#Satipatthana Sutta

[compassionmattersmost]

Joseph Goldstein’s talk on the Satipatthana Sutta, part 1 - The Direct Path to Liberation

Our lives seem to be an endless cycle of ups and downs, hope, fear, pleasure, pain, achievement, and disappointment, where we are perpetually wanting something else, and our happiness and satisfaction don’t last for very long. But things don’t necessarily have to be this way. The Buddha taught that it is possible to completely transform our lives and experience a state of unconditional lasting…

[pebblegalaxy]

Understanding the Satipatthana Sutta: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Buddhism

IntroductionThe Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most essential and influential discourses in Buddhism. The sutta, also known as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, provides a detailed guide on how to cultivate mindfulness, leading to the attainment of spiritual liberation. The sutta is considered the foundation of Buddhist meditation, and its teachings have influenced the practice of…

[mahayanapilgrim]

Happiness in Theravada Buddhism - 02

Happiness (sukha) is mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures as a positive factor associated with deep mental absorptions (Jhana). When a meditator concentrates on a chosen object of meditation focussing one's full attention on that object, the mind begins to get concentrated (samadhi) and as the concentration deepens, certain deep mental absorptions develop associated with five positive mental factors. They are: Initial application (vitakka), sustained application (vicãra), rapture or joy (piti), menta bliss or happiness (sukha) and one-pointedness with equanimity (ekaggata with upekkha).

According to Buddha's teaching, the real happiness is the happiness associated with inner peace of the mind attained through wisdom into the true reality of all mental and physical phenomena. This is attained through the practice of insight meditation. A truly happy mind is free from craving, ignorance, and all types of mental defilements.

In the Maha Satipatthana sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya (collection of the Buddha's middle length discourses), the Buddha has described two types of happiness associated with feelings. The first is the worldly happiness (samisa sukha), which is the happy feeling arising from the five sensory bases, and the second is the unworldly happiness (niramisa sukha), which is the happy feeling that does not arise from the five sensory bases, but from the development of the mind.

[yoga-onion]

The Quest for Buddhism (119)

Buddhist cosmology

Samatha and Vipassana meditations - the relationship

Gautama Buddha said to have identified two paramount mental qualities that arise from wholesome meditative practice are samatha (stillness: Ref) and vippasana (insight: Ref2).

It is the work of the still mind (samatha) that becomes wisdom (vipassana). Thus, it is to observe things correctly in accordance with the truth.

Thus, "stopping (samatha)" refers to meditation (jhana: Ref3), and "seeing (vipassana)" refers to wisdom (panna). Buddha realised that the root cause of human suffering is lack of clarity, and he allegedly attained enlightenment through contemplation of the twelve causal factors (Ref4) in order and in reverse order.

In the Pali canon, the Buddha never mentions independent samatha and vipassana meditation practices; instead, samatha and vipassana are two "qualities of mind" to be developed through meditation (jhana). When the Pali suttas depict the Buddha telling his disciples to go meditate, they never quote him as saying 'go do vipassana,' but always 'go do jhana.' And they never equate the word "vipassana" with any mindfulness techniques.

[How to]

Practice begins with the preparatory stage, the practice of sila, morality, giving up worldly thoughts and desires. Morality is a quintessential element of Buddhist practice, and is also emphasised by the first generation of post-war western teachers. Yet, it is noted that in the contemporary mindfulness movement, morality as an element of practice has been mostly discarded, 'mystifying' the origins of mindfulness.

The practitioner then engages in anapanasati (Ref5), mindfulness of breathing, which is described in the Satipatthana Sutta as going into the forest and sitting beneath a tree and then to simply watch the breath. If the breath is long, to notice that the breath is long, if the breath is short, to notice that the breath is short.

The practitioner also becomes aware of the perpetual changes involved in breathing, and the arising and passing away of mindfulness. This noticing is accompanied by reflections on causation and other Buddhist teachings, leading to insight into suffering (dukkha), non-self (anatta), and impermanence (anicca). When the three characteristics have been comprehended, reflection subdues, and the process of noticing accelerates, noting phenomena in general, without necessarily naming them.

Some sects point out that the practice of both samatha and vipassana together allows one to achieve various mental powers and higher knowledge (Skt: abhijna, Ref6), including the attainment of Nirvana, whereas the practice of vipassana alone allows for the achievement of Nirvana, but no other mental powers or knowledges.

仏教の探求 (119)

仏教の宇宙論

サマタ瞑想とヴィパッサナー瞑想 〜 その関係性

ゴータマ・ブッダは、健全な瞑想の実践から生まれる最も重要な心の資質として、サマタ (静止: 参照) とヴィッパサナー (洞察力: 参照2) の2つを特定したと言われている。

それは、不動の心(ｻﾏﾀ)が、智慧(ｳﾞｨﾊﾟｯｻﾅ-)のはたらきとなって、事物を真理に即して正しく観察することである。

このように、サマタ(止)とは禅定 (ﾃﾞｨﾔｰﾅ: 参照3) に当たり、ヴィパッサナー(観)とは智慧に相当している。ブッダはサマタ(止)により、人間の苦の根本原因が無明であることを自覚し、十二因縁（参照4）を順逆に観想するヴィパッサナー(観)によって無明を脱したとされる。

