CHAPTER 5 THE MAHĀSATIPAṬṬHĀNA SUTTAṂ

Introduction
1st SATIPATTHĀNAṃ: BODY CONTEMPLATIONS (KĀYĀNUPASSANĀ)
1.  Mindfulness Of Breathing (Ānāpānasatipabbaṃ) With Wisdom Refrain
The Wisdom Refrain (Insight)
Phrase [1*]
1 Ordinary Use of Internal and External
2 Technical Use of Internal and External
3 Idiomatic Use of Internal and External
Phrase [2*]
Phrase 3
Phrases 4 and 5
2. The Four Postures (Iriyāpatha)
3. Clear Awareness (Sampajāna)
Discussion
4. Reflection On Repulsiveness Parts Of The Body (Paṭikūlamanasikāra)
5. The Four Elements (Dhātuamanasikāra)
6. The Nine Charnel Ground Contemplations (Navasivathikapabbaṃ)
Contemplation 1
Contemplation 2
Contemplation 3
Contemplation 4
Contemplation 5
Contemplation 6
Contemplation 7
Contemplation 8
Contemplation 9
Discussion
2ND SATIPAṬṬHĀNAṂ CONTEMPLATION OF FEELINGS (VEDĀNANUPASSANĀ)
Discussion: Feelings
Discussion
3RD SATIPAṬṬHĀNAṂ: CONTEMPLATION OF MIND (CITTANUPASSANĀ)
Introduction To Mind(s) And Mind-Objects
Lustful: Free From Lust
Aversion/Hating: Free from Aversion/Hating
Delusion: Free From Delusion
Contracted/Cramped/Collected/Attentive: Distracted/Scattered
Developed/Exalted: Undeveloped/Unexalted
Surpassed/ Ideal: Unsurpassed/Mediocre
Concentrated/ Composed: Unconcentrated/ Discomposed
Liberated/Freed: Unliberated/Not Freed
1)   Liberated
2)   Liberated
3)   Liberated
Discussion – Liberation, Nibbāna,
4th SATIPAṭṭHĀNAṃ CONTEMPLATION OF MIND-OBJECTS (DHAMMANUPASSANĀ)
The Five Hindrances (Nīrvaraṇa)
Discussion: Hunger
Techniques For Self-Transcendence
Dealing With Drowsiness
Other General Strategies
Discussion
The Five Aggregates (Pañcakhandha)
The Six Internal And External Sense-Bases
The Seven Factors Of Enlightenment (Bojjhaṅga)
Next follows the Four Noble Truths, the fifth and last contemplation in the fourth and last Satipaṭṭhānaṃ, Contemplation Of Mind-Objects (Dhammanupassanā)
The Four Noble Truths
The First Noble Truth: The truth of suffering
The Second Noble Truth: the truth of the origin of suffering
The Third Noble Truth: the truth of cessation of suffering
The Fourth Noble Truth: The Practice Leading Away From Suffering
The Eight Fold Path (Ariya-aṭṭhaṅgikamagga)
The Aggregate Of Wisdom
Right View (Sammā diṭṭhi)
Pernicious Views
Right Thought/Intention/mindedness (Sammā Sankappa)
The Aggregate Of Ethical Conduct
Right Speech (Sammā Vācā)
Right Action (Sammā Kammanta)
Right Livelihood (Sammā Ājīva)
The Aggregate Of Mental Development
Right Effort (Sammā Vāyāma)
Right Mindfulness/Awareness/ Meditation (Samma Sāti)
Right Concentration (Sammā Samādhi)
6 The Results
Discussion

Introduction

The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Suttaṃ (DN22) is a very comprehensive document131 . This chapter is a book in itself. Nor is it a casual read. However, it is arguably the most significant discourse in the Pāli Canon and it needs elucidating.
    The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Suttaṃ is in fact not one discourse but a compilation of teachings resembling a syllabus to a course of study. Because of this, we will need to draw upon other discourses for elucidation. This also required some attention be given to disambiguating technical terms. Whilst this is needed for a fulsome understanding of Buddhist psychology, only the gist of it is needed for those serious about meditation.

Let’s start by breaking down the word Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna. It is a compound word132 , which popularly translates as the Greater Discourse on The Fundamentals Of Awareness. The Pali dictionary offers us the following words by way of translation: Mahā + Sati + Pati + paṭṭhāna = greater, significant + awareness, recollection + lord, chief, ruler, husband + bases, setting out, departure, origin, cause.
    The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna is presented in six chapters. The Introduction (Uddeso) states that renunciation is the only way to the permanent extinguishing of suffering133 . The way of renunciation is then comprehensively listed in four chapters: Contemplation of the Body (kāyānupassanā), Contemplation of Feelings/sensations (Vedānanupassanā), Contemplation of the Mind (Cittanupassanā), and Contemplation of the Teaching (Dhammanupassanā). Note, how these Pāli titles end with the verb passanā, meaning to see (with insight). These four satippaṭṭhāna are known as the Four Foundations of Awareness (satippaṭṭhānaṃ).
Each section (pabbaṃ), and even some subsections, of the first three satippaṭṭhāna, end with the teaching on impermanence. This occurs as many as twenty-one times in the Pāli versions. Such a large number of repetitions makes it abundantly clear: The wisdom of impermanence is foundational. I refer to it as the Wisdom Refrain, as it repeats like the refrain of a song, although the discourses simply entitle it ‘Wisdom’, or ‘Insight’. We will investigate the meaning behind the wisdom refrain in the context of the first satippaṭṭhānaṃ. After that, the reader will then be able to think it through for himself in the contexts of the remaining three satippaṭṭhāna.
    The final chapter of the discourse, the Conclusion (Satipaṭṭhānanabhāvanānisaṃso), tells us what can be expected when the four satipaṭṭhāna are practiced diligently for long enough.

The reader is cautioned not to allow themselves to become overawed with the technical details. This chapter is aimed at those who would learn the Buddha’s wisdom directly from the most reliable source, which is the Pali Canon. Let’s again look at what the Buddha said regarding this point.

    So too, bhikkhus, the same with the bhikkhus in the future. When those discourses spoken by the Tathagata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness, are being recited, they will not be eager to listen to them, nor lend an ear to them, not apply their minds to understand them; and they will not think that those teachings should be studied and mastered. But those discourses that are mere poetry, composed by poets, beautiful in words and phrases, created by outsiders, spoken by [their] disciples are being recited, they will be eager to listen to them ...  therefore you should train yourself thus: when those discourses spoken by the Tathagata ... those teachings should be studied and mastered.
SN II, 20:7

 1st SATIPAṭṭHĀNAṃ: BODY CONTEMPLATIONS (KĀYĀNUPASSANĀ)

The Kāyānupassanā (pl.) are the Contemplations of the Body, and the first of the Four Foundations Of Awareness. Kāyānupassanām (sing.) is a compound word of Kāyo meaning body, and passanā from the verb pa, meaning to see and understand.
   There are six body contemplations:

1. Mindfulness of breathing.
2. The four postures.
3. Clear Awareness.
4. Reflection on the repulsive parts of the body.
5. The four elements (earth, water, fire, air).
6. The Nine Charnel Ground Contemplations.

Let’s now look at each of these six body contemplations in turn.

1.  Mindfulness Of Breathing (Ānāpānasatipabbaṃ) With Wisdom Refrain

The following citation is from the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānaṃ discourse and describes mindfulness of breathing. It is probably the most vaunted and practised of Buddhist meditations.

We have already studied mindfulness of breathing in Chapter 4, so let’s move straight to the wisdom refrain, which is repeated throughout each of the four satipaṭṭhāna. Below, I enumerated the 5 sentences of the wisdom refrain to identify for study.

The Wisdom Refrain (Insight)

    Now let’s look at each of the five phrases individually and how they are applied to meditation and mindfulness generally.
   

What is meant by ‘contemplating body as body internally’, ‘externally’, and ‘internally and externally’? We need to do some disambiguation here, as the terms internal and external mean different things in different contexts. I have identified three uses of these words. There is an ordinary use and a technical use and one that I think of as an idiomatic use. The latter is my definition, and it’s for the reader to accept or not.
    Please note: The information in the following disambiguation is by no means incidental. It is indispensable for the understanding of Buddhism. Let’s look at the three examples.

1 Ordinary Use of Internal and External

The Dhātuvibhanga Suttaṃ teaches kasina meditation and gives examples of ear holes, and the digestive system as internal space element (MN140:18). The Mahāhattipadopama Suttaṃ describes external space element as ‘just as when a space is enclosed by timber and creepers, grass, and clay, it comes to be termed a house’ (MN28:26).
    This is an ordinary, non-technical, use of internal and external.

2 Technical Use of Internal and External

The Buddha himself explains to Ānanda a use for the terms internal and external.

There are Ānanda, these six internal and six external bases: the eye and forms, the ears and sounds, the nose and odours, the tongue and flavours, the body and tangibles, the mind and mind-objects. When he knows and sees these six internal and external bases, a bhikkhu can be called skilled in the bases.
MN115:10 Bahudhātuka Sutta134

Table 7 summarises this teaching. It may help to think of each base as a basis for experience. It is true to say table 4 lists the sense organs and their corresponding stimuli. Mind(s) however demands more analysis.
               

Table 7 The Six Bases

3 Idiomatic Use of Internal and External

Now let’s look at what I call an idiomatic use of internal and external. The Mahāsuññatta Suttaṃ (The Greater Discourse on Voidness MN122:9 (Mahā = great, noble, + suññatta135   voidness136 )). teaches; “giving attention to voidness internally… externally… internally and externally…”? Giving ‘attention to voidness’ means endeavouring to do signless meditation. Let’s look at the following statements from the discourse.

1. …internally his mind does not enter into voidness internally or reach steadiness.
2. …externally his mind does not enter into voidness externally or reach steadiness.
3. … internally and externally his mind does not enter into voidness internally and externally or reach steadiness (9).

What do these phrases mean? Well, at least we can ascertain that signless meditation isn’t going well for the meditator, as he does not enter into, or become steady.
    By way of redundancy, the above points are now repeated in the positive, in lines 4, 5 and 6. While giving attention to voidness:

1. His mind does enter into voidness internally and acquire steadiness.
2. His mind does enter into voidness externally and acquire steadiness.
3. His mind does enter into voidness internally and externally and acquire steadiness (10).

What does this mean? Line 4 means his mind has successfully entered into voidness. But voidness is what it says it is. Just how does anyone acquire voidness? Similarly, line 5, how does one abide contemplating voidness externally and acquire steadiness? Let’s look at the Uddesavibhanga Sutta for elucidation and how the venerable Mahā Kaccāna taught how consciousness can be external? Even though Mahā Kaccāna is talking about consciousness and not Voidness, the conundrum is the same.

How, friend is consciousness called ‘distracted and scattered externally’? Here, when a bhikkhu has seen a form with the eye, if his consciousness follows after the sign of form, is tied and shackled by gratification in the sign of the form, is fettered by the fetter of gratification in the sign of the form, then his consciousness is called ‘distracted and scattered externally’.
Uddesavibhanga Sutta MN138:10-11

So, we see, external means that consciousness, voidness in our case, means the meditator is not focused on his meditational endeavour. It does not mean consciousness is literally external, and this is why I call this use idiomatic.
    But what does it mean to abide contemplating both “voidness internally and externally”? This is more redundancy. We mustn’t forget the purpose of redundancy. These teachings were not written down until several hundred years after Siddhatta’s demise, and Chanting (Śrauta) was the way teachings were preserved. By stating the same line in the positive, then the negative, and possibly again in another way, meant that if one line became corrupt, there were other lines that remained correct. Engineers call this strategy redundancy. I’m simply applying this engineer’s term to the Pali Canon.
    So, we now understand that internal and external can take a figure of speech for not acquiring steadfastness/concentration/focus/singleness in one’s practice.
    This use of internal and external is as an idiomatic expression to describe the success of one’s focus.

