When the Buddha sees the venerable Cūḷapanthaka sitting in meditation having setup mindfulness at the fore, he expresses an inspired utterance.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā cūḷapanthako bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now, at that time, the venerable |Cūḷapanthaka::foremost disciple of the Buddha in creating a mind-made body [cūḷapanthaka]| was sitting not far from the Blessed One, having folded his legs in a |cross-legged sitting position::meditation posture [pallaṅka]|, aligning his body upright, and having set up |mindfulness::sustained active awareness regarding the body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly without craving or distress [sati]| |at the fore::as first priority, at the tip of the nose or on the upper lip [parimukhaṃ]|.
Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ cūḷapanthakaṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
The Blessed One saw the venerable Cūḷapanthaka sitting not far away, having folded his legs in a cross-legged sitting position, aligning his body upright, and having set up mindfulness at the fore.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Ṭhitena kāyena ṭhitena cetasā,
Tiṭṭhaṁ nisinno uda vā sayāno;
Etaṁ satiṁ bhikkhu adhiṭṭhahāno,
Labhetha pubbāpariyaṁ visesaṁ;
Laddhāna pubbāpariyaṁ visesaṁ,
Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche”ti.
“With a steady body and a steady mind,
whether standing, sitting, or lying down;
A bhikkhu thus resolved on |mindfulness::sustained active awareness regarding the body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly without craving or distress [sati]|,
will attain |progressively higher::successive; first one then the following; lit. before and after [pubbāpariya]| distinctions;
Having attained progressively higher distinctions,
he goes beyond the sight of the King of Death.”
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now, at that time, the venerable |Cūḷapanthaka::foremost disciple of the Buddha in creating a mind-made body [cūḷapanthaka]| was sitting not far from the Blessed One, having folded his legs in a |cross-legged sitting position::meditation posture [pallaṅka]|, aligning his body upright, and having set up |mindfulness::sustained active awareness regarding the body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly without craving or distress [sati]| |at the fore::as first priority, at the tip of the nose or on the upper lip [parimukhaṃ]|.
The Blessed One saw the venerable Cūḷapanthaka sitting not far away, having folded his legs in a cross-legged sitting position, aligning his body upright, and having set up mindfulness at the fore.
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“With a steady body and a steady mind,
whether standing, sitting, or lying down;
A bhikkhu thus resolved on |mindfulness::sustained active awareness regarding the body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly without craving or distress [sati]|,
will attain |progressively higher::successive; first one then the following; lit. before and after [pubbāpariya]| distinctions;
Having attained progressively higher distinctions,
he goes beyond the sight of the King of Death.”
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā cūḷapanthako bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ cūḷapanthakaṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Ṭhitena kāyena ṭhitena cetasā,
Tiṭṭhaṁ nisinno uda vā sayāno;
Etaṁ satiṁ bhikkhu adhiṭṭhahāno,
Labhetha pubbāpariyaṁ visesaṁ;
Laddhāna pubbāpariyaṁ visesaṁ,
Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche”ti.