パーリ仏典では、ブッダは独立したサマタとヴィパッサナー瞑想の修行について言及せず、代わりにサマタとヴィパッサナーは瞑想を通して開発すべき二つの「心の資質」であると述べている。ブッダが弟子たちに瞑想をするように言うときには、「ヴィパッサナーをしなさい」とは言わず、常に「ジャーナをしなさい」と言っていた。また、「ヴィパッサナー」という言葉をマインドフルネスのテクニックと同一視することはない。

[修行方法]

修行は、まず準備段階として、世俗的な考えや欲望を捨て、シーラ (道徳) を実践することから始まる。道徳は仏教の修行の真髄をなす要素であり、それは戦後の西洋の第一世代の教師たちによっても強調されている。しかし、現代のマインドフルネス運動では、修行の要素としての道徳はほとんど捨て去られ、マインドフルネスの起源を「神秘化」していると指摘されている。

実践者は次に安那般那念 (あんなはんなねん、巴:ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｻﾃｨ、梵:ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｽﾑﾘﾃｨ 参照5)、呼吸のマインドフルネスに取り組み、森に行き、木の下に座り、そして単に呼吸を見ることとして念処経 (ねんじょきょう、巴:ｻﾃｨﾊﾟｯﾀｰﾅ･ｽｯﾀ)で記述されてい��。呼吸が長ければ長いと感じ、短ければ短いと感じる。

修行者はまた、呼吸に伴う絶え間ない変化、そしてマインドフルネスの発生と消滅に気づくようになる。この気づきは、因果関係や他の仏教の教えについての考察を伴い、苦 (梵･巴: ﾄﾞｩｯｶ)、無我 (むが、巴: ｱﾅｯﾀｰ、梵: ｱﾅｰﾄﾏﾝ)、無常 (むじょう、巴: ｱﾆｯﾁｬ、梵: ｱﾆﾄﾔ) を洞察することにつながる。この3つの性質が理解できたとき、反省は収まり、気づきのプロセスが加速され、必ずしも特定せずとも全般的な現象に注目するようになる。

宗派によっては、サマタとヴィパッサナーを一緒に修行すると、涅槃 (ねはん、梵: ﾆﾙｳﾞｧｰﾅ) の達成を含むさまざまな精神力と智慧 (巴:アビニャー 参照6) が得られるが、ヴィパッサナーのみの修行では、涅槃の達成はできるが他の精神力と知識は得られないと指摘されている。

[formisthemaskofspace]

Is meditating on death like putting on a fur coat in summer?

Antonia Macaro

Memento mori – invitations to reflect on our own mortality – have been common throughout history. Two ancient traditions that made reflection on death central to their paths are Buddhism and Stoicism. For both, the starting point is the fact that our normal perceptions of value are deeply flawed, as we are constantly craving or loathing things that in reality are unimportant. The Buddhist texts offer a neat list of these: gain and loss, fame and disrepute, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. The Stoics had a word for them, which translates as ‘indifferents’. The things that we are so keen to pursue – wealth, material possessions, sense pleasures, comfort, success, people’s approval, romantic love and so on – are bound to disappoint and distract us from what really matters, which is our ethical and spiritual progress.

But arguing that we shouldn’t spend our lives seeking those things is not enough. The urges are strong and engrained in us, and both traditions knew it takes more than reason to begin to shake them. It takes sustained reflection on vivid and even shocking imagery to make the point on a more visceral level. This is where death meditations come in.

One of the most striking examples of this is the meditation on corpses presented in the Buddhist Satipatthana Sutta. In ancient India, corpses were left out in ‘charnel grounds’, and people would have had the opportunity to observe the various stages of decomposition. The text is nothing if not thorough, describing in some detail ‘a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground – one, two or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter … being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals or various kinds of worms’, eventually turning into ‘bones rotten and crumbling to dust’. On observing this, the monk reminds himself that ‘This body too is of the same nature, it will be like that, it is not exempt from that fate.’

Reminders of death are everywhere in the Stoic literature, albeit generally less graphic. The nearest the Stoics come to such detailed descriptions is with the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: ‘Bear in mind that everything that exists is already fraying at the edges, and in transition, subject to fragmentation and to rot. Or that everything was born to die.’ He is also concise and to the point in his assessment of human life, which is ‘brief and trivial. Yesterday a blob of semen; tomorrow embalming fluid, ash.’

Epictetus advises to keep death always at the front of our minds: ‘Day by day you must keep before your eyes death and exile, and everything that seems terrible, but death above all; and then you will never have any abject thought, or desire anything beyond due measure.’

These reflections are meant to alert us to the fact that the things we find attractive and desirable are ‘shiny on the outside, but on the inside are pitiful’, as Seneca put it. Practices that instigate detachment from the things of the world are a preparation for death in the sense that the recognition that they are not important should make it easier to accept that soon enough we will not be around to enjoy them.

The ancients knew that such practices should be handled with care. Their intention was to elicit equanimity, not aversion. The Buddha warns that if a meditation of this kind were to evoke loathing, the monk should switch to a different one. To illustrate this, one discourse reports the case of a group of monks who engage so enthusiastically with contemplating the unattractiveness of the body that a number of them end up killing themselves. On finding out what happened, the Buddha decides to teach the survivors the more soothing practice of mindfulness instead.