135Suññatta. Neuter emptiness, the state of being devoid
Dhs-a.221.
https://suttacentral.net/

136 Highly commendable electronic versions of the
Pali Canon. https://suttacentral.
net/mn122/en/sujato?lang=
en&layout=plain&reference=
none&notes=asterisk&highlight=
false&script=latin

Those are the three possible uses of internal and external that I have identified. This information is by no means only incidental: It’s foundational to Buddhist wisdom.
    Back to phrase two of the wisdom refrain.

   
Phrase two of the wisdom refrain describes what we will find in our efforts to apply the apperceptive gaze to our awareness. We become aware that all kinds of wholesome and unwholesome phenomena arise then vanish, again and again. These phenomena are what the mindful person and meditator stays alert to. They may be as brief as a fleeting thought, or a much slower waxing and waning of a mental condition (DN22:13-16).
   

Because we are studying a body contemplation, in this case mindfulness of breathing, the phrase, ‘“There is body” is present’, is another way of saying the meditator has successfully cognised the body is breathing.
    Phrases one, two and three provide the substance in the wisdom refrain. The mindful person and meditator abide without clinging, simply seeing “body as body”, or whatever the contemplation happens to be. This plants consciousness squarely in the here and now. Note well, the effort used is just; ‘to the extent necessary…/…far enough for the purposes of knowledge and of self-collectedness”. This is seeing simply.
    This is affirmed in phrases four and five.

So, if you lose focus on your contemplative sign, your nimittaṃ, that is, you get snagged on the discursive mind, bring it back “to singleness … on that same sign of concentration as before” (MN122). In my language this means, the apperceptive gaze is used to attenuate the imagination and preclude daydreaming. When focus is lost, make a simple return.
    This concludes our analysis of the Wisdom Refrain.

2. The Four Postures (Iriyāpatha)

The second of the Kāyānupassanā (body contemplations) consists of four postures/actions (iriyāpatha) - not to be confused with the four satippaṭṭhāna.
    Here is the first body posture.

Again, a monk, when walking, knows he is walking, when standing, knows he is standing, when sitting, knows he is sitting, when lying down, knows he is lying down. In whatever way his body is disposed, he knows that that is how it is.

The wisdom refrain is restated at this point in the discourse, and is identical to the previous section, except instead of referring to the body during mindfulness of breathing, he abides contemplating the disposition of his body, internally and externally, as he performs his daily activities. Thus, ‘So he abides contemplating body as body internally, externally, and both internally and externally . . . (DN22:3)
    Although walking, standing, sitting, and laying are taught as four discreet postures, the bhikkhu’s mindfulness remains unbroken while moving between them. Constant mindfulness of posture helps steady the discursive mind (that’s any mind that moves) and guard against distractions (MN119:22-28).

3. Clear Awareness (Sampajāna)

In this, the third body contemplation, there are seven activities listed in this group. As above, their function is to assist in awareness of mind(s) and mind-objects. Contiguous mindfulness is fundamental training for meditation. Whilst going about daily life, a bhikkhu is mindful that he is either:

1. going forward or back
2. looking forward or back
3. bending and stretching
4. carrying an inner and outer robe and begging bowl
5. eating, drinking, chewing and savouring
6. passing excrement or urine
7. walking, standing or sitting, falling asleep and waking up, speaking and staying silent

    
Note, the idea here is not to mentally name which of the above seven activities he is engaged in. The bhikkhu’s endeavour is to maintain a seamless apperceptive gaze in all he does, for the purpose of attenuating any mind or mind-object that could defile his purpose or awareness. The above list could be summarised as all that he does.
    The wisdom refrain is repeated.

Discussion

Before remove onto the fourth and final body contemplation, here are some revisions of points covered to help consolidate perspective.

Let’s just recall, the mindful person is not seeking the once-and-for-all cessation of mind(s) and mind objects. That will never happen. But skilful living trains one in readiness to access refined states of being and even succumb to Voidness.
    
It is important to be aware that the Buddha did not teach higher training to laity. There are no examples of laymen being taught mindfulness of the four postures. The Buddha commended lay people lead an ethical life. This attenuates gross mentality and readies one for meditation, although traditionally, Buddhist laity don’t meditate. The fact is, urban life is demanding, and a layman’s mindfulness is already largely spoken for attending to daily duties. Most of the time, the urbanite practices living a life of moderation, and in western culture occasionally, and for brief periods only, raises the bar to practice higher Dhamma by going on a meditation retreat. This provides a dedicated environment urban life cannot.

There might yet be another explanation for the term, both internally and externally. Could it mean that rather than being redundancy, it means the mind is flip-flopping back and forth, in and out of focus? The fact is, it doesn’t matter whether this is so or not, as long as the meditator appreciates the wisdom of the wisdom refrain, which is to make a clean return as soon as the mind is found to be external/off focus/scattered etc). But if tranquillity has not yet been achieved, then one is in the period when focusing is the most challenging, and the mind is most likely to flip-flop.

The idiomatic use of internal and external can be applied to all meditations. Anything above second jhana does not rely on signs. Third jhana and above are defined by increasingly fine awareness. Perturbations upon consciousness (scatteredness/external abiding) are squared up to largely at the beginning of a sit while endeavouring to bring about tranquilisation (remember: tranquilise the body and the mind will follow. Trust this and be patient).

The Mahāsuññatta Suttaṃ is a discourse on Voidness. It teaches us what to do when one’s focus on voidness is external.

“Then that bhikkhu should steady his mind internally, quiet it, bring it to singleness, and concentrate it on that same sign of concentration as before." (MN122:10)

But how can you concentrate on “the same sign as before” and practice suññatta (voidness)? You can’t. What the Buddha is doing here is teaching an example of a Graduated Approach to voidness. This teaching strategy is explicitly taught in the Clever Horse Trainer (Gaṇakamoggalāna Suttaṃ MN107:3), and the Good Elephant Trainer (Dantabhūni Suttaṃ MN125:12).
    Here’s a redacted run through, of the Mahāsuññatta Suttaṃ, to see how the Buddha presents the graduated approach. When a bhikkhu does not shine by delighting in company (3) but lives alone, withdrawn from society, he will enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind that is temporary and delectable or in [the deliverance of mind] that is perpetual and unshakeable (4). “Therefore, Ānanda, if a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I enter upon and abide in voidness internally,’ he should steady his mind internally, quiet it, bring it to singleness, and concentrate it. And how…? (7). secluded from sensual desire (8), he avoids talk that is “.. low, vulgar, coarse, ignoble, unbeneficial … arousing energy, virtue, concentration, wisdom, deliverance, knowledge and vision of deliverance (12-13)”. He has full awareness of “these five cords of sensual pleasure (14). He will “constantly review his own mind (15)”, of the “five aggregates affected by clinging. . . (16)”. He does “not seek the Teacher’s company for the sake of discourses (20)”, but for the sake of “… arousing energy, virtue, concentration, wisdom, deliverance, knowledge and vision of deliverance …(21). Having resorted to a, “secluded resting place: the forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw”, and he does not go astray due to distractions from brahmins, householders or become filled with desire, craving, luxury (22), “…merely emulating his teacher’s seclusion…. (24).
    That teaching placed a lot of emphasis on generally applying mindfulness and then resorting to meditation, such as, ethical practice, good speech and wisdom, awareness of sensual pleasure and clinging. One lives mindfully, not seeking teachings for the sake of escapism. With this as a basic training for meditation, he then resorts to dedicated environments, careful not to be distracted by anyone.
   The Cūḷasuññata Sutta MN121 (The Shorter Discourse on Voidness) teaches a shorter version of the graduated approach. The Buddha teaches one starts by first withdrawing one’s attention from mundane objects starting with elephants, cattle, horses, and mares, gold and silver, men and women, and then focus singularly on the Sangha of bhikkhus, then on the perception of forest. Then ‘attend to singleness’ of the absorptions; the Base Of Infinite Space, the Base Of Infinite Consciousness, the Base Of Infinite Nothingness, the Base Of Neither Perception Nor None Perception and finally “His mind enters into that signless concentration of mind and acquires confidence, steadiness, and resolution.”(10). Thus, Ānanda, this is his genuine, undistorted, pure descent into voidness, supreme and unsurpassed.’(13).

4. Reflection On Repulsiveness Parts Of The Body (Paṭikūlamanasikāra)

This is the fourth body contemplation.

Again a monk reviews this very body from the soles of the feet upwards and from the scalp downwards, enclosed by skin and full of manifold impurities.

    This section of the discourse lists the contents of the human body as head-hairs, body-hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, mesentery, bowels, stomach, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, tallow, saliva, snot, synovic fluid and urine.
    The Buddha uses a simile to convey the type of attention to detail required for this contemplation. Just as a man with a discerning eye would sift through a bag of grains and pulses, open at both ends, and recognise its contents, ‘paddy, green gram, kidney-beans, sesame, husk rice’, so too a monk analyses his own body.
    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.
    This and the following two Kāyānupassanā are referred to as the Unlovelies (asubhabhāvana). They are contemplations on the unpleasant aspects of the body. It must be understood, the purpose of the Unlovelies is NOT to develop hatred for the body, or self-loathing! After all, self-loathing is a gross mind sate. Their purpose is to put perspective on life as it really is. We shall recall higher training is not intended for laity.
       

5. The Four Elements (Dhātuamanasikāra)

Again a monk reviews this body, however, it may be placed or disposed, in terms of the elements …

    In this practice, the bhikkhu contemplates human anatomy in terms of the elements. Today we think of the elements as atomic mono-substances, such as helium, hydrogen, lithium, etc. To the ancient Buddhist, the elements (dhātu) were earth, water, fire, air, space and consciousness (MN112:7), although the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna discourse does not explicitly mention space and consciousness. We looked at space and consciousness when we disambiguated the use of the terms internal and external.
    The earth element symbolises that which is hard in the body, such as bones, teeth and nails.
    Water symbolises that which is fluid in the body, such as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil-of-joints, urine.
    Fire symbolises that which is warm and cold in the body (temperature).
    Air symbolises that which is gaseous in the body: winds coming out of the mouth and bowels, and lungs (MN28, MN62, MN140). Pain is sometimes referred to as wind moving through the body (MN97.29).
    The contemplation here is for the bhikkhu to differentiate the body into elements. The simile in this section is that of a skilled butcher or his assistant who, ‘having slaughtered a cow, were to sit at a cross-road with the carcass divided into portions’.
    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.
    As above, this ancient contemplation is intended to help the bhikkhu develop perspective on the true nature of his body, and is not within the ambit of an urbanite’s practice.

6. The Nine Charnel Ground Contemplations (Navasivathikapabbaṃ)

Anciently in India, one common way of disposing of the dead was to simply leave the cadaver in a charnel area to be eaten by wild animals. Monks would get their knowledge of anatomy by visiting charnel grounds and contemplating corpses in various stages of decay. Before Siddhatta became liberated, he said he used to visit such places, and use the bones of the dead for a pillow (MN12:51). The purpose of this was to directly confront any fear of dying and the dead, and develop objectivity and detachment.
    There are nine charnel ground (cemetery) contemplations, each one depicting a stage in the progressive decay of an abandoned corpse.

