Si nian chu guan, Sì niàn chù guān: 3 definitions
Introduction:
Si nian chu guan means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism
四念處觀 [si nian chu guan]—smṛtyupasthāna. The fourfold stage of mindfulness, thought, or meditation that follows the 五停心觀 [wu ting xin guan] five-fold procedure for quieting the mind. This fourfold method, or objectivity of thought, is for stimulating the mind in ethical wisdom. It consists of contemplating (1) 身 [shen] the body as impure and utterly filthy; (2) 受 [shou] sensation, or consciousness, as always resulting in suffering; (3) 心 [xin] mind as impermanent, merely one sensation after another; (4) 法 [fa] things in general as being dependent and without a nature of their own. The four negate the ideas of permanence, joy, personality, and purity 常 [chang], 樂 [le], 我 [wo], and 淨 [jing], i. e. the four 顚倒 [dian dao], but v. 四德 [si de]. They are further subdivided into 別 [bie] and 總 [zong] particular and general, termed 別相念處 [bie xiang nian chu] and 總相念處 [zong xiang nian chu], and there are further subdivisions.
[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]
四念處觀 [si nian chu guan]—Contemplation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness — [Terminology] Formerly known as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (四念處 [si nian chu]), newly referred to as the Four Establishments of Mindfulness (四念住 [si nian zhu]). Hinayana practitioners (小乘行人 [xiao cheng xing ren]) cultivate the Contemplation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness after the Five Meditations for Quieting the Mind (五停心觀 [wu ting xin guan]). Relying on the Five Meditations for Quieting the Mind to stop the practitioner's confused mind is Shamatha (奢摩他 [she mo ta]), and relying on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to develop the practitioner's contemplative wisdom is Vipassana (毘婆舍那 [pi po she na]). First, Mindfulness of the Body (身念處 [shen nian chu]): One contemplates the body as impure (不淨 [bu jing]). The body is a physical body born of parents; its inside and outside are filled with defilements, without any pure place. Therefore, one contemplates the body as impure. Second, Mindfulness of Feelings (受念處 [shou nian chu]): One contemplates feelings as suffering (苦 [ku]). Feelings are sensations of pain and pleasure. Pleasure arises from the conditions of suffering, and also gives rise to pain and pleasure. There is no true pleasure in the world, therefore one contemplates feelings as suffering. Third, Mindfulness of Mind (心念處 [xin nian chu]): One contemplates the mind as impermanent (無常 [wu chang]). The mind, as consciousness of the eyes and so forth, arises and ceases in every moment, having no permanent abiding time. Therefore, one contemplates the mind as impermanent. Fourth, Mindfulness of Dharmas (法念處 [fa nian chu]): One contemplates dharmas as non-self (無我 [wu wo]). Dharmas refer to everything remaining apart from the three above. Dharmas have no independent, self-governing nature. Therefore, one contemplates them as non-self. These Four Foundations of Mindfulness are cultivated in relation to the Truth of Suffering (苦諦 [ku di]). Our body, upon which the Truth of Suffering depends, embodies these four aspects: body, feelings, mind, and dharmas. Therefore, by contemplating impurity, suffering, impermanence, and non-self in relation to body, feelings, mind, and dharmas, one progressively breaks the four inversions (四種顛倒 [si zhong dian dao]) of permanence, bliss, self, and purity (常樂我淨 [chang le wo jing]). Hence, there are precisely four, no more and no less. These Four Foundations of Mindfulness take wisdom (慧 [hui]) as their essence. The power of wisdom enables mindfulness to abide in the objects of contemplation—body, feelings, mind, and dharmas—hence the name "Foundation of Mindfulness" (念處 [nian chu]). Moreover, the power of wisdom enables mindfulness to abide in the object of contemplation, hence the name "Establishment of Mindfulness" (念住 [nian zhu]). The Abhidharmakośa-śāstra (俱舍論 [ju she lun]) Chapter 23 states: "Having cultivated and perfected superior Shamatha, one cultivates the Four Establishments of Mindfulness for Vipassana." The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (法華玄義 [fa hua xuan yi]) Chapter 3 states: "The Foundations of Mindfulness are the four insights regarding the Truth of Suffering, which counteract the four inversions. When the four inversions do not arise, it is due to these four contemplations."
