1. The complete verse from “Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (DN 22)” is: “‘Atthi kāyo’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.”
- This could take a book to explain if started from the beginning.
- But the essence is “Once a mind gets to the “paccupaṭṭhita sati” (bahiddha vinnana), it is free of any manifested defilements (samyojana/anusaya may still be there). This is where one has truly cultivated the “sati sambojjhanga” in cultivating “Satta Bojjhanga.” It is not easy to get a mind to this stage. But once there, this is the best place to contemplate the anicca nature, etc., and get to higher magga phala. This is where one’s mind can stop grasping at anything in the world.”
- This exact verse comes after each section in Kāyānupassanā (@ markers 3.5, ,,10.8; I think the Sutta Central version may not have the verse in other sections between 3.5 and 10.8).
2. A similar verse appears in the Vedanānupassanā section @ 11.13: “‘Atthi vedanā’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.”
- Thus, one can get to the same “paccupaṭṭhita sati” (bahiddha vinnana) by contemplating the origin of vedana (which means the origin of samphassa-ja-vedana.)
3. A similar verse appears in the Cittānupassanā section @ 12.20: ‘‘Atthi cittan’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.”
- Thus, one can get to the same “paccupaṭṭhita sati” (bahiddha vinnana) by contemplating the origin of citta (which means the origin of defiled citta or thoughts.)
4. A similar verse appears in the Dhammānupassanā section @ 13.11: ‘‘‘Atthi dhammā’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya, anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati..”
- Thus, one can get to the same “paccupaṭṭhita sati” (bahiddha vinnana) by contemplating the origin of dhammā (which means the associated Dhamma concepts. That is the same as contemplating how kammic energies (dhammās) arise. That means Paticca Samuppada, Noble Truths, Tilakkhana, etc. That also means understanding the origin of “san” at the bahiddha/ajjhatta transition due to the “defiled sanna,” i.e., one must become “sandiṭṭhiko,” as I explained earlier on this thread.
- That also means one needs to understand how a mind “expands” in two stages of “purana kamma” and “nava kamma” as I explained in the charts showing two stages of “expansion” of vinnana.
5. One can get to the “paccupaṭṭhita sati” via any of the four types of anupassanā (or subsections within each.)
- However, one usually needs to contemplate most of them at various times.
- Each person may have their favorite section(s). Some focus on how samphassa-ja-vedana arise and another may focus on how defiled cittas arise, for example.
- But they are all the same at the end. Vedana, sanna, arise simultaneously within each citta, i.e., within each vinnana. The word “kāya” here means “pancupadankkhandha kāya” (rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana.)
6. I have also stated that understanding all that may not be necessary to become a Sotapanna (because one may have come close in previous lives and may have grasped it even without knowing.) However, generally, one must become “sandiṭṭhiko” to attain magga phala.
- However, it is absolutely necessary to understand all that to attain higher magga phala, because that is the basis of Satipatthana.
- Now, some, like Venerables Bahiya or Santati, may have done most of that work in previous lives and were able to get there quickly.
7. I will explain these concepts in more detail in upcoming posts, even though I have already covered most of them.
- The issue is that no one is fully familiar with the concept of “distorted sanna” (especially the fact that it is built into anyone born into this world via Paticca Samuppada.)
- That is why it is so hard to suppress kama raga, let alone eliminate it. But once one understands “distorted sanna,” one can see that it is all “mind-made” illusions! We all have been wasting our time watching a grand magic show. But the problem is that it leads to so much future suffering.
7. Let me point out another critical point. It is not necessary to try to “go back from right to left” in those “expansion charts” intentionally. Those charts are there to explain how a mind becomes defiled sequentially at a rapid rate.
- But one must comprehend the mechanism.
- One must live a moral life and abstain from akusala kamma to avoid going through too many of the “higher expansion stage” in the “nava kamma” region of the chart. This is the practice of “Ariyakanata sila.”
- That is because when one sits down to meditate formally, one’s mind will still “wander around.” The more one practices Ariyakanata sila, the easier it becomes to keep the mind focused. Again, formal meditation means contemplating the essence of what is discussed above. For example, how we chase mirages all day, trying to acquire more sensory pleasures (or to make money for that purpose.) Such efforts only take us away from the suffering-free mind. A puthujjana‘s mind ALWAYS moves from left to right on those charts, i.e., away from the “paccupaṭṭhita sati” and thereby away from the “suffering-free” pabhassara mind.
8. The Buddha clearly stated that his teachings have never been known to the world. That statement must be taken seriously. Most people try to interpret his teachings in mundane ways. A Buddha will never teach anything that average humans can come up with. No average human (no matter how “intelligent” as measured by IQ, etc.) can figure out the fact that what is perceived as “pleasure” is really the cause of future suffering!
