The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness) is one of the most important discourses of the Buddha in the Pāli Canon (specifically, Majjhima Nikāya 10, with an expanded version in Dīgha Nikāya 22, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta).
It is considered the primary text for instruction on the practice of mindfulness ({sati}) and is explicitly stated as:
"This is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true way, for the realization of Nibbāna."
The core of the sutta is the detailed description of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna):
1. Contemplation of the Body ({Kāyānupassanā})
This foundation involves being mindful of the body in various aspects to develop clear awareness of its nature as impermanent and not a permanent self. Practices include:
- Mindfulness of Breathing ({Ānāpānasati}): Observing the breath as it goes in and out, long or short.
- Mindfulness of Postures: Being aware of the body's position—walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.
- Clear Comprehension ({Sampajañña}): Being aware of all daily activities (eating, speaking, etc.).
- Reflecting on the Body's Impurities: Meditating on the body's anatomical parts.
- Contemplating the Elements: Discerning the body as made up of the four elements (earth, water, fire, air).
- Cemetery Contemplations: Observing the stages of a decaying corpse to reinforce the understanding of impermanence.
2. Contemplation of Feelings ({Vedanānupassanā})
This involves clearly observing all feelings ({vedanā}) as they arise, without judgment or reaction. Feelings are categorized as:
- Pleasant ({sukha})
- Unpleasant ({dukkha})
- Neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant (Neutral) ({adukkhamasukha})
The practice is to be aware of the feeling, whether it is worldly or spiritual, and to notice its arising and passing away.
3. Contemplation of Mind ({Cittānupassanā})
This is the practice of observing the various states of mind ({citta}) as they arise and pass away. The monk is aware if the mind is:
- With lust or without lust
- With hatred or without hatred
- With delusion or without delusion
- Concentrated or scattered
- Developed or undeveloped, etc.
The key is to simply recognize the state of the mind non-reactively.
4. Contemplation of Mental Qualities/Objects ({Dhammānupassanā})
This involves applying mindfulness to the fundamental teachings and phenomena ({dhamma}) that govern experience. The meditator observes how these qualities manifest in their own experience. This includes mindfulness of:
- The Five Hindrances (unskillful mental states to be overcome: sensual desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, doubt).
- The Five Aggregates of Clinging (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness).
- The Six Sense Bases (eye/form, ear/sound, nose/odor, tongue/taste, body/touch, mind/mental object).
- The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (mindfulness, investigation of phenomena, energy, rapture, tranquility, concentration, equanimity).
- The Four Noble Truths (suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering).
In summary, the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta provides a comprehensive manual for the development of mindfulness in every aspect of life, leading to insight into the nature of reality and ultimately, to liberation.