I
I heard these words of the Buddha one time when he was living at Kammassadhamma, a market town of the Kuru people. The Buddha addressed the bhikkhus, “O bhikkhus.”
And the bhikkhus replied, “Venerable Lord.”
The Buddha said, “Bhikkhus, there is one way to help living beings realize purification, overcome directly grief and sorrow, end pain and anxiety, travel the right path, and realize nibbāna. This way is the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.
“What are the Four Establishments?
“Bhikkhus, a practitioner remains established in the contemplation of the body in the body, the feelings in the feelings, the mind in the mind, and the objects of mind in the objects of mind, diligent, with clear understanding, mindful, having abandoned every craving and every distaste for this life.”
II
“And how does a practitioner remain established in the contemplation of the body in the body?
“They go to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty room, sit down cross-legged in the lotus position, hold their body straight, and establish mindfulness in front of them. They breathe in, aware that they are breathing in. They breathe out, aware that they are breathing out. When they breathe in a long breath, they know, ‘I am breathing in a long breath.’ When they breathe out a long breath, they know, ‘I am breathing out a long breath.’ When they breathe in a short breath, they know, ‘I am breathing in a short breath.’ When they breathe out a short breath, they know, ‘I am breathing out a short breath.’
“Just as a skilled potter knows when he makes a long turn on the wheel, ‘I am making a long turn,’ and knows when he makes a short turn, ‘I am making a short turn,’ so a practitioner, when they breathe in a long breath, know, ‘I am breathing in a long breath,’ and when they breathe in a short breath, knows, ‘I am breathing in a short breath,’ when they breathe out a long breath, knows, ‘I am breathing out a long breath,’ and when they breathe out a short breath, knows, ‘I am breathing out a short breath.’
“They train themselves as follows: ‘Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I calm my body.’
“Moreover, when a practitioner walks, they are aware, ‘I am walking.’ When they are standing, they are aware, ‘I am standing.’ When they are sitting, they are aware, ‘I am sitting.’ When they are lying down, they are aware, ‘I am lying down.’ In whatever position their body happens to be, they are aware of the position of the body.
“When the practitioner is going forward or backward, they apply full awareness to their going forward or backward. When they look in front or look behind, bend down or stand up, they also apply full awareness to what they are doing. They apply full awareness to wearing the sanghati robe or carrying the alms bowl. When they eat or drink, chew, or savor the food, they apply full awareness to all this. When passing excrement or urinating, they apply full awareness to this. When they walk, stand, lie down, sit, sleep or wake up, speak or are silent, they shine their awareness on their own body.
“Further, the practitioner meditates on their very own body from the soles of the feet upwards and then from the hair on top of the head downwards, a body contained inside the skin and full of all the impurities which belong to the body: ‘Here is the hair of the head, the hairs on the body, the nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, bowels, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine.’
“Bhikkhus, imagine a sack which can be opened at both ends, containing a variety of grains—brown rice, wild rice, mung beans, kidney beans, sesame, white rice. When someone with good eyesight opens the sack, they will review it like this: ‘This is brown rice, this is wild rice, these are mung beans, these are kidney beans, these are sesame seeds, this is white rice.’ Just so the practitioner passes in review the whole of their body from the soles of the feet to the hair on the top of the head, a body enclosed in a layer of skin and full of all the impurities which belong to the body: ‘Here is the hair of the head, the hairs on the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, bowels, excrement, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine.’
“Further, in whichever position their body happens to be, the practitioner passes in review the elements which constitute the body: ‘In this body is the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.’
“As a skilled butcher or an apprentice butcher, having killed a cow, might sit at the crossroads to divide the cow into many parts, the practitioner passes in review the elements which comprise their very own body: ‘Here in this body are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.’
Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground and lying there for one, two, or three days—bloated, blue in color, and festering, and they contemplate this truth as regards their own body, ‘This body of mine is of the same nature. It will end up in the same way; there is no way it can avoid that state.’
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground, pecked at by crows, eaten by hawks, vultures, and jackals, and infested with maggots and worms, and they contemplate this truth as regards their own body, ‘This body of mine is of the same nature, it will end up in the same way, there is no way it can avoid that state.’
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; it is just a skeleton with a little flesh and blood sticking to it, and the bones are held together by the ligaments.
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; it is just a skeleton, no longer adhered to by any flesh, but still smeared by a little blood, the bones still held together by the ligaments.
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; it is just a skeleton, no longer adhered to by any flesh nor smeared by any blood, but the bones are still held together by the ligaments.
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; all that is left is a collection of bones scattered here and there; in one place a hand bone, in another a shin bone, a thigh bone, a pelvis, a spinal column, a skull.
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; all that is left is a collection of bleached bones, the color of shells.
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; it has been lying there for more than one year and all that is left is a collection of dried bones.
“Further, the practitioner sees a corpse thrown onto a charnel ground; all that is left is the dust which comes from the rotted bones, and they contemplate this truth as regards their own body, ‘This body of mine is of the same nature, it will end up in the same way. There is no way it can avoid that state.’
