, their roles in the world andthe ways in which they relate to each other all issueprincipally from this incessant flow of mentalphenomena which is present in every moment of ourexistence.

Heedlessly abandoning the mind to the conditionedprocess described above, i.e. liking and attaching tofeelings of sensual pleasure and comfort, or dislikingand resisting feelings of sensual pain and discomfort,will serve to thwart and impede the development ofwisdom. One will be prevented from seeing things asthey are and accurately perceiving the true nature of

their existence.

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Thus the following impediments to wisdom may beseen:

The mind falls into the power of liking and disliking andis held fast by it. The mind's vision is obscured by thatlike or dislike and inclines away from an accurateperception of the actual nature of phenomena.

The mind falls into the past or the future. Havingcognized an object and aroused liking or dislikingtowards it, the mind will stick to or oppose the particularpart, point, or aspect of that object which calls forththat like or dislike. It will take up an image of thataspect as if implying the whole, feed it and proliferateon it until the overall truth of the matter is almostcompletely obscured. This dwelling on one particularaspect of a phenomenon due to like or dislike, then

grasping onto the concept or mental image of itappearing in one's mind, is a slip into the past. Theensuing mental proliferations regarding that image are adrift into the future. One's knowledge andunderstanding of an object thus in fact becomes basedon the image of that partial aspect of it which attractsone's like or dislike, or else on a more developed image

fashioned from the original one by the imagination.Thus there is no perception of the object as it actuallyexists in its entirely in the present moment.

The mind falls into the power of mental conditioning,which interprets the meaning of what is sensed orexperienced in the light of one's personal history or

accumulated habits, e.g. by the values, attitudes andopinions which one clings to and upholds. The mind is

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thus said to fall into a conditioned state, unable to lookwith equanimity at the bare experience itself.

The mind integrates the conditioned image ofexperience into subsequent proliferations, thusquickening the accretion of habitual patterns ofreaction.

The characteristics of mind mentioned above do notpertain only to the coarse and shallow matters of one'sdaily life and general affairs. The emphasis in theteachings is on their manifestation at the subtle andprofound level of the mental continuum. It is throughtheir presence that ordinary, unenlightened beings areled to see things as stable and substantially real, toperceive inherent beauty or ugliness in them, to attachto conventional truths and to be unable to see

phenomena in their true light, as temporal expressionsof a causal flux. People accumulate habits andconditioned tendencies to misperceive existence almostfrom the day they are born, and go twenty or thirtyyears, forty or fifty years, even longer than that, withoutever training themselves to break the circuit of wrongthinking. Consequently, effecting a remedy is not easy.

At the very moment that one becomes conscious of anobject, before one has had time to steady oneself tocheck the process, the mind has already switched intoan habitual response. Thus the remedy in this case isnot simply a matter of breaking a circuit and abrogatingthe conditioned process, but also necessitates a curbingof the habitual tendency and disposition of the mind to

flow strongly along fixed channels. It is satiwhich is

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vital here, both initially as a sort of ground-breaker, andsubsequently as the element around which other factorsgather. The objectives ofsatipatthanapractice are,

therefore, through maintenance ofsatiin the presentmoment and always seeing things in their bareactuality, the breaking of the circuit of deluded thought,the destruction of the unwholesome causal process, andthe gradual alleviation of the old conditioning, with thesimultaneous creation of new dispositions in the mind.

The mind which has satihelping to maintain it in thepresent moment will possess characteristics which arethe complete antitheses of those shown by the mindcaught in the flow of unwholesome dhammas.

Liking and aversion will have no opportunity to arisein it, because their presence is dependent on the mind

seizing on a particular point or aspect of a matter and,through lingering on it, slipping back into the past.Liking and aversion exist only in association with afalling away from the present moment. A consequenceof bare mindfulness of the presently existing state is theprevention of a dropping into the past or a floating offinto the future. In the presence ofsatithere is also no

exacerbation or strengthening of previouslyaccumulated wrong habits.

When one is unceasingly mindful of everyphenomenon arising in the present moment, one isbound to perceive certain character traits in oneselfwhich are unpleasant or which one would ordinarily

consider unacceptable. With sati, one can acknowledgeand face up to these qualities as they are, without

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seeking to avoid them and without any self-deception.One is thus able to cleanse them from the mind and tosolve the problems which lie within oneself.