Contemplation 1
Again, a monk, as if he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, one, two, or three, days dead, bloated, discoloured, festering, compares this body with that, thinking: ‘This [my*] body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 2
Again, a monk, as if he were to see a corpse in a charnel ground, thrown aside, eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, jackals, and various other creatures, compares this body with that thing: ‘This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 3
… a skeleton with flesh and blood, connected by sinews, … ‘This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 4
… a fleshless skeleton smeared with blood, connect by sinews, … ‘This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 5
… a skeleton detached from flesh and blood, connect by sinews, … ‘This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 6
… randomly connected bones, scattered in all direction, a hand-bone here, a foot bone there, a shin bone-bone there, a hip-bone here, a spine-bone, shoulder-bone… chin-bone, teeth-bone here, and a skull there ...’ This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 7
… bones whitened like shells, …’ This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 8
…bones piled up, a year old …’ This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Contemplation 9
… bones rotted away to powder …’ This body is of the same nature, it will become like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

    The wisdom refrain is reiterated.

Whatever strategy one uses in one’s spiritual life; the wisdom refrain exhorts us to default to the still voidness that is the eye of wisdom and not be swayed by mind(s), while adhering to a good set of ethics.
   
    This ends the six body contemplations (kāyānupassanā) found in the first of the four Satipaṭṭhānaṃ. Before moving onto the second satipaṭṭhānaṃ (contemplation of feelings) a discussion is useful.

Discussion

Before we move onto the second of the Four Foundations Of Awareness, here is a recap of some significant points.

Theoretically, one starts a meditation that is commensurate with one’s current frame of mind(s), one’s mood. That is, a gross mind state would start a meditation with a gross nimittaṃ or contemplation before then moving on to subtler nimittaṃ. Mindfulness of breathing is always a good choice. If one is in a gross state, breathe deeply, hyperventilate for a few seconds even, and as the body settles down so will the mind. Following the breath for long enough always settles the body down and paves the way to quietude very well. Practicing the lovelies (universal love and kindness (mettā), compassion (Karuṇā), empathetic joy (muditā), one can do on the hoof. Equanimity (upekkhā) is the practice of mindfulness which I describe as the Apperceptive Gaze.

Certainly, not all the meditations found in the Canon need be practiced. The beginner should start with the nimittaṃ that lights up his interest the most. It won’t take many sits before a beginner meditator has got the gist of returning the awareness to the same object. I take the view that the meditator should move on to signless meditation (maintaining the apperceptive gaze and no nimittaṃ) as soon as one feels ready. Signlessness is unsurpassable.

The meditator should never forget, you will ALWAYS lose your singularity of attention in the early stages of meditation, during the tranquilisation stage, even when you are an arahant. You are NOT failing; tranquilise the body and the mind will follow.

Any sentiment arising from the Unlovely contemplations should not be indulged but let go of by making a simple return to the contemplation or apperceptive gaze. The urbanite’s understanding of the unlovely practices is best kept at an intellectual level, as part of right perspective.
    The unlovelies are not appropriate for everyone. They are considered higher training for bhikkhus, people who have renounced urban life. The unlovelies can set up conflicting forces within a person. They are not supposed to generate loathsomeness for the body. That would be a very gross ‘mind’, and gross mind states are the opposite of what meditation is about.
    Loathsomeness of the body can be of transient use for eschewing sensuous phenomena but the long-term strategy for the hindrances is non-attachment by mindfulness (apperception).

Relaxed, alert and savvy about what you are doing is the best mind state for the urbanite’s work-a-day life. Anything higher than second jhanaṃ isn’t usable for physical tasks.

No one permanently uproots aversion and desire. Contrary to what some Buddhists understand, our survival requirements never leave us and the Buddha did not walk about in a bubble of bliss. Even Buddhas and arahants have to experience the discomfort of dealing with their survival needs. How else would they know when to eat, sleep etc?

‘It is only when the Tathāgata withdraws his attention from outward signs, and by the cessation of certain feelings, enters into the signless concentration of mind, that his body knows comfort.
DN16 2.25

2nd SATIPAṭṭHĀNAṃ CONTEMPLATION OF FEELINGS (VEDĀNANUPASSANĀ)

Vedānanupassanā, (Vedāna = feeling, sensation. Pa = to see) is the second of the Four Foundations of awareness (Satipaṭṭhāna) and covers the contemplation of feelings
    The Buddha taught there are three fundamental types of sensation: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.

    And how, monks, does a monk abide contemplating feelings as feeling? Here, a monk feeling a pleasant feeling knows that he feels a pleasant feeling; feeling a painful feeling he knows that he feels a painful feeling; feeling a feeling that is neither-painful-nor-pleasant he knows that he feels a feeling that is neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
DN22:11

As is the case after each section there is the wisdom refrain. This time, instead of reading “body as body” it now reads as “feeling as feeling.”

So he abides contemplating feelings as feelings internally…externally … both … arising phenomena … vanishing ... both arising and vanishing phenomena … Or else, mindful that ''there is feeling” … just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness … independent, not clinging to anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating ‘feelings as feelings’.

    This ends the Vedānanupassanā, the second of the four Satipaṭṭhānana.

 Discussion: Feelings

So, we have a technical use of internal and external, as is usual for this discourse. The monk ‘knows’ the nature of the feeling (pleasant painful neither-painful-nor-pleasant). This is possible via the action of apperception.

The Buddha did not enumerate feelings as being of three kinds only, but many. This caused at least one fierce disagreement, ‘verbal daggers’ even, between layman Pañcakanga and the venerable Udāyin. In the Bahuvedanīya Suttaṃ (MN59), the Buddha tells Ānanda that there were times when he taught there are two, three, five, six, 18, 36, even 108 kinds of feelings.
    In the Bahuvedanīya Suttaṃ, the Buddha teaches sensuous feelings in the context of The Five Cords Of Pleasure, (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body). Because there are three types of fundamental feelings, we may legitimately say the Buddha also distinguished 15 types of feelings (as 3 x 5 =15).
    Clearly, we should not worry about learning by rote everything the Buddha taught. The context in which questions were put to the Buddha and the listener’s capacity to understand, gave rise to many enumerations.
    There is something else we need to consider regarding feelings. The Buddha described meditation as pleasant. Yet, as we have seen, meditation is about transcending the pleasures based on the five cords. The Buddha was well aware that calling meditational states pleasure would attract questions. So, he instructed Ānanda to inform any sectarian raising an objection that the Tathagata referred to pleasure not only in reference to the five chords, but wherever and in whatever way pleasure is found (MN59:16). This includes respite from the five chords as pleasure in meditation, even though no sensuous gratification is involved. This is also taught below.

‘And what, bhikkhus, is the gratification in the case of feelings? Here, bhikkhus, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna … second jhāna … third jhāna … fourth jhāna … On that occasion he feels only feeling that is free from affliction. The highest gratification in the case of feelings is freedom from affliction, I say.
Mahādukkhakhandha Suttam MN13:32

This is telling us, the Buddha considered ‘the gratification in the case of feelings’ to be the transcending of feelings; not feeling the feelings. Transcending means freedom from them, as the meditator goes through subtler levels of meditations. Even beyond the most refined feeling in meditation. This is, “… the deliverance of mind that is temporary and delectable…” “… [the deliverance of mind] that is perpetual and unshakeable.” (MN122:3-4).  Hang on you ask; How can it be temporary and perpetual? It isn’t. When one succumbs to voidness it is temporary but Voidness itself is eternal, it contains not even time. Voidness is what it says it is. What the Buddha means by the highest gratification is not a form of sensuous gratification; it is freedom from clinging to, being afflicted by, any and all feelings, even the highest absorption: “Neither-perception-nor-non-perception … that I say is not enough. Abandon it.” (MN66:26 – 33). So, we see, evening getting attached to meditational states still constitutes clinging, and affliction.

Ānanda gave layman Mahānama a lesson on feelings.

Terminating old feelings does not mean the Buddhist goal is to live a life without any feelings. That is not possible. You can’t stop feelings arising. You’d be catatonic if you did. A profound source of misery for many is the misunderstanding that one day after years, and even life-times of practice, and devotion and waiting, one’s painful feelings somehow stop, and you somehow enter Nibbana-Land. Feelings, both pleasant and painful and neutral will never stop. When Ananda says you can “terminate”/ “crush out” feelings, one should understand this is only temporary. He was thinking of craving and lusting when he repeated the words of the Buddha. It can, however, be the case sometimes that one’s resolve can be so strong that it brings a good level of self-transcendence. But, in my experience even the noblest of efforts pass. Over the long-term it’s about know-how, not force
    Significantly, the Buddha was not numb to his feelings and responded to his bodily needs. He ate, slept and took siestas during the day (DN16:3.1). He had a bad back (Lumbago) and due to this condition, sometimes delegated a competent bhikkhu to teach while he rested (MN53:5, DN33:1.5). So, even a renunciant’s life must be sustainable for it to serve its purpose. The renunciant still lives healthily, blamelessly and in comfort. The Buddhist must learn the middle way.   
    One must always remain intelligent when evaluating one’s feelings. In the Saḷāyatanavibhanga Sutta (MN137), the Buddha provides an example of how he responds to his feelings while teaching. Interestingly, the feelings he describes are beyond his essential personal needs. (The reader is reminded that text in brackets with an asterisk are mine).

22. Here, bhikkhus, compassionate and seeking their welfare, the teacher teaches the dhamma to the disciples out of compassion: This is for your welfare; this is for your happiness.’ [But*] His disciples do not want to hear or give ear or exert their minds to understand; they err and turn aside from the teacher’s dispensation. With that the Tathagata is not satisfied and feels no satisfaction; yet he dwells unmoved, mindful, and fully aware. This bhikkhus, is called the First Foundation Of Mindfulness that the Noble One cultivates, cultivating which the noble one is fit to instruct a group.
23. Some of his disciples will not hear or give ear or exert their minds to understand [cannot, is unable to*]. … With that the Tathagata is not satisfied and feels no satisfaction, and he is not dissatisfied, and feels no dissatisfaction; remaining free from both satisfaction and dissatisfaction, he dwells in equanimity, unmoved, mindful, and fully aware. This bhikkhus, is called the Second Foundation Of Mindfulness that the Noble One cultivates, cultivating which the noble one is fit to instruct a group.
24. Some of his disciples will hear or give ear or exert their minds to understand … With that the Tathagata is satisfied and feels satisfaction; yet he dwells unmoved, mindful and fully aware. This bhikkhus, is called the Third Foundation Of Mindfulness that the Noble One cultivates, cultivating which the noble one is fit to instruct a group.
MN137:22-24

Table 8 below summaries the above .

