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SN 47.35PTS SN 5.1801 min read

Mindful

Satisutta

Mindfulness is the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. Situational awareness is watching the arising and passing of feelings, thoughts, and perceptions.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.35Linked Discourses 47.35
  • 0.24. Ananussutavagga4. Not Learned From Anyone Else

0.3SatisuttaMindful

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya sampajāno.“Mendicants, a mendicant should live mindful and aware.1.3Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī.This is my instruction to you.

2.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sato hoti?And how is a mendicant mindful?2.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.2.3vedanāsu …pe…They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …2.4citte …pe…mind …2.5dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.2.6Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sato hoti.That’s how a mendicant is mindful.

3.1PTS 5.181Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno hoti?And how is a mendicant aware?3.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viditā vedanā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.It’s when a mendicant knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away.13.3Viditā vitakkā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.They know thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away.3.4Viditā saññā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.They know perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away.3.5Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno hoti.That’s how a mendicant is aware.3.6Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya sampajāno.A mendicant should live mindful and aware.3.7Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī”ti.This is my instruction to you.”

3.8Pañcamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This is the closest thing in the Suttas to the modern meditative practices known as “bare awareness”. Here, this meditative practice is said to be the “awareness” part of “mindfulness and awareness” (satisampajañña), as an complement to situational awareness in daily activities (SN 47.2). At DN 33:1.11.37 = AN 4.41:4.1 it is a further development of immersion leading to mindfulness and awareness, at AN 7.38:1.6 and AN 7.39:1.6 it leads to the four kinds of textual analysis, and at MN 123:22.2 it is one of the marvelous qualities of the Buddha.

    ↩ sn47.35:3.2