Mindfulness

What are The Four Foundations of Mindfulness?

Extract from chapter 6 of Introduction to the Buddhist Scriptures (not yet published in print)

The Four Applications of Mindfulness

We read in the "Kindred Sayings" (V, Maha-vagga, Book III, Kindred Sayings on the Applications of Mindfulness, Ch I, 1 Ambapali) that the Buddha, while he was staying at Vesali, in Ambapali's Grove, said to the monks:

This, monks, is the sole way that leads to the purification of beings, to the utter passing beyond sorrow and grief, to the destruction of woe and lamentation, to the winning of the Method 1 , to realizing Nibbana, to wit: the four applications of mindfulness. What four? Herein, a monk dwells, as regards body (as transient), having overcome, in the world, covetousness and grief. He dwells, as regards feelings... as regards cittas... as regards dhammas, contemplating dhammas (as transient), ardent, composed and mindful, having overcome, in the world, covetousness and grief. This, monks, is the sole way that leads to the purification of beings, to the utter passing beyond sorrow and grief, to the destruction of woe and lamentation, to the winning of the Method, to realizing Nibbana, to wit: the four applications of mindfulness.

The four Applications of Mindfulness are: Mindfulness of Body, including all rupas, Mindfulness of Feeing, Mindfulness of Citta and Mindfulness of Dhammas. "Dhammas" include here all realities which are not classified under the first three Applications of Mindfulness; they are realities classified under different aspects, such as the akusala cetasikas which are the five "hindrances", the sobhana cetasikas which are the factors of enlightenment, the realities which are classified as the five khandhas or as the ayatanas, "sense-fields", or the four noble Truths. Thus, the four Applications of Mindfulness contain all realities which appear through the six doors of the senses and the mind and which can be objects of mindfulness. Whatever reality appears at the present moment can be object of mindfulness and right understanding.

The development of right understanding of realities, satipatthana, is the essence of the Buddha's teaching. The four Applications of Mindfulness have been explained in detail in the "Satipatthana sutta"(Middle Length Sayings I, no 10) and the "Maha-satipatthana sutta"(Dialogues of the Buddha II, no. 22), but also many other parts of the scriptures contain expositions of the teaching of satipatthana. Moreover, even when satipatthana is not explicitly mentioned, it is implied, because it is the only way leading to the eradication of defilements, which is the goal of the Buddha's teachings.

When one reads about the monk who "dwells contemplating" body, feelings, cittas and dhammas, one may think that one has to sit and meditate about the objects of satipatthana. We read in the "Book of Analysis" (Ch 7, Analysis of the Foundation of Mindfulness, 195) a word exposition of "contemplating" and "dwells":

"Contemplating" means: Therein what is contemplation? That which is wisdom, understanding, absence of dullness, truth investigation, right view. This is called contemplation. Of this contemplation he is possessed, well possessed, attained, well attained, endowed, well endowed, furnished. Therefore this is called "contemplating". "Dwells" means: Assumes the four postures, exists, protects, keeps going, maintains, turns about, dwells. Therefore this is called "dwells".

As we see, "dwells" does not refer only to sitting, but to the four postures, namely, walking, sitting, standing and lying down. In daily life these four postures are assumed time and again. Thus, he "dwells contemplating" means: it is his habit to be aware in his daily life of the realities included in the "Four Applications of Mindfulness".

We read in the above quoted sutta: "having overcome in the world covetousness and grief". The "Book of Analysis", in the same section, explains the meaning of the "world":

This same body is the world, also the five khandhas (as objects) of the attachments are the world.

The "world" includes all conditioned realities, namas and rupas, which appear through the six doors. At the moment of mindfulness one is not attached to objects, there is no covetousness, nor is there grief or aversion. When there is mindfulness of whatever object presents itself, be it pleasant or unpleasant, there is no wish to flee from it or to go to a quiet place. However, some people feel that they are overwhelmed by defilements, especially when they are occupied with their daily tasks. They believe that they should calm the mind first before they develop vipassana 5. They wonder whether they should not apply the Buddha's advice to dwell at the roots of a tree. It is true that we read for example in the "Middle Length Sayings" (I, no. 8, Discourse on Expunging) that the Buddha, while he was staying near Savatthi, in the Jeta Grove, taught Dhamma to Cunda and after that said:

...These, Cunda, are the roots of trees, these are empty places. Meditate, Cunda; do not be slothful; be not remorseful later. This is our instruction to you.

