Establishing Mindfulness Sutra (podcast)

Ven. Analayo (learn.wisdompubs.org/podcast); Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Mindful golden buddhas, Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, Bangkok, Thailand (drhill/flickr)

 

This week on the Wisdom Podcast (9-21-16) we learn about Theravada Buddhism from one of its finest scholar-monks, Ven. Analayo.

He discusses the role of mindfulness in early Buddhist texts, specifically the Satipatthana Sutra, “The [Fourfold] Establishing or Setting Up of Mindfulness Discourse,” then explains some important etymological points regarding the word satipatthana (sati-upatthana):

1. mindfulness of body
2. mindfulness of feelings
3. mindfulness of mind
4. mindfulness of mind-objects.

Mindfulness means "bare awareness," presence

The venerable talks about how Pali became one of the early languages of Buddhism (and the only exclusively Buddhist language). He also provides some pointers for doing comparative study of the Satipatthana Sutra.

He reflects on how it is important to not reject certain Buddhist teachings just because they were not originally taught by the Buddha himself. Ven. Analayo then explains what the true meaning of the “direct path” to awakening (for years translated as “the one and only path” to enlightenment) means and how to understand the various types of mindfulness.

He also discusses the role that mindfulness plays in the path to liberation, the relationship between mindfulness practice and breathing practice, the continuity between the four establishments or satipatthanas, the importance of body contemplation practice, and much more. LISTEN NOW