Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Vesālī::capital of the Licchavīs [vesālī]|, in |Ambapālī's grove::A mango grove in Vesāli donated by Āmrapāli, the celebrated royal courtesan of the city. [ambapālivana]|. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, this is the one-way path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the |passing away::disappearance, vanishing, subsiding [atthaṅgama]| of |discomfort and distress::physical pain and mental suffering [dukkhadomanassa]|, for the achievement of the method, for the |personal realization::intimate experience [sacchikiriyā]| of |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|, that is, the |four establishments of mindfulness::four foundations or objective domains of mindfulness that one gradually establishes and cultivates as a direct way of practice [cattāro + satipaṭṭhāna]|. What four?
Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed |craving and distress::greediness and dissatisfaction, wanting and unhappiness, craving and aversion [abhijjhā + domanassa]| with regard to the world;
he dwells observing the |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world;
he dwells observing the mind in and of itself, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world;
he dwells observing the |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| in and of themselves, with continuous effort, fully aware and being present, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world.
This, bhikkhus, is the one-way path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of discomfort and distress, for the achievement of the method, for the personal realization of Nibbāna, that is, the four establishments of mindfulness.”