According to Satipaṭṭhāna sutta, is there any specific point I should prioritize?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart 

2 May 2023

Question:  According to Satipaṭṭhāna sutta, is there any specific point I should prioritize?

Than Ajahn:  Yes, Satipaṭṭhāna is to practice step by step. The first step is to develop mindfulness because you need mindfulness in order to have samādhi and you need samādhi to develop paññā. So, the first step is to develop mindfulness by concentrating on your body, watching your body from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep, in every posture, in every action of the body. Just keep watching the body and stop thinking. This will allow you to have mindfulness. Once you have mindfulness, then you go sit and meditate to develop samādhi. After you have developed samādhi, when you come out of samādhi, you start to contemplate on the nature of the body until you fully understand it and can let go of your attachment to your body.

Next, you go to the second object which is feelings. You contemplate on the nature of feelings that they are all aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā, until you can let go your attachment to vedanā (feelings).

After that, you move to the third object which is the citta.

Citta means the things that happen inside the mind such as your emotions, your state of mind. This state of mind keeps changing (anicca) – some days your mind is bright and brilliant; some days your mind is dull; some days your mind is happy; some days your mind is sad. You have to contemplate the nature of the citta that: it’s impermanent – it can cause you suffering if you are attached to it, and; it’s anatta – you can’t control it. Those are the three objects that you have to get rid of.

The fourth object is Dhamma: to see whether you have the Dhamma in you. You need the Dhamma such as wisdom, samādhi and sila in order for you to be able to let go of your attachment to those three objects. 

So, these are the three steps: the first step is mindfulness; the second step is samādhi; and the third step is developing wisdom (insight or vipassanā).

“Dhamma in English, Aug 15, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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