The four foundations of mindfulness

The four foundations of mindfulness

The mind can be purified by eradicating the mental defilements such as the mental hindrances and the latent tendencies through the practice of meditation (bhāvanā). 

Insight meditation helps the meditator to see things as they really are and will eventually lead to the eradication of mental defilements and final liberation from suffering. “Vipassanā” is a Pali word, “vi” meaning intensive, deep or clear and “passanā” meaning seeing or perceiving, so vipassanā or insight meditation is the technique of deep or clear seeing or perceiving, to gain an insight into physical and mental phenomena as they really are. Insight meditation helps the meditator to gain an insight into the three common characteristics of all aspects of mentality and materiality (nāma-rūpa) namely; impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and not-self (anatta). 

This technique of mindfulness is derived from one of the most important discourses by the Buddha named Satipatthāna sutta. “Sati” means mindfulness, and “Patthāna” means foundation, so Satipatthāna means foundations of mindfulness. In the Buddha’s teaching recorded in the Pali language, Satipatthāna sutta appears as the 10th discourse of the Majjhima Nikāya. In this discourse, the Buddha has provided practical advice to cultivate four foundations of mindfulness. 

The four foundations of mindfulness

1) Contemplation of the body (kāyānupassanā)

2) Contemplation of the feelings or sensations (vedanānupassanā)

3) Contemplation of the mind or consciousness (cittānupassanā)

4) Contemplation of the mind objects (dhammānupassanā)

The Buddha has persistently emphasised the fact that the meditator needs to develop the four foundations of mindfulness with diligence, clear comprehension and mindfulness with no sensual desires or ill-will. The Buddha has described the cultivation of the four foundations of mindfulness as the direct way to: Purification of all the defilements, overcoming of sorrow, overcoming of lamentation, destruction of all the suffering, destruction of mental grief, entry into the noble path and the realisation of Nibbāna.

30 March 2023