四念處觀—【術語】舊曰四念處，新云四念住。小乘行人於五停心觀之後修四念處觀也。依五停心以止行人之亂心，是為奢摩他，依四念處以發行人之觀慧，是為毘婆舍那。一身念處，觀身為不淨也。身為父母所生之肉身，身之內外，污穢充滿，無些淨處，故觀身為不淨。二受命處，觀受為苦也，受為苦樂之感，樂從苦之因緣而生，又生苦樂，世間無實樂，故觀受為苦。三心念處，觀心為無常也，心為眼等之心識，念念生滅，更無常住之時，故觀無為常。四法念處，觀法為無我也，法為除上三者所餘之一切，法無自主自在之性，故觀為無我。是就苦之一諦而修四念處也。吾人苦諦之依身，有此身受心法四義，故就身受心法，而觀不淨苦無常無我，次第破常樂我淨之四種顛倒。故僅有四者而不增不減也。此四念處以慧為體，慧之力能使念身受心法所觀之處，故名念處，又慧之力能使念住於所觀之處，故名念住。俱舍論二十三曰：「依已修成滿勝奢摩他，為毘鉢舍那修四念住。」法華玄義三曰：「念處是觀苦諦上四智，治於四倒。四倒不起，由此四觀。」
[shù yǔ] jiù yuē sì niàn chù, xīn yún sì niàn zhù. xiǎo chéng xíng rén yú wǔ tíng xīn guān zhī hòu xiū sì niàn chù guān yě. yī wǔ tíng xīn yǐ zhǐ xíng rén zhī luàn xīn, shì wèi shē mó tā, yī sì niàn chù yǐ fā xíng rén zhī guān huì, shì wèi pí pó shě nà. yī shēn niàn chù, guān shēn wèi bù jìng yě. shēn wèi fù mǔ suǒ shēng zhī ròu shēn, shēn zhī nèi wài, wū huì chōng mǎn, wú xiē jìng chù, gù guān shēn wèi bù jìng. èr shòu mìng chù, guān shòu wèi kǔ yě, shòu wèi kǔ lè zhī gǎn, lè cóng kǔ zhī yīn yuán ér shēng, yòu shēng kǔ lè, shì jiān wú shí lè, gù guān shòu wèi kǔ. sān xīn niàn chù, guān xīn wèi wú cháng yě, xīn wèi yǎn děng zhī xīn shí, niàn niàn shēng miè, gèng wú cháng zhù zhī shí, gù guān wú wèi cháng. sì fǎ niàn chù, guān fǎ wèi wú wǒ yě, fǎ wèi chú shàng sān zhě suǒ yú zhī yī qiè, fǎ wú zì zhǔ zì zài zhī xìng, gù guān wèi wú wǒ. shì jiù kǔ zhī yī dì ér xiū sì niàn chù yě. wú rén kǔ dì zhī yī shēn, yǒu cǐ shēn shòu xīn fǎ sì yì, gù jiù shēn shòu xīn fǎ, ér guān bù jìng kǔ wú cháng wú wǒ, cì dì pò cháng lè wǒ jìng zhī sì zhǒng diān dào. gù jǐn yǒu sì zhě ér bù zēng bù jiǎn yě. cǐ sì niàn chù yǐ huì wèi tǐ, huì zhī lì néng shǐ niàn shēn shòu xīn fǎ suǒ guān zhī chù, gù míng niàn chù, yòu huì zhī lì néng shǐ niàn zhù yú suǒ guān zhī chù, gù míng niàn zhù. jù shě lùn èr shí sān yuē: “yī yǐ xiū chéng mǎn shèng shē mó tā, wèi pí bō shě nà xiū sì niàn zhù.” fǎ huá xuán yì sān yuē: “niàn chù shì guān kǔ dì shàng sì zhì, zhì yú sì dào. sì dào bù qǐ, yóu cǐ sì guān.”
[shu yu] jiu yue si nian chu, xin yun si nian zhu. xiao cheng xing ren yu wu ting xin guan zhi hou xiu si nian chu guan ye. yi wu ting xin yi zhi xing ren zhi luan xin, shi wei she mo ta, yi si nian chu yi fa xing ren zhi guan hui, shi wei pi po she na. yi shen nian chu, guan shen wei bu jing ye. shen wei fu mu suo sheng zhi rou shen, shen zhi nei wai, wu hui chong man, wu xie jing chu, gu guan shen wei bu jing. er shou ming chu, guan shou wei ku ye, shou wei ku le zhi gan, le cong ku zhi yin yuan er sheng, you sheng ku le, shi jian wu shi le, gu guan shou wei ku. san xin nian chu, guan xin wei wu chang ye, xin wei yan deng zhi xin shi, nian nian sheng mie, geng wu chang zhu zhi shi, gu guan wu wei chang. si fa nian chu, guan fa wei wu wo ye, fa wei chu shang san zhe suo yu zhi yi qie, fa wu zi zhu zi zai zhi xing, gu guan wei wu wo. shi jiu ku zhi yi di er xiu si nian chu ye. wu ren ku di zhi yi shen, you ci shen shou xin fa si yi, gu jiu shen shou xin fa, er guan bu jing ku wu chang wu wo, ci di po chang le wo jing zhi si zhong dian dao. gu jin you si zhe er bu zeng bu jian ye. ci si nian chu yi hui wei ti, hui zhi li neng shi nian shen shou xin fa suo guan zhi chu, gu ming nian chu, you hui zhi li neng shi nian zhu yu suo guan zhi chu, gu ming nian zhu. ju she lun er shi san yue: "yi yi xiu cheng man sheng she mo ta, wei pi bo she na xiu si nian zhu." fa hua xuan yi san yue: "nian chu shi guan ku di shang si zhi, zhi yu si dao. si dao bu qi, you ci si guan."
Chinese Buddhism (漢傳佛教, hanchuan fojiao) is the form of Buddhism that developed in China, blending Mahayana teachings with Daoist and Confucian thought. Its texts are mainly in Classical Chinese, based on translations from Sanskrit. Major schools include Chan (Zen), Pure Land, Tiantai, and Huayan. Chinese Buddhism has greatly influenced East Asian religion and culture.
Languages of India and abroad
Chinese-English dictionary
四念處觀 [sì niàn chù guān] refers to: “contemplation of the four bases of mindfulness”.
四念處觀 is further associated with the following language/terms:
[Related Chinese terms] 四念住.
[Sanskrit] caturṇāṃ smṛty-upasthānānām.
[Vietnamese] tứ niệm xử quan.
[Korean] 사념처관 / sa nyeomyeomcheo gwan.
[Japanese] シネンジョカン / shi nenjo kan.
Chinese language.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Nian chu, Guan, Chu, Ci, Nian, Chuan, Shi, Cu.
Full-text: Si nian chu, Ti fa nian chu guan, Tu niem xu quan, Bie xiang nian chu, Zong xiang nian chu, Er er he yuan, San nian chu, Xun shen guan, Si nian zhu, Bie zong er zhong nian chu, Si zheng qin.
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A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)