KN.PS3.8 — The Discourse on the Establishments of Mindfulness
Originating in Sāvatthi.
Disciples, there are these four establishments of mindfulness.
What four?
Here a disciple dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having removed covetousness and grief in regard to the world.
He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings...
He dwells contemplating mind in mind...
He dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having removed covetousness and grief in regard to the world.
These are the four establishments of mindfulness.
How does one dwell contemplating the body in the body?
Here, someone contemplates the earth element as impermanent, not as permanent;
as suffering, not as pleasure;
as non-self, not as self;
becomes disenchanted, not delighted;
dispassionate, not passionate;
ceases, not arises, relinquishes, not grasps.
Contemplating as impermanent, one abandons the perception of permanence; contemplating as suffering, one abandons the perception of pleasure; contemplating as non-self, one abandons the perception of self; becoming disenchanted, one abandons delight; becoming dispassionate, one abandons passion; ceasing, one abandons arising; relinquishing, one abandons grasping.
In these seven ways, one contemplates the body.
The body is the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, one contemplates the body.
Therefore it is said:
Contemplation of the body in the body as an establishment of mindfulness.
Development means four developments:
Here, development means not transgressing the phenomena that have arisen, development means the uniformity of faculties, development means the carrying of energy that accompanies it, development means repetition.
Here, someone contemplates the water element...
the fire element...
the air element...
the hair of the head...
the hair of the body...
the skin...
the flesh...
the blood...
the sinews...
the bones...
the bone marrow as impermanent, not as permanent;
as suffering, not as pleasure;
as non-self, not as self;
becomes disenchanted, not delighted;
dispassionate, not passionate; ceases, not arises;
relinquishes, not grasps.
Contemplating as impermanent, one abandons the perception of permanence; contemplating as suffering, one abandons the perception of pleasure; contemplating as non-self, one abandons the perception of self; becoming disenchanted, one abandons delight; becoming dispassionate, one abandons passion; ceasing, one abandons arising; relinquishing, one abandons grasping.
He contemplates the body in seven ways.
The body is the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, he contemplates the body.
Therefore it is said:
Contemplation of the body in the body as a foundation of mindfulness.
Development means four kinds of development:
Development in the sense of not transgressing the phenomena that have arisen there, development in the sense of the uniformity of the faculties, development in the sense of the carrying of the energy that accompanies it, development in the sense of cultivation.
Thus he dwells contemplating the body in the body.
How does one dwell contemplating feelings in feelings?
Here, someone contemplates pleasant feeling as impermanent, not as permanent … and relinquishes, does not grasp.
Contemplating as impermanent, he abandons the perception of permanence … and relinquishing, he abandons grasping.
He contemplates feeling in seven ways.
Feeling is the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, he contemplates feeling.
Therefore it is said:
Contemplation of feelings in feelings as a foundation of mindfulness.
Development means four kinds of development … in the sense of cultivation … here, someone contemplates painful feeling … neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling … worldly pleasant feeling … unworldly pleasant feeling … worldly painful feeling … unworldly painful feeling … worldly neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling … unworldly neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling … feeling born of eye-contact … feeling born of ear-contact … feeling born of nose-contact … feeling born of tongue-contact … feeling born of body-contact … feeling born of mind-contact as impermanent, not as permanent … and relinquishes, does not grasp.
Contemplating as impermanent, he abandons the perception of permanence … and relinquishing, he abandons grasping.
He contemplates feeling in seven ways.
Feeling is the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, he contemplates feeling.
Therefore it is said:
Contemplation of feelings in feelings as a foundation of mindfulness.
Development means four kinds of development … in the sense of cultivation … thus he dwells contemplating feelings in feelings.
How does one dwell contemplating mind in mind?
Here, someone contemplates a mind with lust as impermanent, not as permanent … and relinquishes, does not grasp.
Contemplating as impermanent, he abandons the perception of permanence … and relinquishing, he abandons grasping.
Renouncing, he abandons grasping.
He observes the mind with these seven aspects.
The mind is the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, he observes the mind.
Therefore, it is said:
mindfulness of the mind in the mind.
Development means four developments
Development in the sense of cultivation.
Here, someone has a mind free from lust
a mind with hatred …
a mind free from hatred …
a mind with delusion …
a mind free from delusion …
a contracted mind …
a distracted mind …
a developed mind …
an undeveloped mind …
a surpassable mind …
an unsurpassable mind …
a concentrated mind …
an unconcentrated mind …
a liberated mind …
an unliberated mind …
He observes eye-consciousness …
ear-consciousness …
nose-consciousness …
tongue-consciousness …
body-consciousness …
mind-consciousness as impermanent, not as permanent
he renounces, he does not grasp.
Observing as impermanent, he abandons the perception of permanence
renouncing, he abandons grasping.
He observes the mind with these seven aspects.
The mind is the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, he observes the mind.
Therefore, it is said:
mindfulness of the mind in the mind.
Development means four developments
Development in the sense of cultivation.
Thus, he dwells observing the mind in the mind.
How does he dwell observing phenomena in phenomena?
Here, someone, setting aside the body, setting aside feelings, setting aside the mind, observes the remaining phenomena as impermanent, not as permanent;
as suffering, not as happiness;
as non-self, not as self;
he becomes disenchanted, not delighted;
he becomes dispassionate, not passionate;
he ceases, not arises;
he renounces, not grasps.
Observing as impermanent, he abandons the perception of permanence; observing as suffering, he abandons the perception of happiness; observing as non-self, he abandons the perception of self; becoming disenchanted, he abandons delight; becoming dispassionate, he abandons passion; ceasing, he abandons arising; renouncing, he abandons grasping.
He observes those phenomena with these seven aspects.
Phenomena are the foundation, not mindfulness.
Mindfulness is both the foundation and mindfulness.
With that mindfulness and that knowing, he observes those phenomena.
Therefore, it is said:
Contemplation of phenomena in phenomena.
Development means four types of development:
Here, development in the sense of not transgressing the phenomena that have arisen, development in the sense of the uniformity of faculties, development in the sense of the conveyance of energy that accompanies it, development in the sense of repeated practice.
Thus, one dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena.
The discourse on the foundations of mindfulness is concluded.