Table 8  Foundations Of Mindfulness

In the first example, the student does not want to hear. In the second, the student will not give ear. I suspect there is a translation issue here, and the text should read as unable to hear, otherwise the first and second student scenarios are indistinguishable.
    It is also hard to fathom why the buddha is only ‘not satisfied’ in the first scenario but in the second scenario he was both ‘not satisfied’ and also ‘not dissatisfied’. Was the Buddha actually feeling dissatisfied in the first scenario? He may well might have. In the third scenario he allows himself the feeling of satisfaction at a student’s success.
     Whatever lost-in-translation issue there might be, the Buddha allows himself to feel satisfaction but no dissatisfaction, and remains mindful not to allow disappointment to affect his consciousness. This is, on the surface of things at least, fundamentally inconsistent with his teaching. Deliberately feeling satisfaction is gratification, and that is nothing less than knowingly incurring kamma. If he felt dissatisfaction, as in example 2 that too incurs kamma. So, the Buddha knowingly incurred Kamma; kamma causes rebirth and yet the Buddha remained beyond rebirth. What’s the explanation? The explanation is, the buddha knew how to play with fire and not get burned. His mindfulness was exquisitely lucid. He did not indulge emotion but would read it while staying detached. Emotion, like honey, is sweet and  sticky and doesn’t clean up easily.
    The above illustrates there is more to mindful living than emotionless logic. We should also consider for a moment where the Buddha’s motivation to teach came from, if he had not taken satisfaction in the success of his pupils. We learn he taught out of compassion, and for the welfare and happiness of others. So, we see, even a Buddha has psychodynamics to deal with, as does an unenlightened person.
    The psychologies he indulged were never for shallow reasons, such as entertainment. They were for well-defined and noble reasons. Of note is that he also ‘always dwelt unmoved (MN137:22-24)’ regardless of the students’ successes. By doing this, he guarded his mind against the calculus of disappointment. Being this clear means that any sentiments that accrued are all the more easily let go of. So the kamma he incurred, preserved, and even selectively nurtured to maintain a motivation to teach, could not stick. One suspects this was ‘just to the extent necessary’, as is the effort made during meditation.
    But the Buddha’s long term psychology was not dependent on the success of his students. He could have turned off his volition to teach like a tap, and any other kammas (volition) he may have employed. We will later look at what happened when he eventually did do this.
    But there were times when the Buddha did express dissatisfaction. There was an occasion when chief disciples Sāriputta and Mogallāna took five hundred newly ordained bhikkhus to the Buddha. Their comportment was, as the Buddha put it, like noisy fishermen hawking fish. The Buddha asked the novices why they were making so much noise. They answered they had ‘come to Cātumā to see the blessed one (MN67:3).’ This response was clearly lacking, as he dismissed all five hundred novice bhikkhus. But all was not lost. There were some Sakya clan’s people in the area doing business, who met the novice bhikkhus and listened to their story. The businessmen then approached the Buddha and persuaded him to readmit the novices. They argued some were young, and having newly gone forth, were like seedlings requiring water; like calves requiring mother’s milk; through more contact with the Buddha, they would grow. The Buddha gave the novices a second chance.
    But why did Sāriputta and Moggallāna allow the 500 new recruits to be so undisciplined? Of all people, they should have known the Buddha. It’s a fair guess, they did not want to alienate the novices by calling for too much self-discipline, too soon. The Buddha once described Sāriputta as a “nurse” and Moggallāna as a “mother” (MN141:5).
But what happened to the psychology of, ‘… feels no satisfaction; yet he dwells unmoved’? In fact, it doesn’t follow that dismissing Bhikkhus was unskilful. There were very real practical and sociological reasons for dismissing unruly bhikkhus. We need to understand that without self-discipline, there can be no renunciative training, and Bhikkhus begged a living off the back of the Buddha’s reputation. It would have been disastrous for public relations, and deeply unfair to expect villagers, many of whom would have struggled to make ends meet, to support a small army of bhikkhus who were not fit for purpose. And after all, the Buddha did listen to reason and re-admit the novices after their brief lesson in discipline.
Living under the auspices of the Buddha’s discipline for want of a livelihood became an offence in the Bhikkhu’s Code of Conduct (MN68:5).

3RD SATIPAṬṬHĀNAṂ: CONTEMPLATION OF MIND (CITTANUPASSANĀ)

Introduction To Mind(s) And Mind-Objects

Table 9 below lists the remaining contents of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. It summarises what constitutes mind(s) (Citta) and mind-objects (Dhamma). I have added the (s) because there is a Pali protocol of citing plural things in the singular, and the s in brackets is to prompt the reader to read something as plural when it feels right to do so in English. We also saw this when we read about the technical use of external and the 6 sense spheres.
    Looking at table 9, we see, there are 8 qualities of Mind(s). Each quality has a counterpart, making 16 in total, listed from gross to subtle. It should not be thought that each mind is experienced as 16 discreet conditions but as a continuum of experience that waxes and wanes.
    Citta is a Pāli word for mind and consciousness. Combined with the verb to see (passanā) it forms cittanupassanā (Mind + see = contemplation of mind), which can be understood as seeing and recognising one’s condition of mind. Knowing one’s frame of mind or mood is the first step in self-transcendence137 .
    We see mind-objects comprise most of table 9. There isn’t one English term that I can think of that covers them all, although the Pali term used is Dhamma (Sr. Dharma).
    The reader should be aware that mind and mind-objects often get confused. Particularly the terms craving and aversion (mind(s)) with sensuous desire and ill-will (mind-objects), as they get used indiscriminately, even by professional translators. The fact is, craving and aversion are forms of consciousness, while sensuous desire and ill-will refer to the material things and scenarios that are craved and disliked. So, consciousness and aversion are sentience and internal, and sensuous desire and ill-will are material objects and scenarios and are external. Hence, they are on two different lists.

137 Consciousness void of mundane stimuli is comparable to a vacuum. Nature does not ready lend itself to vacuum.

1

Table 9 Mind(s) and Mind-Objects

The discourse continues its usual formatting. Each mind(s) and the 5 types of mind-objects, is followed by the wisdom refrain.
    And just to remind ourselves: The wisdom refrain is an admonition to make a simple return to the locus of contemplation, in the same iota one realises one has lost it, and return to the “... same sign of concentration as before “. It’s simple because you don’t take another extraneous thought.
     Over decades of teaching, the Buddha developed many perspectives to help novices focus inwardly, and consequently there are as many ways to discuss and teach a mind condition as there are contexts to discuss them in. For example, the Saḷāyatanavibhanga sutta (The Exposition of the Sixfold Base MN137) classifies what is cognized according to the sense spheres and uses the terms internal base and external base. So, eye-consciousness, which is one of the 16 minds, gets labelled; internal eye-base, meaning the eye, and that which is seen, is labelled external eye-base. So, internal ear-base is the ear, and external ear-base is that which is heard. Similarly for internal/external nose-base, internal/external tongue-base, internal/external body-base and internal/external mind-base. The point of all this nomenclature is to promote awareness of minds arising, not to pass an exam. And, this awareness is brought about by apperception; hence, I call it the apperceptive gaze.
    The I-consciousness, as it is sometimes called, is pure consciousness, and is always demonstrable in this immutable, eternal, now moment. It is unshakeable. It is that which the wisdom refrain directs us to.
   The refrain returns the mind to signlessness or a nimittaṃ. Sāriputta taught only ‘signless concentration’ can lead to the ‘unshakable deliverance of mind’. It is ‘the best’ meditation technique (Mahāvedalla MN43:33-36). But note, a meditation starting with a nimittaṃ can still end with signless practice.
    When going about mundane activities, use the apperceptive gaze realistically. During mundane activities expect no more than second jhana. You know you’re there when you are relaxed, focused on what you are doing (rapt), and there is a pleasant feeling born of concentration. You have to know what you are doing, otherwise you’ll look like you’re away with the fairies. Outside of meditation, the apperceptive gaze/mindfulness is practiced within a set of ethics (see fourth Satipaṭṭhānaṃ below). Mindfulness needs some sort of frame work. You can’t be mindful if you don’t know what you are doing.

Table 10 compares the different lexicons to describe mind(s) that I’ve found in publications various.

Table 10 Mind(s)

Let’s elucidate some of these pairings.

Lustful: Free From Lust

And how monks, does a monk abide, contemplating mind as mind? Here, a monk knows a lustful mind as lustful (MN22:12).

Lusting is a deep-seated feeling, usually referring specifically to sexual feelings. However, the Canonical interpretations give it a broader interpretation to include greed. There are other words that are close to lusting, such as craving, wanting, hankering, desiring, pining, etc. It doesn’t follow that feeling a bodily need is lusting, but letting the imaginative faculties kick in is, as this risks exciting wanting/discomfort138 . This is the wisdom behind the phrases ‘mind as mind’ and ‘lustful mind as lustful’, … etc …. At the practical level, this means the moment you recognise them, you’ve seen them for what they are and detached from them and are signless. Don’t add to them. Make a simple return to your nimittaṃ, or signlessness, or carrying water and chopping wood, whatever is the case.
    The opposite mind to lust is free from lust.

Aversion/Hating: Free from Aversion/Hating

. . . and I might feel desire or lust or hatred or aversion. If I felt desire, lust, hatred or aversion, that would be attachment on my part. If I felt attachment, that would distress me, and if I were distressed, that would be a hindrance to me.” (DN1 Brahmajāla Sutta: The Supreme Net)

Hate and aversion are the opposite to lusting. One is attractive and the other is repulsive.     Other words that might be used are repulsion, dislike, disappointed, afraid ….

Delusion: Free From Delusion

In Buddhism, there are two areas in which delusion can occur. As is now well discussed, the imagination often drives the individual, instead of the individual consciously evaluating imagination. Without the skill of the wisdom refrain to evaluate and attenuate the hindrances, we become overly dependent on the mundane. We lose a good deal of our personal sovereignty. The attenuation of desire and detachment can be challenging. Like honey they are sticky, and without mindfulness, it accrues all one touches. Being cognizant of mind arising and its transient nature, is crucial to freeing oneself from delusion.
    The other area of delusion involves perspective and volition. The Buddha taught volition is Kamma and kamma is volition. One performs kamma, by deed, words or thought (AN 6:3). Kamma has consequences. Buddhism offers tenets for ethical behaviour and a cosmogeny by which to moderate one’s kamma and thereby determine one’s life-after-life outcome. We will study right perspective shortly.

Contracted/Cramped/Collected/Attentive: Distracted/Scattered

    How, friend is consciousness called ‘distracted and scattered externally’? Here, when a bhikkhu has seen a form with the eye, if his consciousness follows after the sign of form, is tied and shackled by gratification in the sign of the form, is fettered by the fetter of gratification in the sign of the form, then his consciousness is called ‘distracted and scattered externally’.
MN138:10-11

A distracted/scattered mind is one that is not focused. A contracted/cramped/collected/attentive mind is one that is focused. This teaching not only applies to the eyes and forms, but also to sounds and the ears, odours and the nose, tastes and the tongue, tangibles and the body, and mind-objects and the mind.
    The use of the word ‘cramped’ is a poor choice of translation. But the reality is, not all translations are as good as they could be.  ‘Contracted’ can be thought of as contracted from the world, from the external.

Developed/Exalted: Undeveloped/Unexalted

And how Aggivessana, is one developed in body and developed in mind? Here, Aggivessana, pleasant feeling arises in a well taught noble disciple. Touched by pleasant feeling he does not lust after pleasure or continue to lust after pleasure.  That pleasant feeling of his ceases. With the cessation of the pleasant feeling, painful feeling arises. Touched by that painful feeling he does not sorrow, grieve, lament …weep beating his breast … become distraught. When that pleasant feeling has arisen in him, it does not invade his mind and remain because [awareness of*] his body is developed. And when that painful feeling has arisen in him, it does not invade his mind and remain because [awareness of*] his mind is developed.
MN36:4 Mahāsaccaka Suttaṃ

To be undeveloped in body and mind means that feelings, whether pleasant, painful or neutral, are able to drive mind/determine consciousness. By contrast, a developed mind, is a mind that is pure and resilient to intrusions of imagination, stemming from the external bases (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind-objects.
    An exalted mind is also a developed mind. Here is an example of how the word exalted is used in the context of a kasina meditation. I have added the square brackets with asterisks.