The mind with constant satiis one which possessesthe qualities of purity, radiance, spaciousness, joy andfreedom. It is an unconstricted and untarnished mind.

All things are established and exist according tonatural laws. Figuratively speaking, the truth isrevealing itself at all times, but we shut ourselves offfrom it; or, if we don't, we either perceive only adistorted image of it or we deceive ourselves as to itsnature altogether. The cause of that concealment,distortion and deception is immersion in the conditionedstream of unwholesome dhammasdetailed above. Oncethat false step has been taken, then the old, false

conditioning is even more inclined to drag one intoerror, thus leaving virtually no hope at all of seeing thetruth. In that humanity has been steadily accumulatingthese habits for an immeasurably long time, the practiceto remedy them and to create new dispositions in themind is also likely to require a long time.

Whenever satikeeps up with the change in thingsand works constantly, without interruptions and in anassured fashion; when one doesn't put up a barrier tothe truth, or distort the images one perceives; whenone is free from the power of conditioning and habit;then one is prepared to see things in their actuality andto understand the truth.

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On reaching this stage, if the other faculties(particularly the wisdom-faculty) are mature and well-primed, they will join forces with sati, or else rely on it

to facilitate their full functioning and so bring aboutana-dassana, the authentic vision of phenomena whichis the goal ofvipassana. However, to bring the facultiesto the maturity demanded for such work, one has torely on a progressive training which must include, atfirst, study and investigation of the teachings. Study andlogical thought are then of definite assistance in the

birth of the clear vision of truth.

Satiis not itselfvipassana; vipassanais wisdom(paa) or the use of wisdom. However, wisdomderives its opportunity to work with maximum facilityfrom dependence on sati'sdirection and support. Thusthe training in satiis of major importance to vipassana.

One trains in satiin order to be able to fully utilize thewisdom faculty. To train in satiis to simultaneously trainin wisdom.

When speaking ofsation the practical rather thanacademic level, one includes in its meaning that of thewisdom with which it is conjoined, and the strength and

continuity attained by satiis derived from thecooperation of the two.[15] Thepaawhich workstogether with satiin general tasks tends to bear thecharacteristic called sampajaaor clearcomprehension. On this level,paastill appears mainlyas a contributory factor in practice, cooperating andliaising with sati. In speech and conversation, for

example, one tends to rely principally on sati. However,

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when it comes to more subtle levels of investigation,prominence shifts topaa, and satiis relegated to arole rather like that of a servant. Thepaawhich

functions on this level is, for example, the dhamma-vicayaof the Seven Limbs of Enlightenment. Butwhether it is sampajaaor dhammavicaya, orpaaby any of its other designations, if it works to produce aclear knowledge and understanding of things in directaccordance with the true nature of their existence so asto liberate the mind, then it is all vipassana.[See

Vibhanga, 612]

Satiperforms an important task in both samathaandvipassanaand a comparison between the differing rolesit plays in each may help to further clarity the mattersdealt with above. In samatha, satifastens the mindonto its object, or holds the object in the mind, simply

in order to enable the mind to concentrate unswervinglyon the object and to grasp it firmly, to be motionlesslytranquil and free of distraction and agitation. When themind is thus firmly and unswervingly centered on theobject to the extent that it becomes uninterruptedly onewith it, that state is called samadhiand signals theachievement ofsamatha.

In vipassana, satifocuses on the object and fastensit to the mind, or maintains the mind on the object in asimilar way. However, in this case, the aim is to use themind as a place to lay the object down for examinationand contemplation by the wisdom-faculty. One takeshold of the object in order to letpaainvestigate and

analyse it, using the firm and stable mind as one's

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laboratory. The practice ofsamathais like tying a wildyoung bull to a post with a rope. All it can do is circlearound the post to which it is bound until, eventually,

when its wildness has abated, it lies down meekly at thefoot of the post. Here, the mind may be compared tothe wild young bull, the meditation object to the postand satito the rope. The practice ofVipassanamay becompared to fixing a specimen onto a surface in orderto allow a subsequent examination to proceed smoothlyand with precision. Here, the means used to pin down

the specimen may be compared to sati, the specimen tothe meditation object, the surface to the stabilized mindand the examination topaa.