III
“Bhikkhus, how does a practitioner remain established in the contemplation of the feelings in the feelings?
“Whenever the practitioner has a pleasant feeling, they are aware, ‘I am experiencing a pleasant feeling.’ The practitioner practices like this for all the feelings, whether they are pleasant, painful, or neutral, contemplating when they belong to the body and when they belong to the mind.
IV
“Bhikkhus, how does a practitioner remain established in the contemplation of the mind in the mind?
“When their mind is desiring, the practitioner is aware, ‘My mind is desiring.’ When their mind is not desiring, they are aware, ‘My mind is not desiring.’ They are aware in the same way concerning a hating mind, a confused mind, a collected mind, a dispersed mind, an expansive mind, a narrow mind, the highest mind, a concentrated, and liberated mind.
V
“Bhikkhus, how does a practitioner remain established in the contemplation of the objects of mind in the objects of mind?
“First of all, they contemplate the objects of mind in the objects of mind with regard to the Five Hindrances. How do they contemplate this?
“When sensual desire is present in them, they are aware, ‘Sensual desire is present.’ Or when sensual desire is not present in them, they are aware, ‘Sensual desire is not present.’ When sensual desire begins to arise, they are aware of it. When sensual desire that has already arisen is abandoned, they are aware of it. When sensual desire has been abandoned and does not arise again, they are aware of it.
“They practice in the same way concerning anger, dullness and drowsiness, agitation and remorse, and doubt.
“Further, the practitioner contemplates the objects of mind in the objects of mind with regard to the five aggregates of clinging. How do they contemplate this?
“They contemplate like this: ‘Such is form. Such is the arising of form. Such is the disappearance of form. Such is feeling. Such is the arising of feeling. Such is the disappearance of feeling. Such is perception. Such is the arising of perception. Such is the disappearance of perception. Such are mental formations. Such is the arising of mental formations. Such is the disappearance of mental formations. Such is consciousness. Such is the arising of consciousness. Such is the disappearance of consciousness.
“Further, bhikkhus, the practitioner contemplates the objects of mind in the objects of mind with regard to the six sense organs and the six sense objects. How do they contemplate this?
“They are aware of the eyes and aware of the form, and they are aware of the internal formations which are produced in dependence on these two things. They are aware of the birth of a new internal formation, and are aware of abandoning an already produced internal formation, and are aware when an abandoned internal formation does not arise again.
“They are aware in the same way of the ears and sound, the nose and smell, the tongue and taste, the body and touch, the mind and objects of mind.
“Further, bhikkhus, the practitioner remains established in the contemplation of the objects of mind in the objects of mind with regard to the Seven Factors of Awakening.
“How do they remain established in the practice of contemplation of the Seven Factors of Awakening?
“When the factor of awakening, mindfulness, is present in them, they are aware, ‘Mindfulness is present.’ When mindfulness is not present in them, they are aware, ‘Mindfulness is not present.’ They are aware when not-yet-born mindfulness is being born and when already-born mindfulness is perfectly developed.
“In the same way, they are aware of the factors of investigation, diligence, joy, ease, concentration, and equanimity.
“Further, bhikkhus, a practitioner remains established in the contemplation of objects of mind in the objects of mind with regard to the Four Noble Truths.
“How, bhikkhus, does the practitioner remain established in the contemplation of the Four Noble Truths?
“When suffering is present, the practitioner is aware, “This is suffering.” When the cause of suffering is present, the practitioner is aware, “This is the cause of suffering.” When the end of suffering is present, they are aware, “This is the end of suffering.” When the path that leads to the end of suffering is present, they are aware, “This is the path that leads to the end of suffering.”
“This is how the practitioner remains established in the contemplation of the body in the body, the feelings in the feelings, the mind in the mind, and the objects of mind in the objects of mind either from within or from without, or both from within and from without in any of these establishments. They remain established in the contemplation of the process of coming-to-be, or the process of dissolution, or the process of coming-to-be and the process of dissolution in each of these establishments. Or they are mindful of the fact, ‘There is this establishment of mindfulness here,’ until understanding and full awareness come about. They remain established in the contemplation, free, not caught in any worldly consideration. That is how to practice the four establishments of mindfulness in the four establishments of mindfulness, O bhikkhus.”
VI
“Bhikkhus, those who practice the Four Establishments of Mindfulness for seven years can expect one of two fruits—the highest understanding in this very life or, if there remains some residue of affliction, they can attain the fruit of no-return.
“Let alone seven years, bhikkhus, whoever practices the Four Establishments of Mindfulness for six, five, four, three, two years or one year, for seven, six, five, four, three, or two months, one month or half a month, can also expect one of two fruits—either the highest understanding in this very life or, if there remains some residue of affliction, they can attain the fruit of no-return.
“That is why I said that this path, the path of the four grounds for the establishment of mindfulness, is the one path, which can help beings realize purification, transcend grief and sorrow, destroy pain and anxiety, travel the right path, and realize nibbāna.”
The bhikkhus were delighted to hear the teaching of the Buddha. They took it to heart and put it into practice.
