The Satipatthana Sutta is the Buddha’s discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness. It is considered to be one of the most important meditative texts, even which the Buddha himself called ‘the direct path to liberation’.
The practice of Vipassana, one of the most ancient meditation practices around today, is based on this text. The entire path out of suffering is said to be represented in the discourse, making it a great reference point for progress in meditation. However, reading and understanding the text is one thing. Practicing it, is another. This article aims to discuss the practical aspects of bringing the teachings in the Satipatthana Sutta into our everyday lives.
To understand how to do this, we need to first carefully understand how the discourse wants us to practice. While we might like to find out which objects of awareness we need to focus on, Satipatthana is more about how we direct our awareness. Let’s have a look at what that means.
What does Satipatthana mean
Commonly known as the four foundations of mindfulness, Satipatthana simply means the establishing of awareness, or mindfulness. It is bringing a watchful, attentive and calm presence to the moment to moment unfolding of our present experience. The discourse covers four main domains to which this attitude can be applied.
However, the most important part of the discourse is the way it is structured and delivered to its audience.
What is Satipatthana Meditation
Part of the effectiveness of the Buddha’s teaching lies in his use of repetition to expound the most important points he was trying to make. This is evident in the ‘refrain’ part of this discourse, which is repeated at least thirteen times. Analysing this refrain is the key to the practice of Satipatthana. So let’s take a closer look, using the first foundation of ‘body’, as an example.
“In regard to the body one abides contemplating the body internally… externally… both internally and externally. One abides contemplating the nature of arising in the body… of passing away… both arising and passing away in the body. Mindfulness that “there is a body” is established in one to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That is how in regard to the body one abides contemplating body.”
The continuous repetition of this instruction shows us the most important elements of the practice:
- Observing both our internal and external experience;
- Observing the temporary nature of all our experience, watching each experience arise, watching each experience pass away;
- Establishing moment to moment awareness of what is happening without any judgment or evaluation; and
- Having no attachment whatsoever to anything that arises in our experience.
The ‘definition’ part of the discourse stresses that the mental qualities of ‘balanced and sustained effort’, ‘clearly knowing’ and a ‘balanced state of mind’ are crucial to practicing Satipatthana. These qualities are explained to all revolve around, and be part of, the central mental quality of mindfulness. Mindfulness is therefore the awareness of what is happening in this moment with bare and equanimous receptivity – that is, no judgment or evaluation. This is the middle path of neither suppressing the contents of experience nor reacting to it.
The discourse analyses a broad variety of ways to practice this, from more gross activities to more subtle activities. But the one common thread linking these instructions is one of the central instructions repeated throughout the entire discourse: to continually observe the arising and passing away of all phenomena.
So the entire message of the Satipatthana Sutta can be summarised as follows:
Keep diligently and calmly observing change
This can be applied to all activities, observing change internally as well as in one’s external world. We are directed to observe the arising and passing away of either the body, feelings, mind or mental contents. These are all simply experiences. It doesn’t matter which of these we observe, as long as we are observing the impermanence or temporary nature of our experiences. The Buddha always taught different objects of meditation to different people depending on their mental state in the moment he taught them.
So how do we actually go about practicing this in our day-to-day lives?
How to Practice Satipatthana
In order to practice Satipatthana in its entirety, we must keep diligently observing and knowing the impermanent nature of every experience we have with a balanced and equanimous mind. This means a mind that is neither trying to cling to the present experience, nor trying to push it away. This leads to profound insights about the nature of reality.
It is clear from the previous point that Satipatthana is an attitude or ‘way’ of awareness rather than a specific object. The discourse gives many different objects which we can use to practice mindfulness. However, there are four main mediums through which it asks us to practice, commonly referred to as the four foundations of mindfulness.
How to Practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
With a gentle, calm and non-judgmental awareness, we observe the arising and passing of:
- Body – our breath, posture and physical movements.
- Feelings – the physical sensations we feel on our body.
- Mind – the various emotions we feel.
- Mental contents – the underlying mental currents such as desire, torpor, worry, doubt, joy or even tranquillity.
How to Practice Mindfulness of the Body
We can practice observing the body by simply observing how the body changes and moves throughout the day. We become aware of each posture we are in, the movement between each posture, and even how the breath results in subtle physical movements of the body.
When we are sitting, we are simply aware that we are sitting. When we are standing, we a simply aware that we are standing. The same applies to lying down and walking. This awareness should extend to all movements to be practicing mindfulness of the body. When extending out your arms or your legs, you clearly know you are doing this. In turning your head to the left or right, you are aware that you are turning you head. The same applies for any gross bodily activity such as talking, eating, tasting, and even going to the bathroom.