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As the Buddha advised, we need to be alert to the possibility that death meditation could be detrimental if we overdo it, or do it in the wrong spirit or state of mind. But why do it at all, if we’re not Buddhists or Stoics? Not everyone is convinced that preparing for death is a good idea. In ‘On Physiognomy’ (1580), Michel de Montaigne muses that it’s a bit like putting on a fur coat in summer because we’ll need it at Christmas: ‘It is certain that most preparations for death have caused more torment than undergoing it.’ Why weigh ourselves down with thoughts of our demise when we can choose to enjoy life and leave the end to take care of itself?

While that is an appealing perspective, there are reasons to keep mortality towards the front of our minds. According to the existential psychotherapist Irvin Yalom’s Staring at the Sun (2008), the fear of death is with us all the time, whether we realise it or not. Even if we are not racked with it, death anxiety sneaks into our life in many disguises. It is what causes us to distract ourselves through the pursuit of wealth and status, for instance, or seek comfort through merging with another, or a cause. But such denial ‘always exacts a price – narrowing our inner life, blurring our vision, blunting our rationality. Ultimately self-deception catches up with us.’

Sometimes, we are shaken out of our denial by a great crisis, such as terminal illness or bereavement, or by another significant life event. Unexpectedly, Yalom argues, such experiences can evoke a sense of awakening, leading to a dropping away of trivial concerns, to reprioritising what matters in life and a heightened perception of the beauty around us: ‘[T]hough the physicality of death destroys us, the idea of death saves us.’

But we needn’t wait for pivotal experiences, says Yalom. By confronting our finitude through therapy, or reflection on death, a lasting shift in perception can arise. Yes, the process might evoke some anxiety, but ultimately it is worth it, as it can make our life richer and more vibrant.

By highlighting the fact that time is short, death meditation can help us to put things in perspective and appreciate the present more. It can remind us that the things we get so worked up about are not worth it – our appearance, career, how our achievements compare with those of our peers, the satisfaction of material desires, disputes with neighbours and tradespeople. Marcus Aurelius draws out this aspect of it well: ‘think of the list of people who had to be pried away from life. What did they gain by dying old? In the end, they all sleep six feet under.’

Death can happen at any time, as Seneca is fond of reminding us: ‘There’s no way to know the point where death lies waiting for you, so you must wait for death at every point.’ But this thought need not lead us to brood on the unsatisfactory quality of the human condition. Instead, it can open the way to a deep acceptance of it, together with the awareness that we had better make the most of what we have here and now. This is no glib hedonism, but a bittersweet recognition that any joy in life is always and necessarily intermingled with death and transience.

[eldritchboop]

7 Lost Books and Texts on Meditation

The Lost Book Project is charging $6 for this collection. Please consider donating to the Internet Archive instead if you found this post useful.

Other roundups here

Science Of Being And Art Of Living Transcendal Meditation by Mahesh Yogi (1963)

The Science Of Pranayama by Swami Sivananda (1935)

Art Of Living Vipasana Meditation As Thought By William Hart (1987)

The Lost Art of Meditation by John Wilmot Mahood (1911)

Concentration and Meditation by Swami Paramananda (1950)

Letters on Occult Meditation by Alice A. Bailey (1922)

Satipatthana Sutta Discourses by Goenka S. N (1998)

Anapanasati Sutra Appreciation by Br. Pho Quan

[averycanadianfilm]

S.N. Goenka - Q&A Satipatthana Sutta Course, Old Student Vipassana meditation - details unveiled.

20:33 - 22:31 - Goenka explains why students don’t chant.

[nicksalius]

La meditazione sui 5 ostacoli (dal Satipatthana Sutta)

La meditazione è un viaggio interiore che ci permette di esplorare la profondità della nostra mente e del nostro spirito. Nelle seguenti annotazioni dal titolo “La meditazione sui 5 ostacoli (dal Satipatthana Sutta)”, si discute di un antico metodo di meditazione che mira a superare gli ostacoli che comunemente incontriamo nel nostro percorso spirituale. Questi ostacoli, descritti – per l’appunto…

[psychreviews2]

Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization by Bhikkhu Analayo

Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization

For those who have floundered in many different Buddhist traditions and want a solid foundation of Early Buddhist teachings, the following review highlights some of the works of Bhikkhu Analayo who is one of the best scholars of Early Buddhist texts. For this review I’ll focus on what good meditation practice is in this tradition. This will be mainly from Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization.

Bhikkhu Analayo

Bhikkhu Analayo is a Sri Lankan monk from the Amarapura Nikaya monastic fraternity. He was born in Germany in 1962, and ordained as a novice in Sri Lanka in 1995. In 2007 he received the Upasampada which is a marker of him “nearing the ascetic tradition” which is only available for those over 20 years of age. He became known for his work on comparing the Pali and Chinese Buddhist Canon. As instructions change with Buddhist lineages, many practitioners feel that the differences in the texts matter in defining what good practice is. His philosophy is that these early scriptures point to more accuracy and reliability when they agree.

Analayo’s thesis on the Satipatthana Sutta is dense but clearly laid out. Like most meditation manuals of this caliber, it has a lifetime’s worth of practice instructions that help the practitioner understand what good practice actually is. The way to read it is understanding the role of definition and how the differences in definition matter.

The practice of Satipatthana, as defined in the book, requires the establishment of four mental qualities which can be taken to represent the mental faculties of effort, wisdom, mindfulness, and concentration. To develop these qualities requires practicing diligence (effort), to know experiences clearly (wisdom), to be mindful, and to be free from desires and discontent (concentration and equanimity). Here is how it’s broken down:

Diligence

Diligence requires balance. Desire must be cultivated to have it, but the strange situation of creating a desire only to let go of desire seems logically circular. In Buddhism it is well known that you don’t give up desire until the mind naturally gives it up on its own. The mind strains less as the desire is naturally relinquished, but in the meantime, having desire can animate continued practice before the goal is reached.