The Buddha spoke such words to monks. The monk should not be attached to the company of people, he should live like an arahat. The Buddha did not tell all monks to live in the forest because forest life is not suitable for everyone; one has to endure hardship and discomfort. Those who had accumulations for living in the forest and for developing samatha, tranquil meditation, could do so, but the Buddha did not lay down any rule as to mental development. Some people had accumulated the skill and inclination to develop both samatha and vipassana, whereas others developed only vipassana. In the same sutta the Buddha explained to Cunda about the attainment of jhana, the result of the development of samatha:

The situation occurs, Cunda, when a monk here, aloof from pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, may enter on and abide in the first jhana which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought 6, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful. It may occur to him: "I fare along by expunging." But these, Cunda, are not called expungings in the discipline for an ariyan; these are called "abidings in ease here-now" in the discipline for an ariyan.

The attainment of jhana brings only temporary freedom from defilements, not the eradication of them. The Buddha spoke in a similar way about the higher stages of jhana. After that the Buddha explained about restraint from all kinds of vices and defilements, about the development of wholesome qualities and the development of the eightfold Path. He taught the "disquisition on expunging...the disquisition on utter quenching". Through samatha defilements can be temporarily subdued, wheras through insight they can eventually be completely eradicated.

There are many misunderstandings about the development of samatha. People want to have a peaceful mind, but they do not realize that this is attachment. They do not want to have aversion and worry, but they are ignorant of the disadvantages of attachment. It is attachment which conditions aversion. Even jhana can be an object of clinging. We read in the "Middle Length Sayings" (III, 113, Discourse on the Good Man) that the Buddha, while he was staying near Savatthi, in the Jeta Grove, spoke to the monks about dhamma of good men and dhamma of bad men. The "bad man" is proud of the fact that he is of a high family, of his fame, of the monk's requisites he obtains. He exalts himself and disparages others because of these things, whereas the good man thinks of the goal of dhamma, does not exalt himself and does not disparage others. The bad man is proud of having heard much (of the teachings), of being an expert in Vinaya, a speaker on dhamma, a forest dweller, and he is proud of having attained jhana. We read:

And again, monks, a bad man, aloof from pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, enters on and abides in the first jhana which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful. He reflects thus: "I am an acquirer of the attainment of the first jhana, but these other monks are not acquirers of the attainment of the first jhana." He exalts himself for that attainment of the first jhana, disparages the others. This too, monks, is dhamma of a bad man. But a good man, monks, reflects thus: "Lack of desire even for the attainment of the first jhana has been spoken of by the Lord; for whatever they imagine it to be, it is otherwise." He, having made lack of desire itself the main thing, neither exalts himself on account of that attainment of the first jhana nor disparages others. This, too, monks, is dhamma of a good man...

The same is stated about the higher stages of jhana. The bad man who attains the highest stage of immaterial jhana , the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception exalts himself and disparages others. He cannot attain arahatship. The good man who attains the highest stage of immaterial jhana is intent on detachment, he is not proud of his attainment. We read further on that the Buddha said:

And again, monks, a good man, by passing quite beyond the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters on and abides in the stopping of perception and feeling 9; and when he has seen by means of wisdom his cankers are caused to be destroyed. And, monks, this monk does not imagine he is aught or anywhere or in anything....

This monk, who is a good man, will not be reborn, he has reached the end of the cycle of birth and death. When someone has accumulated the skill and the inclination to develop samatha to the degree of jhana, he should not take jhanacitta for self and he should have no desire for jhana. When jhanacitta arises it does so dependant on the appropriate conditions. He can be mindful of it in order to see it as it is, as non-self.

For the development of jhana many conditions have to be fulfilled and one should know which are impediments to jhana. We read in the "Gradual Sayings" (V, Book of the Tens, Ch VIII, 2, The thorn) that the Buddha was staying near Vesali in Great Grove, at the House with the Peaked Roof, together with a number of senior monks. A crowd of Licchavis who were riding in their cars made a great noise, dashing into Great Wood to visit the Lord. The monks who were staying with the Buddha remembered that the Buddha had said that noise is an obstacle to jhana, and therefore they retreated to Gosinga Wood where they would be free from noise and crowds. The Buddha asked the other monks where those senior monks were gone and then they gave him the reason for their departure. The Buddha said to them:

Well said! Well said, monks! Those who should assert what those great disciples have asserted would rightly do so. Indeed, monks, I have said that noise is a thorn to jhana . There are these ten thorns. What ten? To one who delights in seclusion delight in society is a thorn. To one devoted to concentration on the mark of the foul , concentration on the fair is a thorn. To one guarding the doors of the sense-faculties the sight of shows is a thorn. To the Brahma-life consorting with women is a thorn. To the first jhana sound is a thorn; to the second jhana applied thought and sustained thought ; to the third zest ; to the fourth jhana in-breathing and out-breathing is a thorn . To the attainment of the stopping of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are a thorn. Lust, malice and delusion are thorns. So, monks, do you abide thornless, do you abide thorn-removers, do you abide thornless thorn-removers. Monks, the thornless are arahats, the thornless thorn-removers are arahats.