You are also observing the body when you are observing the breath. Breathing in, you are aware that you are breathing in. Breathing out, you are simply aware that you are breathing out. Along with this, you may be aware of movement of the belly, chest or even the shoulders. Simply being aware of and knowing this is currently happening, is enough to establish mindfulness of the body.
To complete satipatthana practice, along with this awareness, you should also be aware of the arising and passing of different ‘states’ of body. For example, along with the awareness that you are walking, you are aware how this is constantly changing – the feet and legs are constantly changing positions. When you are eating you are aware of all the changing movements – the jaw, the tongue, the throat. When talking, you become aware that you are talking, or when there is absence of talking, you are aware of silence. In seeing the in-breath arise, you see it pass away, only to see the out-breath arise.
“With this attitude, one sees the body merely as a product of conditions, a product with which one need not identify”
Observing your constantly changing and impermanent experience like this is the right way to practice satipatthana. Satipatthana wants us to observe our experience like this, which reduces the mind’s tendency to cling onto or repel experiences. This is the start of developing real wisdom. The wisdom of the truth of impermanence.
The discourse goes into many different avenues to apply this technique. Some people are far too unbalanced to practice Satipatthana in this way. For these people, the text even goes as far as recommending that they should contemplate a corpse in different stages of decay. This was common in India back in that day, where open burial charnel grounds were a commonplace where this could actually be physically done. The idea was that this stark confrontation with impermanence would kick an unstable person’s mind into focus and action.
The aim in the end remains the same – a balanced and detached attitude towards the body. With this attitude, one sees the body merely as a product of conditions, a product with which one need not identify.
How to Practice Mindfulness of Feelings
We practice mindfulness of feelings by observing the physical sensations we feel on our bodies – and whether they are pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. The main aim here is to simply ask ourselves: “How do I feel?”. Along with this, we again notice the impermanent nature of these sensations, reducing the mind’s tendency to cling onto or repel them.
This is a very important mindfulness practice as it is considered the easiest and most direct way to experience impermanence. In addition, it is usually as a result of feeling sensations that leads us to react with craving and aversion. This strengthens our mind’s habit pattern clinging to the pleasant and repelling the unpleasant, increasing our suffering.
We usually find that we are either experiencing:
- Pleasant sensations – with the tendency to react with desire and clinging, wanting the pleasure to continue; or
- Unpleasant sensations – with the tendency to react with aversion and irritation, wanting it to stop and disappear; or
- Neutral sensations – with the tendency to get bored and search for some more entertaining distraction, resulting in ignorance.
Observing our feelings shines the light of awareness on these ingrained habitual tendencies and replaces the ignorance of automatic reaction with the wisdom of insight into the real nature of these tendencies.
We can practice this formally in meditation with a body scan. Scanning our body from head to toe, we pay attention to all the different types of sensations with experience and how they change from moment to moment. These sensations can be anything – heaviness, lightness, pressure, tension, ease, pulsing, vibrating, dryness, moisture, heat, cold, or even pain. We diligently observe, without reacting to them, knowing that they are impermanent.
We can practice this more informally by being aware of our bodily sensations throughout the day and how they change. For example, in the mindfulness of body foundation we have learnt that when we are sitting, to simply be aware of the fact that we are in the posture of sitting. With the feeling foundation, along with this, we are aware of the sensations that go along with sitting – whether it be pressure, pain or even just the touch of an object on the sit bones or back. If you are holding your phone reading this, you are aware of the texture of your device, smooth or rough, or even a tingling feeling in your palms or fingers.
“Eventually we realise that is it futile to cling to feelings that are so ephemeral and constantly changing”
When walking we become aware of all the sensations that go along with walking – the feet touching the floor, the legs contracting and relaxing, the weight and pressure on our shins, the feeling of the movement of the hips. When we feel an itch or any other unpleasant sensation, we observe this sensation along with any urge to change it.
All it takes sometimes is noticing that urge, after which it begins to weaken. Then our appreciation of the relationship between feelings and the underlying urges deepens. This makes us realize the extent to which our apparently so well-reasoned evaluations and reactions are in truth influenced by the type of feeling we are experiencing.