For the practitioner the book recommends “keeping up one’s contemplation with balanced but dedicated continuity, returning to the object of meditation as soon as it is lost.” For those who have trouble with straining in their meditation I recommend looking at my review of the Anapanasati Sutta where relaxation is balanced with effort. See: The Anapanasati Sutta: https://rumble.com/v1gon6r-the-anapanasati-sutta-4-stages-of-meditation.html

In my experience, being lost in thoughts can feel like a tension bubble and with earlier practice methods there was often too much straining to bring the mind back to the object. As practice matures you can put just enough effort to come back and then resume your continuity. A good goal would be to think when you need to think and then naturally let it drop with an adequate bit of effort that increases or decreases according to how strongly fixated you are. More effort when it is required and less effort if it is enough. As practice deepens, less effort is required.

Clearly knowing

With clear knowing there are a range of definitions which include a presence of deliberateness, awareness of impermanence, and clear knowledge for overcoming unwholesomeness and establishing wholesomeness.

This clear knowing can be viewed as a progression to clearly know the purpose of progress to awakening, to clearly know the suitability of conduct that is careful and dignified, especially for one who is living like a monk or a nun. The third quality is called pasture which relates to the inappropriateness of being distracted by sensuality, compared to the sense-restraint required for the proper pasture of a monk or nun.

As wisdom is developed, clear knowledge starts losing its delusion. The typical description is to have an absence of lust, anger and delusion whereby there is an absence of "pulling in, pushing away, and running around in circles", as Buddhadasa describes. For example, if anyone looks at their addictions there is often a pulling in of what you want, a pushing away of what you don’t want leading to circular results without lasting satisfaction.

Mindfulness

With diligence and clear knowing the practitioner will require mindfulness to remember to come back to the present moment, but also to guard against improper "pastures". See: Emotional Feeding: https://rumble.com/v1gqvl1-emotional-feeding-thanissaro-bhikkhu.html

Mindfulness has this non-interfering quality to clearly observe the building up of reactions and their underlying motives. The book warns that “as soon as one becomes in any way involved in a reaction, the detached observational vantage point is immediately lost.” To me this reminds me of the psychological debate between an outcome orientation versus a learning orientation. When the goal is learning, then success is all around. When the goal is an outcome then the mind gears up to make those preferences happen, often with a lot of mental pressure. Mindfulness is humble with one’s own shortcomings and therefore reduces the energy needed to defend a self-image.

Analayo provides a good description of mindfulness in his book Early Buddhist Meditation Studies:

“Regarding the early Buddhist conception of mindfulness, a point worthy of note is that the instructions for Satipatthana meditation make use of conceptual labels to facilitate recognition. The actual instructions for contemplation of feelings or of states of mind, for example, use direct speech to formulate the conceptual labels to be used when practicing. In the case of a mind with anger, for instance, the task is to know a mind with anger as being 'a mind with anger'. This unmistakably envisions that satipatthana meditation involves the use of concepts. A practice like the labeling technique employed in the Mahasi tradition does in this respect seem to reflect quite well what the early discourses suggest actual practice to have been about.” See: Mental Noting: https://rumble.com/v1grcgx-mindfulness-nirvana.html

Freedom from desires and discontent (equanimity)

When the practitioner develops their skills to this level, they often find themselves absorbed in concentration states with progressively more freedom from desires and discontent leading to calm and contentment. This equanimity along with the prior attributes prepares the practitioner to see the futility of clinging to anything in experience until the mind surrenders the stress at arhatship.

This is represented with clarity in a figure of four cones where the four qualities are applied to all experiences.

In the book, Early Buddhist Meditation Studies, the four cones of the Satipatthana are described as follows:

“Here the body furnishes the material and spatial location 'where' I am, feelings provide the affective or hedonic tone of 'how' I am (in terms of feeling pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral), perceptions supply the conceptual appraisal of 'what' I am experiencing, formations are responsible for 'why' I react to anything that happens (in the way I actually do), and consciousness is that 'whereby' I experience.” Whereby being the cause and effect of what is happening.

Since consciousness is involved in all four cones it is a good reminder to not look at it as a solid place for the self. Look at it more as a “flow of moments of being conscious.”

Bhikkhu Analayo ends his book with his view of the importance of the Satipatthana Sutta and views it as “the direct path to the realization of Nibbana, to the perfection of wisdom, to the highest possible happiness, and to unsurpassable freedom.”