Anuruddha

When a bhikkhu abides resolved on an area the size of the root of one tree, pervading it as exalted. And another bhikkhu abides resolved upon an area the size of two roots – which of these mental developments is the more exalted [for the purpose of exalting the deliverance of mind*]?

The second.

When a bhikkhu abides resolved upon an area the size of one tree, pervading it as exalted, and another bhikkhu abides resolved on an area the size of two or three trees, pervading it as exalted – which of these types of mental development is more exalted?

The second.
(MN127:8-14) Ānuruddha Suttaṃ

Anuruddha continues to teach Kaccāna. ‘… three trees, … one village, two or three villages… an area the size of one major kingdom… two or three major kingdoms… an area the size of the earth bounded by the ocean, pervading it as exalted: this too is called the exalted deliverance of mind’(8).
    It only takes a little test practice, focusing on larger and larger visualisations of land, to demonstrate to oneself how this meditation can relax the discursive mind, which is to exalt it (raise one’s frequency, as we say today). This discourse is another example of a graduated approach.

Surpassed/ Ideal: Unsurpassed/Mediocre

Surpassed is often a translation of the word uttari139 , meaning beyond, further, more, to cross over, to escape from (MN22:12, MN13:31, MN72:19).
    The bhikkhu cognises and appreciates the (frame of) mind he is in, and thereby surpasses it, go beyond it, rise above it.
    Transcend is another useful synonym for surpassed, as in, ‘disappearance of form’ and also disappearance of feelings, perception, mental formations, consciousness’ (MN115), and ‘surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, the disappearance of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true way, for the realisation of Nibbāna’ (MN122:46-47).
    Only Voidness is unsurpassable (MN121:12-13).

Concentrated/ Composed: Unconcentrated/ Discomposed

When he is glad, rapture is born in him; in one who is rapturous, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil feels pleasure; in one who feels pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated
MN7:11 Vatthūpama Suttaṃ

This mind is very similar to the earlier contracted/cramped/collected/attentive: distracted/scattered mind, in that a concentrated mind is also a contracted mind. The difference is one of intensity. A concentrated/composed mind is beyond contracted. It has surpassed tranquillity and brings about second jhanaṃ: “… rapture and pleasure born of concentration.” (MN39:16).

Liberated/Freed: Unliberated/Not Freed

There are three contexts in which the word liberation may be used.

1. Liberated

Liberated is often used simply to mean freedom from unwholesome states. A mind that is being developed is also being liberated, as it goes towards, and through, the increasingly finer qualities of meditation.

He sees himself purified of all evil unwholesome states, he sees himself liberated from them. When he sees this, gladness is born in him. When he is glad, and rapture is born in him; in one who is rapturous, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil feels pleasure; in one who feels pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated.
MN40:8 Cūla-Assapura Sutta
   
2.Liberated

This next explanation of the word liberation is found in the Eight Liberations, of the Mahāsakuludāyi (MN77:22) Cūḷasāropama Sutta (MN30:17). and Mahānidāna (DN15:35). The term Liberation is used to describe all 8 levels of the 4 jhana and all 4 immaterial absorptions. These are relative levels of liberation, also sometimes referred to as the Eight Directions, or Eight Quarters. The meditator is liberated from the level below until he succumbs to the ultimate liberation, Full and Temporary Liberation, which is Suññata (Nibbana).
    These teachings are listed in Table 11 below, which needs a little elucidating. Fourth jhanaṃ has various descriptions, such as Non-Attention To Perceptions Of Diversity MN30:17 and Neither-Pain-Nor-Pleasure’ MN39:18). Fourth jhanaṃ is not explicitly listed, but alluded to tangentially as ‘surmounting of perceptions of form… (MN30:17)’.  

Table 11 The Eight Liberations140

140 These are not the same as the Eight Bases For Self Transcendence (MN77:23).

141 Saḷāyatanavibhanga Suttaṃ (MN137) “aṭṭha disā vidhāvati” = Eight + A quarter, or point of the compass; a region of the earth, a country, a foreign country + To run about.

3.Liberated

The Liberation of all liberations is Nibbāna. However, there are many other contexts which use the term Liberation and there are also several expressions for Nibbāna. This can make things confusing, so let’s look at some of these terms.
    There’s a ‘Full Liberation’ and a ‘Temporary Liberation’. This is not to be confused with ‘final Nibbāna (SN III 23,3) (DN16:3.48)’ and a ‘final release’ (DN16:43). I take the view that Nibbana is full/temporary Liberation. Nibbāna is temporary. This is contrary to what many Buddhists believe.  There follows a discussion of this.

    As per the formatting, the third satipaṭṭhānaṃ ends with the wisdom refrain.

    He abides contemplating mind as mind internally … externally … both … arising phenomena … vanishing … both arising and vanishing phenomena … Or else, mindfulness that ''there is mind” … just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness … and he abides detached, not grasping at anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating ‘mind as mind’.

Discussion – Liberation, Nibbāna

‘Full’ and ‘temporary Liberation’ is Nibbāna. This is not to be confused with ‘final Nibbāna’ and ‘final release’. We know ‘Full and temporary Liberation’ is Nibbāna because the Buddha reveals this to Ananda. He said, only when he “enters into the signless concentration of mind, that his body knows comfort” (DN16 2.25). That is to say, his comfort (Nibbana or the absorptions) was temporary.
    While the succumbing to Nibbāna is temporary, Nibbāna/Sunyata/The Ineffable, is not. Suññatta is an eternal option, whether or not one finds it immediately accessible. It’s the body and mind(s) that wax and wane, while pure-mindedness/I-Consciousness, is always so. Pure-mindedness, I-Consciousness is the apperceptive gaze.
    So why doesn’t ‘final’ Nibbāna mean ‘permanent’ Nibbāna? Because there is no term Permanent Liberation142 or concept in the Pali Canon. I say, final Nibbāna/final release (4.3) the ‘last watch’ (5.23), references the very last time one succumbs to Nibbāna before death of the physical body. It means no more succumbing to voidness - ever! When an arahant passes away it’s called Parinibbāna143 and the arahant is never reborn in any shape or form.
    This is something one takes on faith, as by definition, no one has undergone Parinibbāna and returned.
    Now you might think that think these terms would be perfectly clear and indisputable but, for whatever reason they are not. After all, Sunyata/Nibbāna isn’t a something, it’s a no-thing. We are addressing The Ineffable, and timelessness.
    Misunderstandings about Nibbāna even existed amongst ancient Arahants. Yes! Even arahants. Let’s look at the evidential experience of Venerable Godhika.

Then it occurred to the Venerable Godhika: “Six times already I have fallen away from temporary liberation of mind. Let me use the knife.” (SN 4.23 Godhika Sutta),

How can Godhika be an Arahant and still want to kill himself? Really?! Unless that is, he failed to understand that temporary liberation is just that; temporary? We know Godhika had ‘attained Nibbāna144 ’, to use that misleading Buddhist term, because we are told, he reached temporary liberation and fell away.
   The situation is this: Godhika was an arahant, but he was not enlightened. Yes! I’m saying there is such a thing as an unenlightened arahant. This flies in the face of fundamental Buddhist beliefs, but I explain this in the relevant parts of Chapters 1 and 4. They explain why Nibbana and Enlightenment are not the same thing. Further, the discourses actually tell us, the Buddha was no higher than second jhana when he became enlightened (DN2:95, MN4:29, MN36:40, MN39:20145 .). Enlightenment is a something Nibbāna is a no-thing.

Before leaving this discussion, let’s recall the Buddha’s admonition:

“… those discourses spoken by the Tathagata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness ... those teachings should be studied and mastered.
SN II, 20:7.

142 I have found the term ‘Permanent Deliverance’ but that was in in the translator’s Introduction to the Digha Nikaya (Wisdom Publication), not in a teaching.

143 Let’s look at what the Paranibbana says of the consciousness of the Buddha in his dying moments. I summarise it. His awareness rose through the jhāna and through the absorptions to Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception (what I call 4th absorption). Then his awareness came back down to the first jhana and then rose up to 4th absorption whence he passed away. (DN16:6.8-6.10).

144 There are many example of this phrase (MN11:17 MN35:25 ….)

145 Also see: MN50:25 MN119:41, MN130:2, MN136:9-14.

4th SATIPAṭṭHĀNAṃ CONTEMPLATION OF MIND-OBJECTS (DHAMMANUPASSANĀ)

Dhammanupassanā is the fourth and last of the satipaṭṭhāna, and by far the largest in the discourse. The word Dhamma means teaching and is combined with the verb to see. Dhammanupassanā means seeing/understanding the Buddha’s teaching. The type of insight needed here is largely intellectual and contemplative.
    There are five sections (pabba146 ) to the Dhammanupassanā.

The Five Hindrances (Pañcanīrvaraṇa)
The Five Aggregates (Pañcakhandha)
The Six Senses Spheres (Saḷāyatana)
The Seven Factors Of Enlightenment (Satta Bojjhaṅgā)
The Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariya-Saccāni)

We will look at each of these five sections, and investigate them with discussions and references to other discourses, when required

146 pabba (pl), pabbaṃ (sing).

The Five Hindrances (Nīrvaraṇa)

The five hindrances are negative qualities of the mind, characteristic of ordinary consciousness and which preclude jhāna. They are managed with mindfulness/apperceptive gaze, although stubborn one’s will sometimes require additional strategies. Each hindrance should be understood in a broad sense.

Sensual desire
Ill-will
Sloth and Torpor
Restlessness
Doubt (of the cynical kind)

This section of the discourse repeats the wisdom refrain six times, one for each of the five hindrances and once using the general term of mind-objects.

    ‘So he abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally … externally … both … He abides contemplating arising phenomena … vanishing … both … Or else, mindful that ''there are mind-objects” … just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness … and he abides detached, not grasping at anything in the world. And, that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating ‘mind-objects in respect of the five hindrances’.

The section then goes on to expand on the wisdom refrain:

• If sensual desire is present in himself, a monk knows that it is present.
• If sensual desire is absent in himself, a monk knows that it is absent.
• He knows how unarisen sensual desire comes to arise,
• He knows how the abandonment of arisen sensual desire comes about,
• He knows how the non-arising of the abandoned sensual desire in the future will come about.

This expanded version is more than being aware of minds and mind-objects coming in and out of awareness. It includes knowing what caused the hindrance(s), how they are abandoned, and how they are avoided in the future. We will look at two discourses that give some strategies and techniques for attenuating, avoiding and abandoning. First. let’s discuss some common experience, and investigate what ordinarily happens to the mind whilst living with one of the hindrances. Let’s take the feeling of hunger.