This attitude can be applied to everything we do. Our lives are governed by our feelings which we often mindlessly react to. The purpose of the practice is to understand the way feelings impact the mind. Eventually we realise that is it futile to cling to feelings that are so ephemeral and constantly changing. The mind’s habit pattern of reaction gets progressively weakened and the quest for sensual pleasure through the body loses its meaningfulness. Then a whole raft of possibilities open up.
Feelings do not, as might be commonly misinterpreted, refer to our emotions. Feelings, and their resulting impermanence are much easier to grasp, making them an extremely effective Satipatthana practice. Emotions are more complex and fit better until the next foundation of mindfulness.
How to Practice Mindfulness of Mind
We practice mindfulness of mind by observing the individual changing states of mind, such as desire, anger, delusion, distraction or even blissfulness. The main aim here is to simply ask ourselves: “How is the mind?”. We carefully and diligently observe how the mind continuously reacts to stimuli, whether internal or external.
As one progresses on the path, they realise that the mind is intimately related to the body. They cannot be separated. Different states of mind and emotions are felt on the body – there will always be a sensation somewhere on the body relating to an emotion. Some emotions such as anger can be easily discerned. Other emotions such as shame can be a little more abstract to feel. When desire is present in the mind, it is likely accompanied by pleasant feelings. When anger is present in the mind, it is likely accompanied by unpleasant feelings.
The different foundations of mindfulness are not mutually exclusive. Satipatthana wants us to practice all of them, sometimes in unison, sometimes separately and sometimes in quick succession. This all depends on our state of mind from moment to moment, which is constantly changing. However, it is clear that Satipatthana progresses from the most gross experiences to the most subtle. Sometimes we are not aware or calm enough to recognise our feelings or mental states, so we just stay with the general feeling of the body, consistent with the first foundation of mindfulness.
Knowing Satipatthana, you have a whole range of tools to use, no matter what state your mind is in – this is part of the power of the discourse.
So the objective is to see past the thoughts related to the emotion and clearly recognise the general underlying mental current. Once it is seen for what it is, just a mental state, one recognises the underlying feelings of that mental state, and observes their impermanence. Just as we ask others: “How are you?”, we keep asking ourselves: “How is our mind?”
When we are angry, we simply note, “there is anger present”, and observe the physical bodily sensations that come along with that anger. There may be a burning sensation in the chest, or a constricted sensation in the throat. Whatever the feeling, we stay aware of it, along with a sense of how the strength of the emotion changes in the mind and the body. We may see that when these sensations are weak, the effect of the emotion on the mind and body is weak. When they are gone, the emotion is gone.
The same applies to any other state of mind – sadness, guilt, shame, envy, fear, excitement or even impatience. We simply clearly recognise the emotion that is present, observe the sensations that go along with it equanimously, and stay present long enough to watch them change.
The practice is about recognising clearly the condition of our own state of mind as it is right now. It is also about recognising the absence of any of these emotions. In this way, we clearly see how these ceaselessly changing states of mind influence our actions. We then see how futile it is to react to them, which only strengthens them. Then, as with feelings, the mind’s habit pattern of reaction gets progressively weakened and the quest for sensual pleasure through the mind loses its meaningfulness.
How to Practice Mindfulness of Mental Objects
We practice mindfulness of mental object by recognising the presence or absence of:
- The five hindrances – sensual desire, anger, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt; or
- The seven awakening factors – mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquillity, concentration and equipoise.
The instructions in the discourse also point to understanding how these factors come to arise in oneself, how they get eradicated, and with regards to the awakening factors, how to cultivate them. This is a more advanced form of practice which requires a very stable mind and sufficient level of insight into the previous foundations of mindfulness. This only comes with practice.
However, the general instructions for Satipatthana remain the same. We simply recognise whether this hindrance or awakening factor is present in the mind or not, not reacting to it, and knowing that it is impermanent and will eventually change. With this calm attitude to the present moment, we give ourselves the space to take this next step and explore the nature of the mind under the influence of this hindrance or awakening factor.
A sense of inquisitiveness and a wish to follow things up and really understand them naturally start to arise in the mind. Wanting to know the conditions that led to this state, we start to gravitate towards positive mental qualities such as diligence, patience, equanimity, morality, wisdom and compassion. These qualities also act as antidotes to any hindrances that may arise, providing assistance to us on our path.
Let’s look at an example of how to cultivate this foundation of mindfulness. In our formal practice or throughout the day, we may recognise that we are restless or worried. We see clearly and objectively that this state has arisen, then calmly and carefully explore the nature of this state.
- This may be through an open awareness of the mind, where we simply watch all the thoughts related to worry come and go, like we are watching different shaped clouds floating through the sky.
