The Buddhist Path to Enlightenment (study)

by Dr Kala Acharya | 2016 | 118,883 words

This page relates ‘The Meaning of Satipatthana (foundation of mindfulness)’ of the study on the Buddhist path to enlightenment. The Buddha was born in the Lumbini grove near the present-day border of India and Nepal in the 6th century B.C. He had achieved enlightenment at the age of thirty–five under the ‘Bodhi-tree’ at Buddha-Gaya. This study investigates the teachings after his Enlightenment which the Buddha decided to teach ‘out of compassion for beings’.

1.1. The Meaning of Satipaṭṭhāna (foundation of mindfulness)

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The word satipaṭṭhana is a combination of two words namely, sati+upaṭṭhana (foundation of mindfulness) or sati+paṭṭhāna (establish of mindfulness), two derivations in Pāli commentaries.

The Pāli term sati is related to the verb sarati, to remember. The Sanskrit equivalent of sati is smṛti.^[1] Sati in the sense of ‘memory' occurs on several occasions in the discourses,^[2] and also in the standard definitions of sati given in the Abhidhamma and the commentaries.^[3] This remembrance aspect of sati is personified by the Buddha's disciple most eminent in sati, Ānanda, whoperformed the almost incredible feat of recalling all the discourses spoken by the Buddha, thereby preserving them for posterity.^[4]

The connotation of sati as memory becomes particularly prominent with the recollections (anussati). The discourses often list a set of six recollections (anussati): recollection of the Buddha (buddhānussati), of the Dhamma (dhammaānussati), of the Sangha (saṅghānussati), of one's ethical conduct (sīlānussati), of one's generousity (sāgānussati), and of heavenly beings (devatānussati).^[5] Another kind of recollection, usually occurring in the context of the ‘higher knowledges’ gained through deep concentration, is the recollection of one's past lives (pubbenivāsānussati). In regard to all these, it is sati which fulfils the function of recollecting.^[6] This recollective function of sati can even lead to awakening, documented in the Theragāthā with the case of a monk who gained realisation based on recollecting the qualities of the Buddha.^[7]

This connotation of sati as memory appears also in its formal definition in the discourses, which relate sati to the ability of calling to mind what has been done or said long ago.^[8] A closer examination of this definition, however, reveals that sati is not really defined as memory, but as that which facilitates and enables memory. What this definition of sati points is that, if sati is present, memory will be able to function well.^[9]

The basic meaning of upaṭṭhāna is to “stand near”, and it is commonly used to mean “serve”, “approach”, even “worship.” Taranatha Tarkavacaspati Bhattacarya’ s Sanskrit Dictionary gives the meaning of “causing to remember” (especially past lives), which would be identical with sati, but as this does not seem to be attested in any early text it is probably under Buddhist influence that the author has given this meaning. We have already remarked that the closest parallel in the Upanishads is the term upasana.

The word paṭṭhāna here is taken to have the dual meanings of “setting up” (or “application”= upaṭṭhāna) and “foundation”. Upaṭṭhāna occasionally occurs in vipassanā contexts, though not, so far as I know, in any central collection. In the Aṅguttara Nikāya, one is encouraged to “establish perception of impermanence [suffering, notself]” regarding all conditioned activities.^[10] Here, although it is not in the context of satipaṭṭhana, we see a similar subjective role for upaṭṭhāna, with the object in locative case, as in satipaṭṭhāna and elsewhere.

In its most basic sense, sati–a noun related to the verb sarati (‘remember’)–can be understood in two related ways:

(i) as an aspect of memory,^[11] that is, of ‘calling to mind’ (anussati) and ‘remembrance’ (paṭissati), where such recollective activity facilitates greater awareness and sense of purpose for one treading the ennobling noble eightfold path;

(ii) as awareness of the present moment, such that sati being present (upaṭṭhitasati) implies a ‘presence of mind’ that allows one to be awake to the present moment. In this way, sati is an alert yet receptive awareness, which brings a quality of breath to experience, and is thus “an awareness of things in relation to things, and hence an awareness of their relative value”.

Therefore, not only does sati have the ability to notice what is occurring, it also brings a wider vision of objects in their relationship to other objects and their accompanying mental factors. Here, a clear distinction between sati, cognition (saññā) and discriminative consciousness (viññāṇa) can be noted. Saññā processes labels for sensory and mental objects. It is saññā which identifies an object and ‘gives it a name’ by conceptualizing it.

Discriminative consciousness (viññāṇa) is that which is aware of a sensory or mental object, and which discriminates between its basic aspects, which have been recognized by saññā. But it is sati which brings an awareness not just to objects in their relationship, but one which is untainted by the subjective bias (i.e., that there is an ‘I’ recognizing and knowing etc.) that saññā and viññāṇa contribute to come out of ignorance (avijjā).

The word sattipaṭṭhāna should properly be understood as a compound of sati—mindfulness, and upaṭṭhāna—foundation; hence “foundation of mindfulness” would be the rendering that best captures the original meaning. The four foundations of mindfulness form a complete system of meditation practice for the development of mindfulness and insight. According to a mode of dwelling that accompanies each exercise, a satipaṭṭhāna is a mode of dwelling (viharati). This mode of dwelling involves observation of objects in the proper frame of mind. The frame of mind consists of three positive qualities; energy (ātāpa), mindfulness (sati) and clear comprehension (sampajāna). The word sati originally meant memory, but in the present context it signifies recollection of the present, a sustained awareness of what is happening to us and within us on each occasion of experience. Mindfulness, in its initial stages, is concerned with keeping the contemplative mind continually on its object, which means keeping the object continually present to the mind. Mindfulness prevents the mind from slipping away, from drifting off under the sway of random thoughts into mental proliferation and forgetfulness. Mindfulness is often said to occur in close injunction with “clear comprehension,” a clear knowledge and understanding of what one experiences.

