Vipassana = Satipattāna

Equally as essential as the Buddha’s first sermon—the Dharma-chakra-pavattāna (The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dharma or Promulgation of the Law Discourse, the Sermon in the Deer Park at Sarnath, the main topic of which is the Four Noble Truths and the concepts of the Middle Way, Impermanence, and Dependent Origination) is the Satipattāna Sutta (The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Awareness). I just returned from an eight-day digital fast, during which I attended a Vipassana meditation course focused on this sutta/sutra/sermon/discourse. Following is a very abridged synopsis and transcription of the words of the Buddha.

The reality of the body may be imagined by contemplation but, to experience it directly, one must work with vedanā (body sensations) arising within it. Similarly, the actual experience of the mind is attained by working with the contents of the mind. Therefore, in the same way as body & sensations cannot be experienced separately, the mind cannot be observed apart from the contents of the mind.

Mind & matter are so closely interrelated that the contents of the mind always manifest themselves as sensations in the body. For this reason, the Buddha said: “Vedanā-samosaranā sabbe dhammā” (Everything that arises in the mind flows together with sensations). Therefore, observation of sensations offers a means—indeed the only means—to examine the totality of our being, physical as well as mental.

There are four dimensions to our nature: the body and its sensations, and the mind and its contents. These provide four avenues for the establishing of awareness in sattipatthāna. In order that the observation be complete, we must experience every facet, which we can only do by means of vedanā… In the same way, to come out of delusion about the world outside, we must explore how the outside world interacts with our own mind-and-matter phenomenon, our own self…every contact of the outside world is at the body level (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind being the six sense doors)…

Whenever we encounter an object through the five physical senses or the mind, a sensation arises and, based on the sensation, tanhā (craving) arises. If the sensation is pleasant, we crave to prolong it; if it is unpleasant, we crave to be rid of it. It is in the chain of Dependent Origination (paticca-samuppāda) that the Buddha expressed his profound discovery: Dependent on the six sense-spheres, contact arises. Dependent on contact, sensation arises. Dependent on sensation, craving arises.

Merely to feel the sensations within is not enough to remove our delusions. It is essential to understand that ti-lakkhanā (three characteristics) of all phenomena. We must directly experience anicca (impermanence), dukkha (suffering), and anatta (selflessness) within ourselves.

The Buddha always stressed the importance of anicca because the realization of the other two will easily follow when we experience deeply the characteristic of impermanence. In the Meghiya Sutta of the Udāna he said: “In one, Meghiya, who perceives impermanence, the perception of selflessness is established. One who perceives what is selfless wins the uprooting of the pride of egotism in this very life, and thus realizes nibbana (nirvana, the extinguishing of the passions, the ‘blowing out’ or ‘quenching’ of the activity of the grasping mind and its related unease).”

This experience of anicca as it manifests in the mind & body is also called vipassana. The practice of vipassana is the same as the practice of satipattāna, whose essence is; 1. One dwells observing the phenomenon of arising; 2. one observes the phenomenon of passing away; 3. one dwells observing the phenomenon of arising and passing away. Unless these three levels of anicca are experienced, we will not develop pañña (wisdom)—the equanimity based on the experience of impermanence—which leads to detachment and liberation. Therefore, in order to practice any of the four-fold satipattāna, we have to develop the constant thorough understanding (sampajañña) of impermanence.

The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Awareness

Buddha said: This is the one & only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow & lamentation, for the extinguishing of suffering & grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realization of nibbana: that is to say, the fourfold establishing of awareness.

Which four? Here, monks, a monk dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing body in body,* having removed craving & aversion towards the world [of mind & matter}; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing sensations in sensations,* having removed craving & aversion towards the world [“]; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing mind in mind,* having removed craving & aversion towards the world [“]; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing mental contents in mental contents,” having removed craving & aversion towards the world [“]…*directly experiential, rather than dealing only with thought, imagination or contemplation of object

Thus he develops his awareness to such an extent that there is mere understanding along with mere awareness.* In this way he dwells detached, without clinging towards anything in the world [“]. *The mind of the meditator at this stage is absorbed in the wisdom of anicca (the arising and passing away of sensations), with no identification beyond this awareness. With the base of this awareness he develops understanding with his own experience. This is pañña (wisdom). With his awareness thus established in anicca, there is no attraction to the world of mind & matter…One proceeds from simple experience to understanding based on direct experience, up to thorough & constant understanding of the impermanence, at the level of sensations, of each & every experience.

And what, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering? It is this craving that occurs again & again, and is bound up with pleasure & lust, and finds delight now here, now there. That is, the craving for sensual pleasures, the craving for repeated rebirth, and the craving for annihilation.

But where does this craving, monks, arise and where does it get established? Wherever in the world [“] there is something enticing & pleasurable, there this craving arises and gets established.