Books:

Early Buddhist Meditation Studies - Bhikkhu Analayo: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781540410504/

Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization - Bhikkhu Analayo: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781899579549/

Mindfulness: Nirvana: https://rumble.com/v1grcgx-mindfulness-nirvana.html

Credits:

Bhikkhu Anālayo By Bhikkhu Analayo, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14907622

A lute being made in a workshop By © Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15104236

Contemplative Practice: http://psychreviews.org/category/contemplativepractice/

[holybookslibrary]

The Power of Mindfulness by Nyuanaponika Thera

The Power of Mindfulness with the subtitle: An Inquiry into the scope of bare attention and the Principal Sources of its strength is a guide for understanding and working with Mindfulness as it is originally described by the Buddha. From the book: By mindfulness or bare attention we understand the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us, at the successive moments of perception. It is called “bare” because it attends to the bare facts of a perception without reacting to them by deed, speech or mental comment. Ordinarily, that Purely receptive state of mind is, as we said, just a very brief phase of the thought process of which one is often scarcely aware. But in the methodical development of mindfulness aimed at the unfolding of its latent powers, bare attention is sustained for as long a time as one’s strength of concentration permits. Bare attention then becomes the key to the meditative practice of Satipatthana, opening the door to mind’s mastery and final liberation Download The Power of Mindfulness PDF-ebook here (69 pages/280 Kb):

 The Power of Mindfulness

What is Satipatthana?

Satipatthāna, often translated as "the establishments of mindfulness" or "the foundations of mindfulness," is one of the principal teachings in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. Derived from the Pali terms "sati" (mindfulness) and "upatthāna" (presence or establishment), it refers to practices that cultivate continuous mindful awareness and deep insight into the true nature of existence. The Satipatthāna Sutta, a key scriptural reference, offers a systematic approach to mindfulness and insight meditation that can lead to the realization of Nibbāna (Nirvana) and the end of suffering. The Four Foundations The Satipatthāna Sutta delineates the practice into four primary domains of mindfulness: - Kāyānupassanā (Mindfulness of the Body): Here, practitioners are instructed to develop a keen awareness of the body, its movements, and its sensations. Activities such as breathing, walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are observed mindfully. Additionally, contemplations on the anatomical components of the body and the bodily decay processes, like the nine cemetery contemplations, are introduced to foster a deeper understanding of the impermanent and non-self nature of the body. - Vedanānupassanā (Mindfulness of Feelings or Sensations): This practice entails observing sensations that arise in the body and mind, whether they are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. By observing these feelings without attachment or aversion, one gains insight into their transient nature and avoids being entangled in craving and clinging. - Cittānupassanā (Mindfulness of the Mind or Consciousness): In this establishment, one observes the mind's states and qualities, such as whether it's greedy, hateful, deluded, concentrated, or liberated. Recognizing these states without judgment allows one to cultivate clarity and understanding of the mind's true nature. - Dhammānupassanā (Mindfulness of Mental Objects or Phenomena): This involves the observation of various mental phenomena, particularly the Five Hindrances (which are obstacles to meditation) and the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. Through meticulous observation, one gains insight into the arising and passing away of these phenomena and their interplay with the mind. The Power of Mindfulness - Purpose and Benefits The primary goal of Satipatthāna practice is to cultivate a clear, uninterrupted awareness of the present moment. By diligently observing the four foundations, practitioners aim to: - Understand the true nature of reality: By closely observing the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena, one gains deep insights into the three characteristics of existence – anicca (impermanence), dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness), and anatta (non-self). - Overcome suffering: A deep realization of the four noble truths, which includes the understanding of suffering, its causes, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation, can be cultivated through Satipatthāna. - Achieve purification of the mind: Continuous mindfulness practice helps eliminate defilements such as greed, hatred, and delusion, leading to a more pure, peaceful, and liberated mind. Practice in Contemporary Times In today's modern world, the practice of Satipatthāna has transcended traditional Theravāda Buddhist settings and has been embraced by people of various backgrounds, religions, and cultures. The universal and transformative aspects of mindfulness have been integrated into diverse fields such as psychology, medicine, and education. Techniques derived from Satipatthāna, like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), have been developed to address various mental and physical health challenges. Conclusion Satipatthāna, at its core, represents the Buddha's practical guide to understanding oneself and the nature of existence. By grounding oneself in the present moment and observing phenomena without attachment, aversion, or delusion, one embarks on a transformative journey towards clarity, peace, and ultimate liberation. Whether practiced in a traditional Buddhist context or adapted for contemporary therapeutic applications, the timeless wisdom of Satipatthāna remains a beacon for those seeking to navigate the complexities of human existence.   Read the full article

[jayantha]

Maggasekha Schedule Returns & Zoom Retreat

My time at Charlotte Buddhist Vihara is over and I’ve moved on. This means a return to regularly scheduled events. Saturday : Insight Timer Session – 3pmSunday : Sutta Reading with the community on Maggasekha Discord – 7pmMonday : Dhammapalooza – 8pmAlso for the first time in almost a year we return to zoom retreats next weekend with Satipatthana :…

[mahayanapilgrim]

The doctrine of impermanence

In the discourse on the mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati sutta) of the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha's instructions are that once the mindfulness is firmly established on breathing in and breathing out, one goes on to meditate on sixteen contemplations divided into four sets or tetrads. The four tetrads correspond to the four foundations of mindfulness described in the Satipatthana sutta.

The first tetrad corresponds to contemplation of the body (kayanupassana)

The second tetrad corresponds to contemplation on feelings (vedananupassana)

The third tetrad corresponds to contemplation of the mind (cittanupassana)

The fourth tetrad corresponds to contemplation on mind objects (dhammanupassana)

In the first three tetrads, the meditator can experience impermanence of the different aspects of breathing as a body (kaya), feelings (vedana) as well as the mind (citta) itself which go through a natural cycle of arising, changing and ceasing. In the fourth tetrad, the disciple continues with breathing in and out mindfully contemplating the nature of impermanence (anicca) itself.