The preceding remarks have covered the significantdifferences between samathaand vipassana, but a fewminor observations remain to be made. One such

observation is that, in samatha, one's aim is to pacifythe mind; thus when satiis employed to focus on anobject, it will firmly fasten onto it with the sole aim ofproducing a firm and unswerving concentration on thatobject, preventing even the slightest separation, untileventually the mind dwells completely and unwaveringlyon the 'sign' or mental image of the meditation object,

Thus samathainvolves fixing on an object which ismerely a perception created in the mind by themeditator.

In vipassana, on the other hand, the aim is towardsknowledge and understanding of the way things are.Consequently, satifocuses only on truly existent

phenomena, in order forpaato fully and clearly

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comprehend the nature of their existence. It attends tothe way things are, right from the moment of theirnascence through their gradual decline to their final

disintegration. It demands an awareness of every kindof sense-impression which impinges on consciousnessso thatpaacan comprehend each one in its actuality.Thus the object in focus is not a fixed one, and toensure an accurate and authentic comprehension, satimust be mindful of the changing nature at everymoment, to prevent the mind from lingering on any one

object or aspect of an object.

Another minor point of difference to be observed isthat, in samatha, satifocuses on an object that is eitherfixed or else moves repetitiously within fixedboundaries. In vipassana, satican focus on an objectthat is moving or changing in any way. In samatha, one

selects a certain defined object as a skilful means tofacilitate the pacification and stabilization of the mind.In vipassana, one may focus on any object withoutrestrictions; whatever appears in the mind and lendsitself to contemplation, whatever permits the vision oftruth, is valid. In fact, all may be subsumed under theheadings of body, feelings, mind and dhammasor else

nama-rupa(mind and body).

Another important element of the general principlesof practice, and examination of which helps to furtherclarify those special characteristics which distinguishvipassanafrom samatha, is yoniso-manasikara(skilfulreflection). Yoniso-manasikarais a mental factor that

assists in the birth of wisdom and is consequently of

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great importance in vipassana. In the practice ofsamatha, although it may be a useful support on manyoccasions, it is of lesser significance and, on some

occasions, may be redundant, ordinary considerationbeing sufficient. To expand on this point, in thedevelopment ofsamatha, if all goes smoothly andresults are duly experienced, there is no need to makeuse ofyoniso-manasikara. However, on those occasionswhen the mind refuses its attention to the object,resists all restrains and insists on agitation, or else in

those meditation themes, e.g. metta, which require acertain measure of reflective thought, one may need askilful means to guide the mind. In such a case, onerequire the assistance ofyoniso-manasikara, intelligentuse of the thought-process, to lead the mind on thecorrect path towards its goal. An example would beknowing how to reflect so as to arrest anger and causeits replacement by metta.

On the samathaside of practice, the yoniso-manasikarawhich may be required is solely of the kindthat induces wholesome dhammas; there is no need tocall upon the kind that activates the clear seeing of thetrue nature of things. In vipassana, yoniso-manasikara

is a singularly important step on the path to wisdom andis thus an essential principle of Dhamma. Yoniso-manasikaradirectly precedes wisdom; it is that whichpaves the way for wisdom, or opens up a space inwhich wisdom can mature.[16] Its characteristics andworkings are so similar to those ofpaathat, whenspeaking of them, there often tends to be a looseness in

expression, referring by name to only one and in fact

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meaning both, thus causing students difficulties indistinguishing between them.

Yoniso-manasikaraacts as a link between satiandpaa. It is that which guides the stream of thought insuch a way that wisdom is able to get down to workand achieve results. To put it another way, it is thatwhich provides wisdom with its method; it is the skilfulmeans employed in the efficacious use of wisdom.Student of Dhamma tend to become confused because,

in general parlance, the term 'yoniso-manasikara' isused to refer both to the proposal of the means ormethod of thought (which is its true meaning), and alsoto the subsequent employment ofpaain line withthat method. Thus, as it is commonly used, the termimplies both reflection and wisdom, in other words,'wise reflection'.

This ambiguity may also occur when speaking of thepractical expressions ofpaa. For instance, when usingthe term 'dhammavicaya' (the discrimination ofdhammas), one is usually left to work out for oneselfthat dhammavicayadenotes the employment of thewisdom-faculty to discriminate between dhammasusing

one of the methods provided by yoniso-manasikara.