Discussion: Hunger

There is nothing unskilful per se about being hungry, though how this determines consciousness is of concern to the mindful. Because hunger triggers mental and physical responses, such as irritability, restlessness, even anxiety, a good deal of mindfulness is required at the onset of hunger, as well was, during the preparation of a meal, while eating, and sometimes for a good while after having eaten, until the meal has been digested, and the hunger abated.
    Going through hunger several times every day is not a trivial affair. An untrained person on the other hand can become craven due to hunger. His imagination can overpower his self-determination so much, he may become short tempered with other people, and even blame them for his own mood. His imagination may make him eat so quickly he misses the flavours he seeks, and to eat too much.
    The person in training will endeavour not to imagine food, however hungry he may be. He chooses to do the driving rather than be driven. Regardless of how delightful flavours may be, he does not grab at them, or delight in them. He subjects his imagination to the apperceptive gaze. He does not eat for entertainment but just enough for good health and meditation (MN91:13-14).

Buddhist renunciation eschews dangerous extremes of any bodily denial. The Buddha experienced hunger and sometimes ate more than one bowl of food (MN77:9). He did this for the same reason we might; to avoid extreme hunger and the facilitation of equanimity, not for entertainment.

Techniques For Self-Transcendence

The best technique of self-transcendence is the apperceptive gaze (mindfulness) which is done using the least amount of effort needed. This is the supreme bringer of equanimity, however, there are a couple of discourses offering a few alternative helpful strategies.

Dealing With Drowsiness

The Capala (Nodding Off) Suttaṃ (AN 7.58) gives us strategies to deal with tiredness. They may also sometimes be useful against slothfulness and torpor.
    The discourse tells us there was an occasion when the venerable Moggallāna was nodding off. The Buddha, being psychically aware of this, and by virtue of his capacity for out-of-body travel, approached Moggallāna. He asked Moggallāna if he was nodding off. Moggallāna admitted he was. Here are the eight strategies the Buddha gave Moggallāna.

1 Ignore the feeling of drowsiness
2 Recall the Dhamma and ponder it
3 Repeat the Dhamma aloud
4 Pull the earlobes
5 Refresh the eyes with water and look at the night sky
6 Create some light and pursue day-time activities
7 Meditate walking back and fourth
8 Upon awakening from the lion’s posture, arise immediately without indulging the pleasure of a warm bed.

Other General Strategies

Table 12 is compiled from the Vitakkasaṅṭhāna Suttaṃ MN20 (Removal Of Distracting Thoughts). It contains strategies and similes the Buddha gave a group of bhikkhus to help overcome the hindrances. The right-hand column includes how these strategies might be applied in the context of hunger. These strategies are higher Dhamma practices and are intended for bhikkhus, not laity. Whilst the layman gains insight from them, he is better advised to lead a life of moderation, with intermittent periods of intense practice saved for a dedicated environment.

Table 12 Techniques For Self-Transcendence (over coming)

This is as good a place as any, to inform the reader that the Buddha is documented saying, when in a deep hole stop digging (MN21:12).

Discussion

The five techniques in table 12, multiplied by the six bases, multiplied by the five hindrances, make a theoretical 150 identifiable scenarios (see appendices 2). But do not think every hindrance experienced has to be labelled. The above teaching is to put mindfulness practice into a context.
    Hunger compares very closely with sexual desire. Both can affect consciousness very powerfully, and both involve three stages: anticipation, sating, and resultant consciousness. Put simply, that’s a beginning, middle and end. Each stage is to be squared up to and dealt with by minding mind-objects with the purpose of keeping the consciousness pure of gross mind(s).
    Hunger for food and sexual experience, are both hard-wired functions. But unlike hunger, it is possible to completely abstain from sex, and be celibate in mind and body, without the threat of death. However, few have the strength of self-transcendence reached by the venerable Bakkula. Having been ordained for eighty years, he was approached by someone he had known in his lay life. Bakkula was asked how many times he had thought about sexual intercourse during his eighty years. “Never”, was Bakkula’s reply (MN124:3-5).
    Celibacy, at the mental level, is an extreme practice. The effort and effect it has on the mind should not be underestimated. Sexual feelings are also a key parameter in all urban relationships; even if the understanding is not to mention it. Celibacy of mind puts the practitioner outside of most ordinary rapport. For single people, this can lead to serious alienation from one’s peer group. An urban dweller practicing celibacy at the scrupulous mental level of Bakkula is likely best do so for limited, and well-defined durations.
    Anciently, celibate laity dressed in white to make their status known.

The Five Aggregates (Pañcakhandha)

Second in the list of mind-objects are the Five Aggregates (Pañca + Khandha = five + Bundle). The bracketed words are terms of equivalence, collected from other translations.

Form (Material form, Matter)
Feeling (Sensations)
Perceptions
Mental formations (Reactions, Volition)
Consciousness

It is worth distinguishing how the term form is used in the Five Aggregates and the Five Chords. When used in the context of the five cords (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body), it refers specifically to visual objects (MN115), but in the context of the Five Aggregates, ‘form’ refers to any mind or mind object. Don’t forget, this isn’t an exam, it’s a teaching so you can help get a perspective on mindfulness practice. The discourse explains where the Five Aggregates sit in our thinking.
 
    Again, monks, a monk abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in respect of the five aggregates of grasping. How does he do so? Here, a monk thinks: ''Such is form, such the arising of form, such the disappearance of form; such is feeling, such the arising of feeling, such is the disappearance of feeling; such is perception, such is the arising of perception; such the disappearance of perception; such are the mental formations, such the arising of the mental formations, such the disappearance of the mental formations; such is consciousness, such the arising of consciousness, such the disappearance of consciousness.

The phrase, ‘such is/such the’, refers to the cognition, and recognition and fading away of mind-objects and mental formations. Of course, we don’t always catch all of the beginning, middle and end of a mental episodes, as awareness waxes and wanes.

While the Five Aggregates are five discrete mind(s) or mind-objects, Sāriputta tells us the Five Aggregates are dependently arisen (MN28:28), which explains why they are not individually treated to the wisdom refrain, unlike the Five Hindrances. In the Mahāvedalla Suttaṃ (MN43:4), Sāriputta teaches the venerable Kohitta a redacted three-fold version of the Five Aggregates:

    Feelings, perceptions and consciousness, friend – these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is impossible to separate each of these states from the others in order to describe the difference between them. For what one feels, that one perceives; and what one perceives, that one cognises. This is why these states are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is impossible to separate each of these states from the others in order to describe the difference between them.
MN43:9

What he is saying here is that feelings, perceptions and consciousness are a continuum of experience they are indivisible. But the other two aggregates, form and mental formations, are of the external world (idiomatic use) because they impinge upon consciousness and have the potential to scatter focus/steadfastness/concentration/singleness.
    The Five Aggregates are themselves a redaction of a longer aggregation called Dependent Origination (Paṭicca Samuppāda), which when listed in full has 12-steps (MN115:11). We will look at this version later.
    This section of the Dhammanupassanā finishes with the wisdom refrain.

So he abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally … externally … both. … He abides contemplating arising phenomena …vanishing … Both … Or else, mindfulness that ''there are mind-objects” … just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness … And he abides detached, not grasping at anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in respect of the five aggregates of grasping.

 The Six Internal And External Sense-Bases

We have already looked at The Six Senses Spheres (Saḷāyatana) (see Table 7 The Six Bases). And as per the formatting, the six internal and external bases, are presented in the context of the wisdom refrain.

    Again, monks, a monk abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in respect of the six internal and external sense-bases. How does he do so? Here a monk knows the eye, knows sight-objects, and whatever fetter arises dependant on the two. And he knows, how the unarisen fetter comes to arise, and he knows the abandonment of an arisen fetter comes about, and he knows how the non-arising of the abandoned fetter in the future will come about. He knows the ear and knows sounds ... He knows nose, and knows smells ... He knows the tongue and knows tastes ... He knows the body and knows tangibles ... He knows the mind and knows mind-objects, and he knows whatever fetter arises dependant on the two. And he knows how the unarisen fetter comes to arise, and he knows how the abandonment of an arisen fetter comes about, and he knows how the non-arising of the abandoned fetter in the future will come about.
DN22:3.15

The idea is not to label and correlate an internal base with its external base, but to be cognisant of the nature of mind(s) arising for the purpose of preserving the apperceptive gaze.
    The section ends with the wisdom refrain.

    So he abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally … externally … both … He abides contemplating arising phenomena … vanishing … Both ... Or else, mindfulness that ''there are mind-objects” ... just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness … and he abides detached, not grasping at anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating ‘mind-objects in respect of the six internal and six external sense-bases.’

Buddhist psychology has a system of nomenclature according to class of consciousness. The Mahāhatthipadopama Suttaṃ (MN28) explains, if the eyes see material form, then there is eye-consciousness. If the ears hear sound, there is ear-consciousness, and so on.

     If friends, internally, the eye is in tact but no external forms come into range, and there is no corresponding engagement, then there is no manifestation of the corresponding class of consciousness ...  If friends, internally, the ear ... the nose ... the tongue ... the body ... the mind is in tact but no corresponding sound ... smell ... taste ... tangible ... mind-object comes into range then there is no corresponding class of consciousness.
MN28:27-37

The wisdom refrain is repeated.

This teaching is not asking bhikkhus to label every perception. The nomenclature exists to help develop perspective and apperceptive vision. Table 11 is compiled from the Saḷāyatanavibhanga Suttaṃ (MN137).

Table 13 The Saḷāyatana

The Seven Factors Of Enlightenment (Bojjhaṅga)

Whereas the Five Hindrances are negative qualities to be overcome, the Seven Factors Of Enlightenment are the positive qualities to nurture. We may think of the Five Hindrances as a checklist of ignoble qualities, and the Seven Factors of Enlightenment as a checklist of noble qualities.
    The brackets in the following list contain synonyms from other translations.

1. Mindfulness (Awareness /Attentiveness)
2. Investigation of States (Diligence in theory and practice)
3. Energy (Effort)
4. Delight (Rapture/Enthusiasm)
5. Tranquillity
6. Concentration
7. Equanimity

These could be thought of as being generally ordered as they arise in meditation; the first three being needed to achieve the last four, which are all jhanic qualities. They are all factors in successful meditation. They appear in the wisdom refrain.

    Again, monks, a monk abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in respect of the seven factors of Enlightenment. How does he do so? Here, monks, if the enlightenment-factor of mindfulness is present in himself, a monk knows that it is present. If the enlightenment-factor of mindfulness is absent in himself, he knows that it is absent. And he knows how the unarisen enlightenment-factor of mindful comes to arise, and he knows how the complete development of the enlightenment-factor of mindfulness comes about.

    Like the Five Hindrances, each of the Seven Factors Of Enlightenment are also individually presented in the context of the wisdom refrain. The section then ends with the wisdom refrain. 

    So he abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally … externally … both … He abides contemplating arising phenomena … vanishing … Both … Or else, mindfulness that ''there are mind-objects” … just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness … and he abides detached, not grasping at anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating ‘mind-objects in respect of the seven factors of enlightenment.’