But what in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable? The eye…the ear…the nose…the tongue…the body…and the mind in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

Visible objects, material forms in the world [“]…Sounds…Smells…Tastes…Touch…and the contents of the mind in the world [“] are enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

The eye consciousness…ear consciousness…nose consciousness…tongue consciousness…body consciousness…and mind consciousness in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

The sensation arising from the eye-contact…from the ear-contact…from the nose-contact…from the tongue-contact…from the body-contact…and from the mind-contact in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

The perception of visible objects, of material forms…of sounds…of smells…of tastes…of touch…of mental contents in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

The mental reaction to visible objects…to sounds…to smells…to tastes…to touch…to mind objects, mental contents in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.The craving after visible objects…after sounds…after smells…after tastes…after touch…after mind-objects, mental contents in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

The thought conception of visible objects…of sounds…of smells…of tastes…of touch…of mind-objects, mental contents in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

The rolling in thoughts of visible objects…of sounds…of smells…of tastes…of touch…of mind objects, mental contents in the world [“] is enticing & pleasurable; there this craving arises and gets established.

This, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering.

And what, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering? It is the complete fading away and cessation of this very craving, forsaking it and giving it up; the liberation from it, leaving no place for it. But where may this craving, monks, be eradicated? where may it be extinguished? Wherever in the world [“] there is something enticing & pleasurable; there this craving may be eradicated & extinguished.

The objects of sight, the material forms…the sounds…the smells…the tastes…touch…and the contents of mind in the world [“]…The eye-consciousness…the ear-consciousness…the nose-consciousness…the tongue-consciousness…the body-consciousness…and the mind-consciousness…The eye-contact…the ear-contact…the nose-contact…the tongue-contact…the body-contact…and the mind-contact…The sensation that arises from the eye-contact [etc]…The perception of visible objects [etc]…The perception of visible objects [etc]…The mental reaction towards visible objects [etc]…The craving after visible objects [etc]…The thought-conception of visible objects [etc]…The rolling in thoughts of visible objects [etc] in the world [of mind & matter] is enticing and pleasurable; there this craving may be eradicated & extinguished.

This, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.

And what, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering? It is this, the Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration.

Right Understanding: the knowledge of the arising of suffering…the cessation of suffering…and the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

Right Thought: Thoughts of renunciation, thoughts that are free from aversion, and thoughts that are free from violence.

Right Speech: Abstaining from lying, from slander & backbiting, from harsh words, and from frivolous talk.

Right Action: Abstaining from killing, from taking what has not been given, and from sexual misconduct.

Right Livelihood: Here, monks, a noble disciple, havin given up wrong ways of livelihood, earns his livelihood by right means.

Right Effort: Here, monks, a monk generates the will to prevent the arising of unarisen evil, unwholesome mental states; he makes strong effort, stirs up his energy, applies his mind to it and strives. To eradicate those evil, unwholesome mental states that have arisen in him…To develop wholesome mental states that have not yet arisen in him…and to maintain wholesome mental states that have arisen in him, not to let them fade away, to multiply them and bring them to full maturity and to full development, he generates willl, makes strong effort, stirs up his energy, applies his mind to it and strives. This, monks, is called Right Effort.

Right Awareness: Here, monks, a monk dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing body in body…sensations in sensations…mind in mind…and mental contents in mental contents, having removed craving & aversion towards the world [of mind & matter]. This, monks, is called Right Awareness.

Right Concentration: Here, monks, a monk, detached from craving, detached from unwholesome mental states, enters into the first absorption, born of detachment, accompanied by initial & sustained application of the mind, and filled with rapture & bliss, and he dwells therein.

With the subsiding of initial & sustained application of the mind, and gaining inner tranquility and oneness of mind, he enters into the second absorption, born of concentratIon, free from initial & sustained application of the mind, filled with rapture & bliss, and he dwells therein.

After the fading away of rapture, he dwells in equanimity, aware with constant thorough understanding of impermanence, and he experiences in his body the bliss of which the noble ones say: “That bliss is experienced by one with equanimity & awareness.” Thus he enters the third absorption and dwells therein.

After the eradication of pleasure & pain, and with joy & grief having previously passed away, he enters into a state beyond pleasure & pain, the fourth absorption, that is totally purified by equanimity & awareness, and he dwells therein. This, monks, is called Right Concentration.

This, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.

Thus he dwells, observing mental contents in mental contents internally, or…externally, or…both internally and externally. Thus he dwells, observing the phenomenon of arising in the mental contents…of passing away in the mental contents…of arising and passing away in the mental contents. Now his awareness is established: “These are mental contents!” Thus he develops his awareness to such an extent that there is mere understanding along with mere awareness. In this way he dwells detached, without clinging towards anything in the world [of mind & matter]. This is how, monks, a monk dwells observing mental contents in mental contents as regards the Four Noble Truths.

Indeed, monks, whoever practices this fourfold establishing of awareness in this manner for seven years [or, depending on one’s capacity, for as little as] seven days, one of two results may be expected in him: in this very life highest wisdom or, if a substratum of aggregates remains, the stage of non-returner.

It is for this reason that it was said: “This is the one & only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow & lamentation, for the extinguishing of suffering & grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realization of nibbāna: that is to say, the fourfold establishing of awareness.”

Thus the Enlightened One spoke. Glad in heart, the monks welcomed the words of the Enlightened One.

The End of the Mahāsatipattāna Sutta