Three kinds of dhamma which must be fulfilled.

During developing these four kinds of mindfulness, there are three kinds of dhammas which must be fulfilled, viz,

Ātāpī—strenuous effort
Sampajāna—clear comprehension
Satimā—mindfulness.

1. Ātāpī—Strenuous Effort

Other dhammas, right view etc., have also got the efficiency which can burn defilements through discarding temporarily or for a long time. However, because efficiency of the strenuous effort is more obvious, it is known as ātāpī (the dhamma which can burn defilements) as it is capable of burning defilements exceedingly within one mind moment, hence only strenuous effort can be designated as ātāpī.^[12]

2. Sampajāna—Clear Comprehension

Clear comprehension (sampajāna) means;

(a) well knowing through varieties, (b) knowing through circumstantial varieties, (c) knowing through conformable varieties.

(a) The knowledge which is capable of penetrative knowing and seeing the phenomena discriminating on corporeal dhammas within every corporeal unit such as “this is paṭhavī; this is āpo; this is tejo; this vāyo” etc., and ultimate mental dhammas within every mind moment in a way that “this is phassa; this is vedanā; this is saññā; this cetanā; this is viññāṇa” etc., as they really are, is called sampajāna. It is clear comprehension through varieties.

This sampajāna never discerns pathavī as āpo; it never discern tejo as vāyo; it never discern phassa as vedanā; it never discerns hot nature or cold nature as vedanā; it discerns paṭhavī as paṭhavī; it discerns tejo as tejo; it discerns phassa, as phassa; it discerns vedanā, as vedanā; it discerns hot nature or cold nature as corporeality and so forth. It should be understood in similar way.

(b) During discrimination on each ultimate corporeal nature or ultimate mental nature in that way, it must be performed through characteristic-function-manifestation-proximate cause (lakkhaṇa-rasapaccupaṭṭhāna-padaṭṭhāna). It is not enough to discriminate only single ultimate nature of corporeality or mentality. Every ultimate nature within each corporeal unit or every ultimate nature within each mind moment must be discriminated through characteristic-function-manifestation-proximate cause. This kind of penetrative knowing is called sabbākārapajānana (clear comprehension through all varieties of phenolmena). Furthermore—

The penetrative knowing on the phenomena that “due to arising of causal dhammas, i.e., ignorance-craving-clinging-formations-action, how consequence corporeality-mentality arise” and “due to cessation of causal dhammas, i.e., ignorance-craving-clinging-formations-action, how consequence corporeality-mentality cease”, is also called sabbākārapajānana (clear comprehension through all varieties of phenolmena). And then that sampajāna can discriminate nature of anicca, dukkha, anatta, asubha of those corporeality-mentality together with causal dhammas. Clear comprehension through all varieties of phenomena is called sampajāna. During the act of comprehending in this way not only internal but also external living and non-living world are discriminated up to (31) realms as a whole. It is called knowing through circumstantial varieties.

(d) During clear comprehending on nature of anicca, dukkha, anatta, asubha of all kinds of ultimate corporeal and mental dhammas called kāya-vedanā-citta-dhamma together with their causal dhammas, the knowledge discerns on those dhammas in conformity with anicca, dukkha, anatta, asubha in order to accomplish supra-mundane dhammas, called successive vipassanā knowledge the path-knowledge, the fruit-knowledge but not as nicca, sukha, atta, subha. That kind of knowing through comformable varieties of conditioned things is also called sampajāna.^[13]

(3) Satimā—Completion with Mindfulness

Third kind of dhamma which must be fulfilled by practicing person who develops mindfulness foundation is completion with mindfulness (satimā). It is completion with the mindfulness which capable of discriminating on five clinging aggregates called kāya-vedanā-citta-dhamma.^[14]

This practicing bhikkhu who develops mindfulness foundation dhammas discerns steadfastly on objects called kāya-vedanā-cittadhamma through discriminating with the help of knowledge. It is right -there is no contemplating knowledge (anupassanā-ñāṇa) which is capable of repeated discerning on kāya-vedanā-citta-dhamma over and over in the continuum of mind of bhikkhu who is lacking mindfulness. The Buddha, therefore, preached that “satiñca khvāhaṃ bhikkhave sabbatthikaṃ vadāmi”, -the mindfulness is, actually, bhikkhus, benefiting dhamma for both factors of enlightenment called wisdom, effort, bliss which are deserving to develop during calling back of the mind from object of practice and factors of enlightenment called tranquility, concentration, equanimity which are deserving to develop during wandering of the mind from object of practice”, thus I preach.

The Buddha preached in this way in Aggi sutta of Bojjaṅga Saṃyutta in Saṃyutta Nikāya.^{^[15]} The mindfulness is, therefore, essential not only during encoura-ging the mind on meditation while it is falling back from object of practice but also during concentrating the mind on meditation in order to reach the object of practice while it is wandering from here to there mindfulness and wisdom.