The Buddha teaches the four establishments of mindfulness—body, feelings, mind, and principles—as the direct path for the purification of beings, the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, and the realization of extinguishment.

SN 47.38 Complete Understanding

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānā. Katame cattāro? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa kāye kāyānupassino viharato kāyo pariññāto hoti. Kāyassa pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hoti.

Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa vedanāsu vedanānupassino viharato vedanā pariññātā honti. Vedanānaṁ pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hoti.

Citte cittānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa citte cittānupassino viharato cittaṁ pariññātaṁ hoti. Cittassa pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hoti.

Dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino viharato dhammā pariññātā honti. Dhammānaṁ pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hotī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānā.

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Tassa kāye kāyānupassino viharato kāyo pariññāto hoti.

As they do so they completely understand the body.

Kāyassa pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hoti.

When the body is completely understood they realize freedom from death.

Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

They meditate observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Tassa vedanāsu vedanānupassino viharato vedanā pariññātā honti.

As they do so they completely understand feelings.

Vedanānaṁ pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hoti.

When feelings are completely understood they realize freedom from death.

Citte cittānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

They meditate observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Tassa citte cittānupassino viharato cittaṁ pariññātaṁ hoti.

As they do so they completely understand the mind.

Cittassa pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hoti.

When the mind is completely understood they realize freedom from death.

Dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino viharato dhammā pariññātā honti.

As they do so they completely understand principles.

Dhammānaṁ pariññātattā amataṁ sacchikataṁ hotī”ti.

When principles are completely understood they realize freedom from death.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Cultivation

Cultivation

The active practice of 'bringing into being' wholesome states. It is the deliberate nurturing of the bright state of mind.

Also known as: development, improvement, meditation, nurturing, growth
Pāli: bhāvanā
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Displeasure

Displeasure

A feeling of mental pain or a disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact.

Also known as: mental pain, mental distress, melancholy, sadness
Pāli: domanassa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Jealousy

Jealousy

A painful mental state that arises when seeing the good fortune or qualities of others. It begrudges what others have and resents their happiness, closing the heart to appreciative joy.

Also known as: covetousness, envy, possessiveness, protective of, unwilling to part with
Pāli: issā
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Last updated on July 27, 2026