- We may notice the physical bodily sensations that come along with restlessness and how they are constantly changing.
- We may even notice cause and effect – seeing that, in the absence of these thoughts and feelings, restlessness and worry do not exist. These states are completely dependent on the interaction of thoughts and sensations which are constantly changing, impersonal phenomena. They do not represent the truth, but rather our coloured perception of the truth.
By diligently applying mindfulness to our mental contents, we may recognise when we search for happiness through sex or sensual indulgence. Pleasant feelings come along with sensual desire, so we recognise the impermanent nature of these feelings – the fact that they do not last. Recognising this will undermine the tendency to search for happiness through sensual pleasure.
While we do not make effort to push away a hindrance, we still make effort to remain aware and mindful of it. This right effort – the effort to remain aware, mindful and equanimous – is what naturally leads to the removal of a hindrance. And it all starts from diligently applying mindfulness.
“All qualities of mind are temporary. The amount of attachment to them will be equal to the amount of suffering when they eventually arise or pass away”
The first awakening factor that we notice is mindfulness, which kicks off the cultivation of each awakening factor one by one. The awakening factors clearly proceed from this foundation of mindfulness, to culminate in perfectly balanced equipoise of the mind. We establish mindfulness of the present moment to investigate our constantly changing reality. This arouses energy such that joy arises, which naturally leads to tranquillity, concentration, culminating in perfectly balanced equipoise.
Our task is to recognise the presence of these factors with a balanced mind, not reacting with craving to them, and understanding the conditions that led to them arising along the way. These qualities of mind are also temporary, and the amount of attachment to them will be equal to the amount of suffering when they eventually dissolve.
For example, throughout our day, we may recognise that energy has arisen in the body and the mind. We may sometimes become attached to this energy, wanting to prolong it with substances such as caffeine. We may worry or fear losing this quality, and in the process abuse it by overworking ourselves in our professions or aspirations. By doing this we are not practicing Satipatthana.
We practice the teaching by seeing clearly that energy has arisen, knowing that it is an impermanent quality, and continuing our investigation of reality on the back of this quality. In this way, we sow the conditions to allow for further energy, leading to the development of joy, tranquillity, concentration and equipoise.
It is clear that the final awakening factor of equipoise relates back to the start final part of the repeated refrain – where we abide independent, free from desires and discontent, not clinging to anything in the world. By practicing the foundations of mindfulness, we come to experience the process by which this state of mind is developed and cultivated.
What does Internally and Externally Mean in Satipatthana?
The purpose of the words internally and externally simply point to the fact that the discourse wants you to practice Satipatthana within yourself, and also with respect to your external world when you are out and about. Consistent and constant mindfulness throughout all aspects of day-to-day life has always been a key teaching of the Buddha.
It is often said that continuity of the practice is the key to success. The use of the words internally and externally imply that you are to continually keep observing change – inside yourself and in all other objects that you experience over the course of the day. Using this, the discourse intended to cover experiences that arise in formal sitting practice and in our everyday interaction with the world.
For example, while we are walking we can observe your movement while also being aware of the changing nature of sounds outside, or even the changing temperature. This even applies to the constant movement of cars, or even the way people around us change. This may be physically or emotionally.
From a practical point of view, external recognition of emotional and mental states of others can rely on facial expression, tone of voice, and bodily posture as pointers to the mental condition of another person.
The point is, nothing in our experience, internal or external, is permanent and solid. This is the attitude that changes you. Only actual experience of this truth can reduce the mind’s tendency to cling onto experiences as it truly learns to understand impermanence for itself.
What is the Difference Between Satipatthana and Vipassana
Satipatthana is the establishment of mindfulness in one’s day-to-life, along with an attitude of calm awareness to one’s body, feelings, mind and mental contents. Vipassana means to see reality clearly – that is, the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and non-self. We establish mindfulness so that we can practice Vipassana.
Satipatthana contains Vipassana. The most relevant part of the discourse being the refrain, which repeatedly provides instruction on how to see things clearly – objectively watching our moment to moment experience arise and pass away, abiding independent and not clinging to anything in the world. This practice culminates in the arising of wisdom.
Sometimes it is difficult to practice observing the arising and passing away of all phenomena. Vipassana is not always possible. When our minds are not still or calm, or when a difficult experience arises, it is enough just to be mindful of this experience, holding it in our awareness at whatever level we can. This is why the Satipatthana is structured as it is. Each instruction is given progressively, teaching the different stages of mindfulness and how they should be applied to each experience that we have.