Next follows the Four Noble Truths, the fifth and last contemplation in the fourth and last Satipaṭṭhānaṃ, Contemplation Of Mind-Objects (Dhammanupassanā)

The Four Noble Truths

‘Again, monks, a monk abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in respect of the Four Noble Truths. How does he do so? Here the monk knows as it really is: “This is suffering”; he knows as it really is: “This is the origin suffering”; he knows as it really is: “This is the cessation of suffering”; he knows as it really is: “This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.”
DN22:17
(also see MN141)

The Four Noble truths address the origin of suffering, what suffering is, its cessation, and the practice that bring about the cessation of suffering.
    The First Noble Truth is often translated as ‘Life is suffering’. This is in fact not entirely true. The Buddha explains, ‘If, Mahāli, this feeling were exclusively suffering ... If this perception ... these volitional feelings... this consciousness were exclusively suffering ... beings would not become enamoured … (SN III: 60)’.
    The Buddha taught there are three fundamental types of feelings: pleasant, unpleasant and neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant. So, to say ‘life is suffering’ is an overly simplistic interpretation. A more accurate way of stating the first noble truth is that life is inseparable from suffering. But it is also accurate to say life is inseparable from pleasure.
    The reader should consult his own experience. I suspect few of us, if any, have not stopped at some point to wonder whether life is worth it. The Buddha’s view was that on balance, life is not worth the sorrow. Perhaps, this is why scholars have chosen such a simplistic interpretation for the First Noble Truth.
    The Buddha is specific about what constitutes suffering.

The First Noble Truth: The truth of suffering

And what, monks, is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness and distress are suffering. Being attached to the unloved is suffering, being separated from the loved is suffering, not getting what one wants is suffering.
DN22:18

Suffering is:  birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness and distress. Being attached to the unloved, separated from the loved, not getting what one wants is suffering. These examples are then elucidated.
    Birth is described as coming to be, coming forth, the appearance of the aggregates, the acquisition of the sense bases.
    Old age is described as decrepitude, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkled skin, shrinking with age, decay of the sense faculties.
    Death is described as passing away, a removal, a cutting off, a disappearance, a death, a dying, an ending, a cutting off from the aggregates, discarding of the body.
    Sorrow is described as mourning, distress, inward grief, inward woe.
    Lamentation is described as there is crying out, lamenting, much noise due to grief, making great lamentation.
    Pain is described as any painful bodily feeling, painful or unpleasant feeling, resulting from bodily contact.
    Sadness is described as any unpleasant or painful feeling, resulting from mental contact.
    Distress is described as any misfortune of a painful nature.
   
    ‘And what, monks, is being attached to the unloved? Here, whoever has unwanted, disliked, unpleasant, sight-objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, or mind-objects, or whoever encounters ill-wishers, wishers of harm, of discomfort, of insecurity, with whom they have concourse, intercourse, connection, union, that, monks, is called attached to the unloved.
    ‘And what is being separated from the loved? Here, whoever has what is wanted, liked, pleasant sight-objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles or mind-objects, or whoever encounters well wishers, wishers of good, of comfort, of security, mother, or father, or brother, or sister, or younger kinsmen friends, or colleagues, or blood-relations, and then is deprived of such concourse, intercourse, connection, union, that monks, is called being separated from the loved.

    ‘And what is not getting what one wants? ... Oh, that we were not subject to birth ... But this cannot be gained by wishing”. “Oh, that we were not subject to old age! But this cannot be gained by wishing ... Oh, that we were not subject to aging ... disease ... death ... sorrow ... lamentation ... pain, sadness and distress, that we might not come to these things!” But this cannot be gained by wishing. That is not getting what one wants.
DN22:17

That is how the Buddha itemises what constitutes suffering in the first of the Noble truths.
   

The Second Noble Truth: the truth of the origin of suffering

And what monks is the Noble Truth Of The Origin Of Suffering? It is that craving which gives rise to rebirth, bound up with pleasure and lust, finding fresh delight now here, now there: that is to say sensual craving, craving for existence, and craving non-existence (19).

The Buddha is saying we are attached to existence, because we are bound up by pleasure. We crave pleasure. This craving is attachment and that perpetuates rebirth. Not understanding this and the inability to face ourselves, has accompanied us throughout all our previous lives.

    And where does this craving arise and establish itself? Wherever in the world there is something agreeable and pleasurable, there this craving arises and establishes itself.
    And what in the world is agreeable and pleasurable? The eye ... ear ... nose ... tongue ... body ... mind in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself. Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible, mind-objects in the world that are agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
   Eye-consciousness ... ear-consciousness ... nose-consciousness ... tongue-consciousness ... body-consciousness ... mind-consciousness in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
   Eye-contact ... ear-contact ... nose-contact ... tongue-contact ... body-consciousness ... mind-contact in the world is agreeable and pleasurable and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
   Feelings born of eye-contact ... ear-contact ... nose-contact ... tongue-contact ... body-consciousness ... mind-contact in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
    Perception of sights, of sounds, of smells, of tastes, of tangibles, of mind-objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
    Volition in regards to sights, of sounds, of smells, of tastes, of tangibles, of mind-objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
    Craving for sights, of sounds, of smells, of tastes, of tangibles, of mind-objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
    Thinking of sights, of sounds, of smells, of tastes, of tangibles, of mind-objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.
    Pondering on sights, of sounds, of smells, of tastes, of tangibles, of mind-objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable and there this craving arises and establishes itself (19).

Attachment is a simple and insidious mechanism. It is a calculus. It accrues imperceptibly and binds us.

The Third Noble Truth: the truth of cessation of suffering

And what monks is the Noble Truth Of The Cessation Of Suffering? It is the complete fading away and extinction of this very craving, its forsaking and abandonment, liberation from it, detachment from it. And how does this craving come to be abandoned, how does its cessation come about?
DN22

     The Mahāsaḷāyatanika Suttaṃ gives the answer to this question.

    And what things should be fully understood by direct knowledge? The answer is: the five aggregates affected by clinging, that is, the material form aggregate, affected by clinging, the feeling aggregate … the perception aggregate … the formations aggregate … the consciousness aggregate affected by clinging ... These things should be fully understood by direct knowledge.
  And what things should be abandoned by direct knowledge? Ignorance and craving …
    And what things should be developed by direct knowledge? Serenity and insight.
    And what things should be realised by direct knowledge? True knowledge and deliverance.
MN149:11

Direct knowledge is personal experience of addressing mind(s) and mind-objects. Understanding by direct knowledge requires keeping an apperceptive eye on the imaginative faculties and what is stimulating it. The inability to keep consciousness pure is ignorance, and out of ignorance craving arises. Direct knowledge through implementing the apperceptive gaze brings about serenity and insight. I say, being able to maintain I-consciousness is true knowledge and that brings deliverance, which we have learned is temporary.

   There is, monks, this one way to the purification of being, for the overcoming of sorrow and distress, for the disappearance of pain and sadness, for the gaining of the right path, for the realisation of Nibbāna: - that is to say the four foundations of mindfulness.
DN22:1

 
This statement is not meant to be a religious dogma, applicable only to Buddhists. It is meant as a statement of empirical fact. It is there to be investigated and discovered for one self.

‘“Well-proclaimed, truly, is this Lord’s Teaching, visible here and now, timeless, inviting inspection, leading onward, to be realised by the wise each one for himself ….
Mahā-govinda (DN19:6).

The Fourth Noble Truth: The Practice Leading Away From Suffering

And what, monks, is the Noble Truth Of The Way Of Practice Leading To The Cessation Of Suffering? It is just this Eight-Fold Path.

The Eightfold Path is itself a three-fold aggregate, comprised of the Aggregate Of Wisdom, the Aggregate of Ethical Conduct, and the Aggregate of Mental Development (MN44:1) (see Table 13). In fact, we have already studied the aggregate of Mental Development in depth, when we studied meditation and mindfulness.
      Now we look at the path leading away from suffering.

The Eight Fold Path (Ariya-aṭṭhaṅgikamagga)

The Fourth Noble Truth is the Noble Eight Fold Path. It consists of the practices that lead away from suffering.  The terms in brackets are alternatives taken from various publications.

Table 14 Eight-Fold Path

The Aggregate Of Wisdom

There are two facets to this aggregate, Right View and Right Thought.

Right View (Sammā diṭṭhi 149 )

And what, monks, is Right View? It is the knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the origin of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.
DN22:21

    In other words, right view is the Four Noble truths.

When one makes the effort to abandon wrong view and enter upon right view ... Mindfully one abandons wrong view, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right view: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right view, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
MN117:9

Realising right view is indivisible from abandoning wrong view while also realising right effort and right mindfulness. The diagram below (Fig. 9) is there simply to underline the co-dependency of these teachings. Do one; you do the others.

Figure 9 Right View

Right view is described as being twofold, that is, it can be tainted or untainted. It is tainted if the renunciant’s actions are specifically for the purpose of incurring good kamma. The idea (the logic at least) is to deplete one’s kammic store and so rebirth is no longer possible.
    However, this does not preclude a monk performing a goodly deed. The Buddha taught: ‘Monks, do not be afraid of deeds of merit! They are equivalent to happiness, these deeds of merit (AN VII 58b).’ So, the bhikkhu can perform an action that is first and foremost for someone else’s benefit, even if good merit accrues to himself. Why wouldn’t it, such a deed is an effort of self-(ishness)-transcendence, and that is what mindfulness and meditation is all about? In Chapters 8 and 15, we look more specifically at how what we do can affect our kammic outcome, according to the Canon.
    The fruit and benefit of right view is called deliverance by wisdom. It is aided by five factors: virtue, learning, discussion, serenity and insight (MN43:14). Deliverance by wisdom is the main vehicle for the lay person. Bare in mind, the lay person can also incur tainted kamma. I’m not suggesting not making altruistic efforts, but I do suggest one does not behave like a fool for others – including one’s partners. Charity has to start at home for it to be sustainable. Giving away all your worldly possessions, clothes and all, will not work.
     As we read through the remaining two aggregates, we will again see that the practice of all three are indivisible and that they too can be tainted or untainted.

Pernicious Views

There are some views that are so wrong the Buddha described them as pernicious (Micchāditthi). Nihilism is a pernicious view because it denies there is consequence to our behaviours (MN71:11-14).
  
There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit or result of good and bad actions; no this world, no other world; no mother no father; no beings who are born spontaneously; no good and virtuous recluses or Brahmins in the world who have realised for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world [to exist*]. This is wrong view.
MN114:10, MN117:5
   
Pernicious views can lead to great harm,and rebirth in worlds of woe.There are, however, some inconsistencies in the Pāli Canon regarding the pernicious view. For example, bhikkhu Sati had an eternalistic view (MN38), and bhikkhu Ariṭṭha failed to grasp the danger of sensuous indulgence, and even taught it was inconsequential (MN22:6-11). The Buddha told both men they were misguided, and that they had stored up much demerit, which would lead to their personal harm and suffering for a long time. Brahmin Lohicca was warned that a heart full of hatred is a view that leads straight to the animal sub-plane, or Hell(s) (DN12:10). The Buddha taught that anyone who denied the Buddha had any superhuman states, or knowledge and vision worthy of noble ones, or that he hammered out his teaching using only reasoning, will ‘as if carried off and put there he will wind up in hell150 (MN12:21)’. But we must contrast the above with Angulimala’s experience. He was a mass murderer, and had even tried to kill the Buddha. And yet, Angulimala not only did not go to hell, but succeeded in becoming an Arahant. This is despite once having a heart full of hatred.
    We will study Angulimala’s case in greater detail later, as it tells us that at the volitional level, there is no such thing as a guarantee of hell for those skilful enough in the Dhamma discipline. There is also a teaching in the Angutarra Nikāya (3.99) that tells us dark kamma can be diluted by training, as effectively as a salt crystal is diluted in the Ganges River. After all, how good is the Buddha’s Dhamma be if it didn’t?