In this sutta the Buddha speaks about conditions for different stages of jhana, and after that he reminds the monks that attachment, aversion and ignorance are hindrances. He reminds them to become people without defilements, namely arahats. The way leading to the eradication of defilements is satipatthana.

We read in the sutta that sound is a "thorn" to jhana. Sound is not an obstacle to the development of insight. Someone may find a loud noise distracting from awareness of nama and rupa, but he forgets that sound can be object of awareness. He did not choose to hear such a sound, it just arose because of the appropriate conditions and it was the right time for kamma to produce the vipakacitta which heard that sound. We never know what object will present itself at a particular moment, realities do not belong to a self, they are beyond control. When we hear a loud noise aversion may arise, and that is another reality which arises because of conditions; there can be awareness of its characteristic so that it can be realized as non-self. We would like to ignore akusala, but we should face it with mindfulness and right understanding. If we are not mindful of akusala we will continue to take it for self and it will never be eradicated.

We read in the "Maha-satipatthana sutta" (Dialogues of the Buddha, XXII) in the section on the fourth Application of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Dhammas, that the monk has to see dhammas in dhammas. We read that he has to see "dhammas in dhammas from the point of view of the five hindrances". These are the defilements of sensuous desire, ill-will or anger, sloth and torpor, agitation and worry, and doubt. He has to realize it when there is sensuous desire in him and when he has no sensuous desire, and it is the same with the other hindrances. We read:

...So does he, as to dhammas, continue to consider them, both internally or externally, or internally and externally together. He ever considers how a dhamma is something that comes to be, again he ever considers how a dhamma is something that passes away, or he ever considers their coming to be with their passing away....

Whenever defilements arise they should be seen as dhammas, conditioned realities. We read in the above-quoted sutta that a monk should consider the origination and passing away of dhammas, he should see the impermanence of conditioned dhammas. What falls away immediately cannot be owned by a self. We can understand this truth on a theoretical level, but when there is direct awareness of the dhamma which appears the truth can be understood more deeply. When defilements are realized as dhammas which are impermanent and non-self, one will not be disturbed by them; one can face them with right understanding.

Further on in the above-quoted sutta we read that a monk considers dhammas from the point of view of the five khandhas, of the "Six Internal and External Spheres of Sense" (ayatanas), of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment and of the four noble Truths. Under the section of the second noble Truth, the Truth of the origin of dukkha, which is craving, we read about all the objects of craving. The text states:

And what, monks, is the ariyan Truth concerning the coming to be of dukkha? Even this craving, potent for rebirth, that is accompanied by lust and self-indulgence, seeking satisfaction now here, now there, namely, the craving for the life of sense, the craving for becoming (renewed life), and the craving for not becoming (for no rebirth). Now this craving, monks, where does it arise, where does it have its dwelling? In those material things of this world which are dear to us, which are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell. What things in this world are dear, what things are pleasant? The eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind- these are the things in this world that are dear, that are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell. Visible object, sound, odour, flavour, tangible object and mind-object- these are the things in this world that are dear, that are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell. Seeing-consciousness 18, hearing-consciousness, smelling-consciousness, tasting-consciousness, body-consciousness and mind- consciousness- these are the things in this world that are dear, that are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell. Eye-contact 19, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact and mind-contact- these are the things in this world that are dear, that are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell. Feeling originating from eye-contact, feeling originating from ear-contact, feeling originating from nose-contact, feeling originating from tongue-contact, feeling originating from body-contact, and feeling originating from mind-contact- these are the things in this world that are dear, that are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell. The remembrance of visible object, of sound, of odour, of flavour, of tangible object and of mental object- these are the things in this world that are dear, that are pleasant. There does craving arise, there does it dwell.

The same is said about intention (cetana) concerned with the objects experienced through the six doors, craving for them, thinking about them, deliberating about them.