He trains himself "I will breathe in focusing on inconstancy (anicca)"

He trains himself "I will breathe out focusing on inconstancy (anicca)"

Our normal tendency is to identify with our experiences with desire, passion and craving which can lead to mental defilements and suffering. However, having experienced the impermanent nature (anicca) of physical and mental experiences, now the disciple continues with breathing in and out mindfully while maintaining equanimity and letting go of any desire or craving for them (viraga). When the disciple lets go of desire and craving to moment to moment experiences, it leads to a state of peace with the cessation (nirodha) of attachments, mental defilements and suffering.

In the Girimananda sutta, in contemplating on impermanence the Buddha has instructed to contemplate on the impermanence of the five aggregates of clinging.

[yoga-onion]

The Quest for Buddhism (114)

Buddhist cosmology

Anapanasati - "mindfulness of breathing"

Anapanasati (Skt.anapanasmrti), meaning "mindfulness of breathing" that "sati" means mindfulness; "anapana" refers to inhalation and exhalation, paying attention to the breath. It is a type of cessation (samatha meditation Ref) in which consciousness is calmed and focussed by being aware of the in-breath and out-breath (breath), or counting breath. In a broader sense, it moves from there to the observation of the body and includes the area of contemplation (vipassana meditation), which corresponds to the 4 presences of mindfulness (Pali: cattaro satipatthana), that is one of the seven sets of thirty-seven qualities (Ref2).

It is the quintessential form of Buddhist meditation, attributed to Gautama Buddha, and described in several suttas, most notably the Anapanasati Sutta.

Derivations of anapanasati are common to Tibetan, Zen, Tiantai and Theravada Buddhism as well as Western-based mindfulness programs.

仏教の探求 (114)

仏教の宇宙論

安那般那念〜「呼吸の心得」

安那般那念 (あんなはんなねん、巴: ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｻﾃｨ、梵: ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｽﾘﾑﾃｨ)とは、「呼吸の心得」を意味する、呼吸に注意を向ける瞑想法である。「サティ」は心得、「アーナーパーナ」は入出息 (呼吸)を意味する。息を吸ったり吐いたりすること（呼吸）を意識すること、または息を数えることによって意識を静め、集中させるサマタ瞑想 (止行:参照)の一種、ないしは導入的な一段階を意味するが、広義には、そこから身体の観察へと移行していき、四念処 (しねんじょ、巴:ﾁｬｯﾀｰﾛｰ･ｻﾃｨﾊﾟｯﾀｰﾅｰ)に相当するヴィパッサナー瞑想 (観行)の領域も含む。四念処 (しねんじょ) とは、仏教における悟りのための4種の観想法の総称で、三十七道品（参照2）の中の1つ。

仏教の瞑想の真髄であり、ゴータマ・ブッダのものとされ、安般念経 (あんはんなねんきょう、巴: ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｻﾃｨ･ｽｯﾀ) をはじめとするいくつかの経典に記述されている。

チベット仏教、禅宗、天台宗、上座部仏教、西洋のマインドフルネスプログラムに共通するのは、安那般那念 (あんなはんなねん、巴: ｱｰﾅｰﾊﾟｰﾅ･ｻﾃｨ) が由来している。

[knowingovert]

The origins of mindfulness meditation:

The origins of mindfulness meditation: The practice of mindfulness meditation has ancient roots, tracing back to various contemplative traditions and wisdom teachings. Understanding its historical and cultural context sheds light on its development and significance. Here is a rewritten version: Mindfulness meditation has a rich and diverse history that spans across different contemplative traditions and cultures. Its origins can be found in ancient wisdom teachings and practices that have been passed down through generations. The roots of mindfulness meditation can be traced back to the teachings of spiritual leaders and philosophers who emphasized the importance of present moment awareness and introspection. In particular, the practice found deep roots in Buddhist traditions, where it was considered a fundamental aspect of spiritual development and a path to liberation from suffering. The ancient Buddhist scriptures, such as the Satipatthana Sutta, provide detailed instructions on mindfulness meditation techniques and its application in daily life. These teachings were refined and passed down through various Buddhist lineages, influencing the development of mindfulness meditation as it is known today. Over time, mindfulness meditation spread beyond the boundaries of Buddhism and became integrated into other contemplative traditions, such as Hinduism and Taoism. Different cultures and regions embraced mindfulness in their own unique ways, blending it with their existing practices and beliefs. In recent decades, mindfulness meditation has gained widespread recognition and popularity in secular contexts. Its benefits have been extensively studied and validated by scientific research, leading to its incorporation in various therapeutic approaches and wellness programs. The origins of mindfulness meditation reveal its universal appeal and the timeless wisdom it embodies. It serves as a bridge between ancient wisdom and contemporary life, offering a pathway to self-discovery, inner peace, and a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us.

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[sophiaepsiche]

Rimozione o trascendenza?

‘La pratica del ‘chi sono io’ e di allontanare i pensieri psicologici non li spinge nell’inconscio, non potrebbe risultare in una rimozione?’