To demonstrate the process involved as a sequenceof events, one could say that when satibrings an objectto mind and lays it down in full view of the mind,yoniso-manasikara, as it were, picks it up andmanipulates it in such a way thatpaamay scrutinize

it and then deal with it effectively. Yoniso-manasikarafixes on the aspects amenable to the workings ofpaa

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and determines the course that it should take. Paaproceeds accordingly, and ifyoniso-manasikarahasdone the ground-work well, its efforts will bear fruit.

Satiis present at every stage of this process for,whenever yoniso-manasikarais functioning, satiisalways present. It is supported by, and in turn,supports, yoniso-manasikarain vipassana.

A comparison may be made to someone in a rowingboat out on a choppy river, picking flowers or water

greens. Firstly, that person ties up the boat or anchors itin such a way that it will remain stationary at the spotwhere the plants grow. Then with one hand he graspshold of the stems, gathers them together and exposesthem as conveniently as possible for harvesting. Withthe other hand, using the tool he has prepared for the

job, he cuts them off. Satimay be compared to the

anchor which stabilized the boat, enabling the man toremain within reach of the plants. The boat, heldstationary at a given spot, may be compared to themind. The hand which grasps the plant stems and holdsthem in a convenient way is like yoniso-manasikara. Theother hand, using a sharp tool to cut off the stems, islikepaa.

A through knowledge ofsammasati, the seventhfactor of the Noble Eightfold Path, thus entails anexamination of its characteristics and variations, itseffects, its benefits, its relationship to other dhammas,and the role it plays in the practice leading to ultimatecessation ofdukkha. Such an understanding of

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sammasatiis of inestimable value to the practicingBuddhist.

"This is the one way, O Bhikkhus, for thepurification of beings,

for the passing beyond sorrow and lamentation,for the cessation of pain and distress,

namely the Four Satipatthana."

Footnotes:

13. Three asavasare usually given in the Discourses,those of sensuality, becoming and ignorance.

Occasionally a fourth, that of views, is added.Destruction of the asavasis a synonym for completeenlightenment. (Translator) [Back to text]

14. "The doctrine of the conditionality of all physicaland psychical phenomena." Nyanatiloka, BuddhistDictionary. [Back to text]

15.Saticonjoined withpaais strong, lackingpaais weak: see Majjhima Nikaya Commentary, Vol. III, 28;

Vibhanga Commentary, 406. There is nopaawithoutsati: Paramatthamajusa Mahatika, Vol. I, 302. Onelacking in satiwill have no effective contemplation; e.g.Digha Nikaya Commentary, Vol. II, 474; Samyutta

Nikaya Commentary, Vol. II, 270. Speaking ofsati

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alone, implyingpaa: Anguttara Nikaya Commentary,Vol. III, 127, glossing Anguttara Nikaya, Book of theSixes, 300; and the general explanation of the term

'satokari' as in Khuddaka Nikaya, Patisambhidamagga,389, quoted in the Visuddhimagga, Chapter 2, 58. [Backto text]

16. Here one should note the differing results, inrelation topaa, ofsaddha(reasoned conviction) andyoniso-manasikara. Saddhais like digging a fixed

channel for thought to flow along. Yoniso-manasikaraislike cutting the path forpaawhich is at each momentmost conducive to its fruitful progress.

In Buddhism, the sort ofsaddhawhich is encouragedis that which can link up withpaa, i.e. that whichoffers an opportunity to yoniso-manasikarato perform

its function. To illustrate this point, one example of thesaddhaof the 'fixed channel' variety is the theist's beliefthat everything which happens is the will of God. Such afaith brings critical thought to a halt. A Buddhist, on theother hand, has conviction in the truth of those of theBuddha's teachings which he has not yet directlyverified for himself, but his faith leads him on. For

example, his conviction in the Buddha's teaching that allthings exist in accordance with causes and conditionsencourages him, when undergoing an experience, to tryto find out what causes and conditions are prevailing atthat time. [Back to text]
http://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/s-sati3.htm#When#Whenhttp://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/s-sati3.htm#When#Whenhttp://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/s-sati3.htm#On#Onhttp://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/s-sati3.htm#On#Onhttp://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/s-sati3.htm#When#Whenhttp://www.buddhanet.net/cmdsg/s-sati3.htm#When#When

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