Right Thought/Intention/mindedness (Sammā Sankappa)

And what, monks, is Right Thought? The thought of renunciation, thought of non-ill-will, the thought of harmlessness. This, monks, is Right Thought.
DN 22:21

Right thought requires knowing what constitutes wrong thought. Wrong thoughts are ill-will, pandering to sensual desire, cruelty and taking the not given (MN117:5).
    The Buddha warned that learning the Dhamma for the purpose of winning debates, and criticising others, as some clans-people did, was also wrong mindedness and dangerous. To underline this, he gave a simile of a man and a snake. If the man grabs the snake in a wrong manner, it could bite him (MN22:10). Conversely, when the Dhamma is grasped correctly, it will conduce to one’s welfare for a long time (11).

Right intention is the intention to make the renunciant’s effort (MN177:10-15).
    As above, right thought is twofold, in that it may be tainted, or pure of selfish intention.
    Right thought is supported by the three states of right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

    One makes an effort to abandon wrong intention and to enter upon right intention: this is one’s right intention. Mindfully one abandons wrong intention, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right intention: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus, these three states run and circle around right intention, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
MN117:15

Figure 10 Right Intention

The reader may have the feeling that this theory is somewhat pedantic. Just know that in bringing about the practice at the centre of the illustration, one also realises the other two.
    But is this theory really necessary? Only in as much as it helps attenuate the teaching becoming corrupt. Once you have the gist of it, it isn’t necessary. As the Venerable Sāriputta said: “And it seems to me, Lord, that the drift of the Dhamma is the same. (DN16:1.17)

The Aggregate Of Ethical Conduct

 Right Speech (Sammā Vācā)

And what, monks, is right speech? Refraining from lying, refraining from slander, refraining from harsh speech, refraining from frivolous speech. This is called right speech.
DN22:21

To understand right speech, we must understand wrong speech. On no account should the bhikkhu utter sharp speech that is untrue, incorrect and unbeneficial (MN139:10). Right speech reunites those who are divided, and affirms concord (MN51:14)151 . Right speech calls for not taking sides in a debate, but seeking the truth of a situation (MN95 MN99). Should someone speak offensively about the Buddha, or the Dhamma, or the Saṅgha, a bhikkhu should not get angry, or resentful, but should look to see how accurate the comments, are and agree or disagree accordingly (DN1:1.5).

    ‘… those who are not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie have thrown away their recluseship’.
(MN61:4)

 
The phrase, ‘he employs the speech currently used in the world without adhering to it’, means he can discuss the world and its affairs in non-exclusive language, without getting embroiled, or taking a partisan view 152 .
    Right speech is twofold in that it may be tainted or pure of selfish intention. Right speech is supported by the three states of right view, right effort and right mindfulness.

    One makes the effort to abandon wrong speech and enter upon right speech: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong speech, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right speech: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus, these three states run and circle around right speech, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
MN117:21

Figure 9 Right Speech

There is a notable exception to the Buddha’s teaching on right speech, that was not lost on the Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, the founder of the Jain religion. There was an occasion when prince Abhaya was sent at the request of the Nigaṇṭha, to question the Buddha over samma vaca. It involved something the Buddha had said about his older cousin Devadatta, who had ordained into the discipline. In an attempt to usurp supremacy within the Saṅgha, Devadatta made several attempts on the Buddha’s life. In consequence, the Buddha had said that Devadatta was destined for states of deprivation, which had angered Devadatta. Speaking as a proxy for the Nigaṇṭha, Prince Abhaya questioned the Buddha, claiming the Buddha had contradicted his own precepts on samma vaca. But the Buddha’s response was straight to the point. ‘The Tathagata knows the time to use such speech. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has compassion for beings (MN58:8).’
    It sounds like Devadatta was in such a place, and it was better for him to admit his wrong behaviour. Devadatta did become contrite but it was not until he was dying. He attempted to meet up with the Buddha to express his regret. Sadly, Devadatta died in transit. Buddhist thinkers are divided on the rebirth destination of Devadatta. Did he go to a world of woe or did his contrition save him from this fate? After all, expressing regret over a wrongdoing is considered to be a sign of progress (AN IX:11. Culavagga II and III).
   
There were other occasions when the Buddha gave unwelcomed responses. He would occasionally advise some questioners to desist from asking their questions. But there were times when they ignored his warnings. In these instances, the Buddha followed a protocol whereby if a questioner asked the same question a third time he would answer, even if the questioner found the response difficult. We will look at how Punna and Seniya took this response in Chapter 8.
    There was an occasion when a young mother, inconsolable at the loss of her baby, went to see the Buddha. She asked him to bring her baby back to life. He said he would, but only on condition that she brought him one mustard seed, from a household that had not had a death in the family. She set about the task, knocking on door after door but to no avail. Eventually she realised no such house existed (SN 5.3).

Right Action (Sammā Kammanta)

    And what, monks, is Right Action? Refraining from taking life, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from sexual misconduct.
DN22

As above, right action is twofold in that it may be altruistic or tainted by selfish intent. Right action is supported by the three states of right view, right effort, right mindfulness.

    One makes the effort to abandon wrong Action and enter upon right Action: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong Action, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right Action: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right Action, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
 MN117:9

Figure 11 Right Action

Right Livelihood (Sammā Ājīva)

And what, monks, is Right Livelihood?  Here monks, a monk gives up Wrong Livelihood, keeps himself by right livelihood.
DN22

Wrong livelihood includes dealing in weapons, dealing in human beings, in meat, intoxicants and poison (AN 5.177). Dealing with humans also includes ‘scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursing gain for gain [usury*]: this is wrong livelihood (MN117:29).’ Monks should not become involved in geomancy, astrology, running errands, palmistry (SN III 28:10).

What more is to be done? Bhikkhus you should train thus: ‘Our livelihood should be purified, clear and open, flawless and restrained, and we will not laud ourselves and disparage others on account of that purified livelihood. That much is enough … and you should rest content with that much. Bhikkhus, I inform you, I declare to you: You who seek the recluse’s status, do not fall short of the goal of recluseship while there is much more to be done.
MN39:7

Right livelihood is twofold, in that it may be tainted or pure of selfish intention. It is supported by the three states of right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

One makes the effort to abandon wrong Livelihood and enter upon right Livelihood: this is one’s right effort. Mindfully one abandons wrong Livelihood, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right Livelihood: this is one’s right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right Livelihood, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.
MN117:9

Figure 12 Right Livelihood

Curiously, right livelihood seems to be directed at lay people, as a bhikkhu does not work for a living but begs for subsistence. Yet, while a layperson should not trade in meat products, the Bhikkhu, who begged for a living, can eat meat. But then, being a beggar meant a Bhikkhu couldn’t realistically be a chooser either.
    This is an example of the Buddha teaching a lower level of Dhamma to the laity. He did teach ethics to laity as part of a gradual path. But why has it been included with higher dhammic teachings, such as right view, right effort, and right mindfulness? We should remember that the Buddha’s teachings were not collated for several hundred years after his passing, and this is not his doing.

The Aggregate Of Mental Development

We have already studied Mental Development in depth, when we looked at meditation. This, of course, is also right effort. Here is what the Mahāsattipaṭṭhāna discourse says of Mental Development.

Right Effort (Sammā Vāyāma)

And here monks, what is Right Effort? Here a monk rouses will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts his mind and strives to prevent the arising of the unarisen evil and unwholesome mental states. He rouses his will ... and strives to overcome evil unwholesome mental states that have arisen. He rouses his will ... and strives to produce unarisen wholesome mental states. He rouses his will, makes and effort, stirs up energy, exerts his mind and strives to maintain wholesome mental states that have arisen, not to let them fade away, to bring them to greater growth, to the full perfection of development.
DN22

Right Mindfulness/Awareness/ Meditation (Samma Sāti)

And monks what is Right Mindfulness? Here, monks, a monk abides contemplating body as body, ardent clearly aware and mindful, having put aside hankering and fretting for the world; he abides contemplating feeling as feeling … he abides contemplating mind as mind ... he abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects … .
DN22

   
Right Concentration (Sammā Samādhi)

And monks what is Right Concentration? Here, a monk, detached from sense desires, detached from unwholesome mental states, enters first jhaṅaṃ which is born of thinking and pondering, born of detachment, filled with delight and joy. And with the subsiding of thinking and pondering, by gaining inner tranquillity and oneness of mind, he enters and remains in second jhaṅaṃ, which is without thinking and pondering, born of concentration, filled with delight and joy. And with the fading of delight and joy, remaining imperturbable, mindful and clearly aware, he experiences in himself the joy of which the noble ones say: “Happy is he who dwells with equanimity and mindfulness”, he enters the third jhaṅaṃ. And, having given up pleasure and pain, and with the disappearance of former gladness and sadness, he enters and remains in fourth jhaṅaṃ, which is beyond pleasure and pain, and purified by equanimity and mindfulness. This is called right concentration. And that, monks, is called the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering. DN22

All the jhāna are within the reach of anyone with the ability to sit still and concentrate. For whatever reason, the Buddha doesn’t mention the absorptions.

The Eight Fold Noble Path ends with the wisdom refrain.

    So he abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally … externally … both … He abides contemplating arising phenomena … vanishing … both … Or else, mindfulness that ''there are mind-objects” … just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness…and he abides detached, not grasping at anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating ‘mind-objects in respect of the Four Noble Truths.’
DN22.

6 The Results

In this last section of the Mahāsattipaṭṭhāna discourse, the Buddha taught that if a monk could practice the Four Foundations Of Mindfulness for seven years, one of two results could be expected. He will attain the Highest Wisdom, meaning he would become fully enlightened (Arahantship), or if any clinging remains, he will attain the condition of Non-Returner (Anāgāmi), meaning Nibbāna is guaranteed in his next life. The Buddha then, somewhat theatrically, changes his mind.

Let alone 7 years, should anyone develop the Four Foundations Of Mindfulness for 6 years he will become fully enlightened or at least a Non-Returner.
Let alone 6 years, should anyone develop the Four Foundations Of Mindfulness for 5 years he will become fully enlightened or at least a Non-Returner.
Let alone 5 years … 4 years …
Let alone 4 years … 3 years …
Let alone 3 years … 2 years …
Let alone 2 years … 1 years …
Let alone 1 year … 7 months …
Let alone 7 months … 6 months …
Let alone 6 months … 5 months …
Let alone 5 months … 4 months …
Let alone 4 months … 3 months …
Let alone 3 months … 2 months …
Let alone 2 months … 1 month …
Let alone 1 month … ½ month …
Let alone ½ a month … 7 days …

    ‘It was said: “There is, monks, this one way to the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and distress, for the disappearance of pain and sadness, for the gaining of the right path, for the realisation of Nibbāna: - that is to say the four foundations of mindfulness”, and it is for this reason that it was said.’
   Thus the Lord spoke, and the Monks rejoiced and were delighted at his words.
(MN22:22)

With this the Mahāsattipaṭṭhāna Suttaṃ ends.

Discussion

Why did the Buddha change his mind so many times? It underlines the point: The dawning of the imperturbable is indeterminate. In the Bodhirājakumāra Suttaṃ, the Buddha informed Prince Bodhi that the Supreme Goal can take even less than seven days: ‘Being instructed in the evening he might arrive at destination in the morning; being instructed in the morning he might arrive at destination in the evening (MN85:55-59).’ It is heartening to know, we are only days away from one of the two highest states, given right perspective, and right effort. Table 15 summaries the Mahā-Satipaṭṭhānana Suttaṃ.

Table 15 Summary: Mahā-Satipaṭṭhānana Suttaṃ