Satipatthana Sutta - The Foundations of Mindfulness

Translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera.
For free distribution only.

From The Foundations of Mindfulness (WH 19), by Nyanasatta Thera, (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1993). Copyright ©1993 Buddhist Publication Society. Used with permission.

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was living among the Kurus, at Kammasadamma, a market town of the Kuru people. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhu thus: "Monks," and they replied to him, "Venerable Sir." The Blessed One spoke as follows:

This is the only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness. What are the four?

Herein (in this teaching) a monk lives contemplating the body in the body,¹ ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating consciousness in consciousness,² ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating mental objects in mental objects (See n. 2) ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief.