Four Ways of Mindfulness

MN 10

This is what I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near Kammasadamma. He said this to the seekers:

“This is the direct path to purification, for the ending of grief, pain and sadness. It’s the true way leading to vanishing. This path is the four ways of mindfulness:

A seeker meditates by observing an aspect of the body, intensely, mindful and clearly knowing, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

Likewise, they observe feeling tones, the heart-mind and dharma principles. They do so intensely, mindful and clearly knowing, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

1. The Body

Breathing

How does a seeker meditate by observing the body?

A seeker goes to the wilderness, to the root of a tree or an empty hut. They take a comfortable seat with a straight body and make mindfulness the priority. They breathe in and out mindfully.

When breathing a long or heavy breath, they are aware of it.

When breathing a small or fine breath, they are aware of it.

Breathing in and out, they train in fully experiencing the whole body.

Breathing in and out, they train in calming bodily activities.

They are aware of their breathing like a turner at their lathe is aware of the turnings.

They observe an aspect of the body internally and externally. They observe the way things arise in the body, the way things pass away in the body, and both arising and passing. They remain mindful of the body until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

Postures and activities

Also, when a seeker is walking they know how they are walking. When standing, sitting, or lying down, they know this fully. They are aware of whatever posture their body is in. They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and passing away, not grasping.

Also, a seeker acts with clear knowing when coming and going, when looking ahead and looking away, when moving his limbs, with their robe and their bowl. They have clear knowing when eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, when peeing and defecating. They’re have clear knowing when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking and when silent. They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and passing away, not grasping.

The unclean

Now, a seeker examines their body from the hair tips down to the soles of the feet, wrapped in skin and full of unclean things. They examine like this: ‘This body has head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, stomach lining, undigested food, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, fluid in the joints, and urine.’

It’s like if there was a bag with openings at both ends, filled with various kinds of grains and someone with good eyesight were to open it and examine them: ‘This is rice, these are wheat, here are peas, sesame, and so on.’ They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and passing away, not grasping.

The properties

A seeker examines their own body, in any posture, according to these properties: solidity, liquidity, heat and air. He examines his body like an expert butcher, who cuts up a cow and sits down at a crossroads with the meat divided into portions. They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and passing away, not grasping.

Charnel ground reflections

Imagine a seeker were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel ground that was bloated, dark, and rotting. Then they would reflect: ‘My body is also of that nature, it will be like this, and cannot escape that fate.’

And so they would also meditate on the body like this using a corpse thrown in a charnel ground being devoured by crows and other birds of prey, dogs, tigers, leopards, jackals, and many kinds of little creatures.

And also on a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews.

And on a skeleton without flesh but smeared with blood, and held together by sinews.

On a skeleton without flesh and blood, held together by sinews.

On bones scattered in all directions, a hand here, a foot there, a tooth, a skull…

On on bones bleached white, the color of shells.

On ancient bones, all piled up.

On rotten bones turned to dust.

They reflect that their body is of the same nature as all these, and that it will be like them one day.

They observe an aspect of the body like this, internally and externally. They observe the way things arise in the body and the way they pass away, they observe both arising and passing. They remain mindful of the body until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

2. Sensations

How does a seeker meditate by observing feeling tones? When a seeker feels a pleasant tone they know it as pleasant. When they feel an unpleasant tone, they know it as unpleasant. When they feel a neutral tone they know it as neutral.

They also know feelings tones that are:

Sensual and pleasant,

Spiritual and pleasant,

Sensual and unpleasant,

Spiritual and unpleasant,

Sensual and neutral,

And spiritual and neutral.

When they experience any of these feeling tones, they know them fully.

They observe an aspect of feeling tones like this, internally and externally. They observe the way they arise, the way way they pass away, and how they arise and pass. They remain mindful of feeling tones until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

3. Heart-mind

How does a seeker meditate by observing the heart-mind?

This is when a seeker knows their heart-mind. When it is greedy, they know it has greed. When it is without greed, they know it is not greedy.

When the heart-mind feels aversion, they know it feels aversion. When it is without aversion, they know this.

When the heart-mind is confused, they know it is confused. When it is not confused, they know this.

When the heart-mind is restricted or scattered, they know this. When it is expansive or not expansive, they know this. They know whether it is vast or not, whether it is inferior or supreme. They know if it is lucidly unified or not. They know if it is freed or not freed.

They observe the heart-mind like this, internally and externally. They observe how qualities of the heart-mind arise, how they pass away, and how they arise and pass. They remain mindful of the heart-mind until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

4. Principles

How does a seeker meditate by observing dharma principles?

Obstacles

They observe the five obstacles.

A seeker who feels sense desire knows there is sense desire present. When they don’t have sense desire, they know it’s not present. They know how sense desire arises, how it can be given up, and how it can be prevented in the future.

A seeker also is aware and knows when the following obstacles are present and when they are not present: hostility, laziness and drowsiness, agitation and remorse, and hesitation. They know how these obstacles arise, how they can be given up, and how they can be prevented in the future.

They observe principles like this, internally and externally. They observe how principles arise, how they pass away, and how they both arise and pass. They remain mindful of these principles until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

Five heaps

One also meditates on principles by observing the five heaps.

This is when a seeker observes forms, and how they arise and pass away. They observe feeling tones, perceptions, decisions and awareness, and how they arise and pass. They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and perishing, not grasping.

Sense bases

One also meditates on principles by observing the internal and external sense bases.

This is when a seeker knows the eye, sights and the chain that arises dependent on them and binds a seeker. He knows how that chain arises, how it can be given up, and how it can be prevented in the future.

Likewise, a seeker knows the ear, sounds and the chain that arises dependent on them. He knows the nose, smells and their chain. He knows the tongue, tastes and their chain. He knows the body, touch and their chain. He knows the mind, thoughts and the chain that arises dependent on them. He knows how all these principles arise, how they can be given up, and how they can be prevented in the future. They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and perishing, not grasping.

Aids to awakening

One also meditates on principles by observing the seven aids to awakening.

This is when a seeker knows when the awakening aid of mindfulness is present. They also know when it is not present, how it comes into being and how it can be fully developed.

Likewise, a seekers knows when these other aids to awakening are present: analysis of principles, energy, bliss, calm, lucid unification and serenity. They also know when these aids are not present, how they come into being and how they can be fully developed. They meditate like this, mindful internally and externally, mindful of arising and passing, not grasping.

Truths

One also meditates on principles by observing the four noble truths.

This is when a seeker truly knows what suffering is, what the origin of suffering is, what the ending of suffering is and the practice that leads to this end.

They observe principles like this, internally and externally. They observe how principles arise, how they pass away, and how they arise and pass. They remain mindful of these principles until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

Anyone who develops the four ways of mindfulness like this for seven years can expect either enlightenment in the present life, or non-returning, if there’s some clinging left. The same could be said for someone who practices for six, five, four, three, two, or even just one year. Likewise, if someone practices this for just seven, six, five, four, three or two months, or even one month, or half a month, or even seven days.

The four ways of mindfulness are the direct path to purification, for the ending of grief, pain and sadness. This is the true way and leads to nirvana.

That is what the Buddha said and the seekers were happy.