‘E c’eri Tu che mi mettevi nuovamente di fronte a me stesso e costringevi i miei occhi a guardare dentro me stesso affinché scoprissi e odiassi la mia malvagità’ (Sant’Agostino)

La risposta breve è no, perché la domanda ‘chi sono?’ (o ‘chi percepisce?’ o ‘chi sente?’) ha l’effetto di spingere l’attenzione indietro, cioè dentro, e non in avanti, o fuori, o su altri oggetti mentali. Torno ad usare lo stesso disegno usato più volte, scusandomi per la monotonia, ma se abbiamo bene in mente la direzione che deve prendere l’attenzione, è tutto più facile. Anche altri lettori mi avevano segnalato questo dubbio sul fatto che allontanare i pensieri psicologici potesse mandarli nell’inconscio a prescindere ma, in realtà, dipende da che parte siamo con l’attenzione.

Il concetto è che se ci spingiamo fuori o altrove con l’attenzione, i pensieri diventano subconsci (vedi C). Il che non vuol dire che ci sia davvero una rimozione, ma che rimangono a far rumore in sottofondo perché non sono ascoltati da noi. Rimangono ignorati (il termine psicologico ‘rimozione’ indica un tentativo maldestro di rimozione e non un’effettiva rimozione).  Se, al contrario, siamo talmente dentro di noi  con l’attenzione (vedi A),  da superare i pensieri del tutto e vederli svanire, vuol dire che siamo divenuti pienamente consci. Quest’ultima è trascendenza e  la prima è ‘rimozione’. Sono i due estremi opposti.

Ora, tra i due estremi c’è una via di mezzo, ed è quella che capita quando non riusciamo a fare un passo indietro tanto forte da trascendere i contenuti. Se siamo in questa posizione (vedi B), siamo a confronto con la nostra interiorità e dobbiamo imparare cosa vuol dire davvero ‘meditare’. Dobbiamo sviluppare la capacità di stare abbastanza indietro da poterla osservare senza rimanerci impigliati: se partecipiamo attivamente non stiamo meditando, se riusciamo ad essere distaccati ed osservarla, per quanto non sarà piacevole o pacifico come vorremmo, stiamo già meditando. 

L’osservazione distaccata rende consci i contenuti e matura discernimento sulle loro dinamiche, favorendo un maggiore distacco, un ulteriore passo indietro, che ci aiuterà in futuro. Un meditante molto esperto, grazie ad un distacco già ben nutrito, può avere allora più successo e posizionarsi così bene dentro di sé da veder svanire tutto. Questo è lo scopo dell’atma vichara, del ‘chi sono io?’

Il chiedersi ‘chi pensa?’ ‘chi sta percependo?’ o ‘chi sono’ è un antichissimo ‘trucco’ per mettersi dalla parte giusta, dalla parte della consapevolezza. È un modo per fare l’essenziale passo indietro, che ci permette di conoscere noi stessi. Non è stato consigliato solo dal nostro Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, ma anche da Socrate, era già presente nelle Upanishad, così com’è consigliato nel Buddhismo. A tal riguardo, citerei che nei commentari del Satipatthana Sutta (il sermone del Buddha sulla presenza mentale) “si fa notare che porsi la domanda “chi sente?” segna il passaggio dal semplice provare una sensazione al contemplarla”, e che “lo scopo di questa forma di investigazione è superare l’idea di un io che sente” (Bhikku Analayo)*. 

È un’indagine attiva che scioglie l’ego perché lo smaschera. Per chi avesse il dubbio che questa pratica sia in via positiva e non in via negativa, rasserenatevi, è sicura ed è in via negativa. Non aggiunge niente, non è posta per trovare una risposta concettuale ma per posizionarsi nella consapevolezza e ‘per dissolvere colui che pone la domanda’ (Bhagavan Ramana). Ovviamente, c’è anche chi impara a fare questo passo indietro senza chiedersi nulla, gli basta solo il ricordo di praticare o di porre dentro l’attenzione. Se capite in cosa consiste la pratica, non c’è bisogno di chiedervi nulla. È utile invece per chi, ad oggi, non ha ancora capito come praticare, come andare dentro e conoscersi. 

L’altra istruzione geniale di Bhagavan è quella di rimanere nel senso di ‘io’, in ciò che crediamo essere noi stessi, nel ‘pensiero io’. Un modo eccellente per stabilizzarci nel silenzio, sempre allo scopo di rimuovere, una volta per tutte, la radicata convinzione che ci sia un io individuale in noi. Se riusciamo a rimanere in noi così profondamente, stiamo praticando l’atma nishta, il ‘dimorare in sé’ per i non duali, il ‘samadhi’ degli yogi, il ‘dimorare indipendente’ dei Buddhisti, lo stato contemplativo dei mistici ecc.

Non vorrei però delineare tanto una differenza nella pratica, quanto nei risultati della pratica. Deve essere chiaro che è solo a seconda dell’esperienza e del discernimento del praticante che ci sarà differenza tra i risultati. A volte dipende anche dal momento che si sta vivendo, dalla sfida che stiamo affrontando. Se gli input sono troppo travolgenti possono destabilizzarci temporaneamente, anche se siamo già esperti praticanti. Non ci sconfortiamo mai! Nel caso che ci troviamo in mezzo alla mente, al corpo, alle sensazioni e ai pensieri, applicheremo la meditazione, se siamo così dentro da trascenderli sarà silenzio. 

Il silenzio può esserci anche sin da subito, con dei picchi d’attenzione intensa, per brevi momenti, e poi, nel corso della pratica costante, si stabilizza sempre più; rendendo necessario un impegno sempre meno arduo per restarci. Ritornare nel pensiero sarà gradualmente meno penoso perché il distacco si stabilizzerà e  non aggrappandoci a nulla non nascerà l’ego né il pensiero psicologico. Ci saranno pensieri ‘puliti’, semplici. Qualora vi ricapitasse di formare quelli psicologici, però, non vi abbattete e ricominciate! Capita a tutti noi!