We cling to the world appearing through the six doors. Every kind of craving can be considered as dhamma, it is included in the fourth Application of Mindfulness. We cannot force ourselves to be detached from pleasant objects, clinging is a conditioned reality. Clinging arises and falls away, but if there is no sati we do not know that it is a conditioned reality which is impermanent and non-self. We may understand in theory that it makes no sense to cling since pleasant objects only last for a very short while, but we still cling to all objects. Even when insight has been developed to the degree that panna realizes the arising and falling away of realities, clinging is not eradicated yet. The sotapanna sees realities as impermanent and non-self, he has eradicated the wrong view of self; but he still has craving for pleasant objects, and therefore he has to continue to develop insight until arahatship is attained. Only then all forms of clinging are eradicated.

All the different sections of the "Maha-satipatthana sutta" remind us that whatever reality presents itself can be object of awareness and right understanding. Right understanding can be developed in any situation, no matter whether someone is developing calm or whether he is enjoying pleasant things such as music or delicious food.

We read in the "Maha-satipatthana sutta" in the section on the Application of Mindfulness of the Body about the Reflection on the Repulsiveness of the Body:

And moreover, monks, a monk reflects upon this very body, from the soles of his feet below upward to the crown of his head, as something enclosed in skin and full of various impurities:- "Here is in this body hair and down, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidney, heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs, stomach, bowels, intestines; excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, serum, saliva, mucus, synovic fluid, urine."...

The repulsiveness of the parts of the body is a meditation subject of samatha which has as its aim to be less attached to the body. However, when we notice "parts of the body", such as hair or nails, we can be reminded to develop insight in order to realize that what we take for "my body" are only elements which are impermanent and devoid of self. We read in the "Book of Analysis" (Ch 3, Analysis of the Elements, 82) about the element of solidity or hardness, here translated as "extension":

Therein, what is the element of extension? The element of extension is twofold: It is internal; it is external. Therein what is internal element of extension? That which is personal, self-referable, hard, harsh, hardness, being hard, internal, grasped (by craving and false view). For example: head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin; flesh, sinews, bone, bone-marrow, kidneys; heart, liver, membraneous tissue, spleen, lungs; intestines, mesentery, undigested food, excrement; or whatever else there is, personal, self-referable, hard, harsh, hardness, being hard, internal, grasped. This is called internal element of extension....

It is then explained that the external element of extension is for example metal, stone or rock. The four Great Elements of solidity, cohesion, heat and motion are present in the body and also in material phenomena outside. Hardness of the body is the same as hardness of a rock, hardness is a paramattha dhamma, a rupa with its own unchangeable characteristic. When hardness appears there can be awareness and right understanding of it as an element which is not "mine" or "self".

In the "Maha-satipatthana sutta", after the section on the "Parts of the Body", it is said that the monk should dwell contemplating the arising and falling away of dhammas, and this is repeated after each section of the Applications of Mindfulness. Hair, nails and teeth are concepts we can think of, but they consists of rupas which each have their own characteristic. Rupa, the reality which does not know anything, is different from nama, the reality which experiences something. The characteristics of nama and rupa have to be clearly distinguished from each other, not by theoretical understanding, but by insight, direct understanding, which has to be developed through awareness time and again. If nama and rupa are not clearly distinguished from each other, their arising and falling away, their impermanence, cannot be realized and we will continue to cling to the wrong view of self.

Some people believe that the teaching of the four Applications of Mindfulness implies a particular order of objects of mindfulness; they believe that when someone is mindful of the objects included in Mindfulness of the Body, he is only aware of rupa, not of nama. However, there is no particular order of objects of mindfulness, it all depends on conditions which object presents itself at a particular moment. If there would be awareness of rupa, but not of nama, one would not really understand the characteristic of rupa as completely different from the characteristic of nama. Time and again, we notice parts of the body and also at such moments there are namas and rupas which can be objects of mindfulness. The Buddha taught the four Applications of Mindfulness in order to remind us to be aware of rupa, of feelings, of cittas, of dhammas, which include all realities other than those mentioned under the first three sections. At one moment there may be mindfulness of hardness, and at another moment mindfulness of feeling, which may be pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent, or mindfulness of the citta which experiences hardness, or mindfulness of aversion or attachment. There is time and again a reality impinging on one of the six doors. If there is right understanding of the objects of mindfulness, we can learn to be aware of one reality at a time, either a nama or a rupa. In that way their different characteristics can gradually be understood.