Il punto essenziale è che bisogna aver pazienza e stare dentro di noi il più possibile, a prescindere dai risultati. Se ragioniamo così: ‘che caos dentro di me, non riesco a meditare’ e smettiamo, è un grave errore. Se ci offriamo al caos e lo studiamo, ce ne distacchiamo sempre più e sviluppiamo saggezza. Ed è lei la nostra salvezza. ‘È la verità che rende liberi, non il nostro sforzo di essere liberi’ (J.Krishnamurti). Restiamo dentro e impariamo! 

D’altro canto, non dobbiamo fare neanche l’errore opposto: ‘c’è silenzio, sto mandando tutto nell’inconscio’. No, no, se stiamo dentro non c’è alcun errore. Restiamo il più possibile in quel silenzio, che è il nostro stato naturale. Non stiamo rimuovendo nulla ma trascendendo tutto. Se devo essere proprio sincera, questo è un dubbio teorico, non si pone se praticate davvero, perché la differenza tra la rimozione e la trascendenza è immensa e palpabile.

Chiarito questo, vorrei cogliere l’occasione per specificare che ciò di cui parliamo è ben diverso dal tentativo di manipolare l’inconscio volutamente, di sostituire i contenuti, di cui si sente parlare spesso oggi. Nonostante la sostituzione possa avere dei risultati psicologici, è un escamotage temporaneo, che non ha molto a che fare con la meditazione. Nella conoscenza di sé, si riconosce appieno la perfetta funzione naturale che il subconscio svolge, la si rispetta, la si onora e la si sfrutta.

In mancanza di comprensione delle dinamiche, l’inconscio si presenta come un meccanismo ripetitivo, questo a primo acchito può far sembrare l’inconscio stupido e manipolabile, mentre stupido è l’atteggiamento dei detentori dell’inconscio, di per sé perfetto. 

Siamo noi ad essere più o meno consci e consapevoli, non l’inconscio. L’inconscio non è una ‘cosa’, è la nostra ignoranza su di noi. L’ignoranza presenta ciclicamente i suoi effetti, esterni ed interni, a causa della nostra ostinata noncuranza nel conoscere noi stessi. La cosa essenziale per superare una dinamica è capirla, conoscendola, e non sostituirla con un altro ‘contenuto’ o ‘messaggio’, più piacevole. La dinamica che si ripresenta non è casuale, è quella che ci serve! Spesso è proprio quella che ha mostrato, in passato, di avere il maggior potenziale di riportarci indietro e puntare l’attenzione dentro. 

La funzione dell’inconscio è di tentare senza tregua di rendersi conscio, in un modo o nell’altro. Direi, letteralmente, a tutti i costi. Possiede un enorme potere proiettivo, sostituire o manipolare non è la scelta più saggia.

Anche se la dinamica che ripresenta non è piacevole, va conosciuta e, così, adempiendo al dovere che aveva di riportarci indietro, si scioglie. L’inconscio non è né un mostro stupido, né un mostro cattivo. La spiacevolezza dei contenuti è dovuta alla nostra negligenza a dar attenzione alle dinamiche penose, che vogliamo ‘ignorare’ e ‘sostituire’. Questo crea il destino sfavorevole dell’uomo, fa sì che la ‘via del dolore’, non obbligatoria di per sé, diventi la via prediletta dalla nostra specie e le conseguenze esterne di questo atteggiamento le vediamo sempre meglio. Per evitare la ‘via del dolore’, almeno in termini individuali, una volta sciolta una problematica, invece di ricominciare ad ignorare la nostra interiorità, dobbiamo continuare a conoscerla con sempre maggiore intensità, così da renderla pienamente conscia. E questo vuol dire diventare praticanti spirituali. 

Solo così porteremo a compimento l’evoluzione interiore dell’uomo e il suo fine più alto. È più impegnativo ma porta alla sublimazione della psiche e alla scoperta di una pace profonda. Nel silenzio e nella vacuità, sede non del nulla ma dell’infinito potenziale, dissiperemo l’ignoranza definitivamente e porteremo in essere il meglio dell’uomo. 

Vista in quest’ottica, l’unica ‘sostituzione’ veramente efficace è da cercarsi nella lettura degli insegnamenti dei veri saggi, che hanno un impatto profondo in noi e ci indicano la via da seguire.

Più ci conosciamo, più conosciamo la via, lo scopo e i funzionamenti della vita interiore ed esterna. Più progrediamo, meno saremo inclini a sostituire o a manipolare questo impeccabile dono di natura, che vuole portarci a fare il nostro dovere, per sbarazzarci una volta per tutte della violenza, della divisione e delle risposte più arretrate e malvagie della nostra specie.

Rileggete la citazione di Sant’Agostino adesso e gustate la sacralità e la perfezione di questo impeccabile dono. Comprendetene l’enorme potenziale creativo o distruttivo ed ‘usatelo’ con cautela, rispetto e gratitudine, per il bene vostro e dell’intera umanità.

Citazioni da ‘Satipatthana - Il cammino diretto’ (pag 190) di Bhikku Analayo, puoi scaricarlo gratuitamente qui

Leggi anche ‘La comprensione della mente’,   puoi scaricarlo gratuitamente qui

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