Vipassanā for Peace: Studies in Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta

Netra Prasad Sharma, PhD,

Lumbini Buddhist University

Abstract

Night follows the day as surely as peace follows the Vipassanā practice.
However, this powerful technique of meditation has yet to gain wide popularity
in human society. Gautama the Buddha has given instructions for Vipassanā
in Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. This sutta explores and narrates how to go deep
into meditation, how to uproot mental defilements and how to realize peace
of mind. This research study attempts to uncover Buddha's step by step
instruction on Vipassanā practice. Theoretical understanding will give clarity,
which will be much helpful for readers and practitioners. In Vipassanā practice,
there are step by step instructions to go into meditation and realize the true
nature of things. Everything in life and the world are impermanent, suffering
and no self. Once the truth dawns in a practitioner, he or she begins to see
things as they are. Being fully aware of the present moment, the practitioner
begins to see Buddha nature in everyone. He learns to drop cravings, aversion
and ignorance, and attains peace of mind. Peace has ripple effect, it spreads
everywhere.

Key words: Vipassanā meditation, Satipatthana Sutta, Mental Defilements,

Peace of Mind, Compassion.

Introduction

Vipassanā is a Buddhist meditation technique that helps to attain peace of

mind in the beginning and it helps to develop panna or wisdom. With the
arising of wisdom, meditation practitioners realize the nature of things, as
they are – impermanence, suffering and no self. This realization ends their
suffering. They find themselves at peace with themselves. They develop
compassion towards all who are suffering. They help or initiate others into
meditation, and consequently, more and more people get rid of suffering and
feel at peace with themselves. This way, Vipassanā helps to maintain social
peace.

The instruction of Vipassanā practice are documented in Pāli cannon in the

famous Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. This Sutta contains vivid instructions about
how to go into meditation deeply, how the obstacles can be overcome and
how inner peace and tranquility can be realized. However, this important Sutta
is yet to be studied in its clarity, denotation and connotations in academic
researches. A good research on this Sutta would help the practitioners or lay
people to understand the theoretical aspects of Vipassanā and how it actually
helps the practitioners get rid of suffering and attain peace of mind.

In this study, an attempt has been made to uncover the theoretical aspects of
the practice of Vipassanā as instructed vividly in Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta by
Gautama the Buddha. So the objective of this study is to introduce readers
and practitioners important aspects of this meditations, how it is practiced and
how it works.

Vipassanā as instructed in Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta

In Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the Pāli term sati stands for being mindful of the
wholesome dhamma, whereby the true nature of phenomena can be seen as
they are. Patthāna means "close, firm and steadfast establishment,
application, setting up."1 When this word Patthāna comes with sati, it has
special meaning in the context of Buddhist way of meditation. "Combining
these two elements, the meaning of the compound becomes 'close, firm and

1
Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa, The Meaning of Satipatthana, http://www.saddhamma.org/pdfs/the-meaning-of-
satipatthana.pdf, p. 1, Date retrieved 16 October 2018. p.2.
steadfast, establishment of awareness on the object of observation. This kind
of awareness is also called supatitthita sati, steadfast mindfulness."2 In the
Sutta, Sati is used in the sense to be mindful.
The text begins with relating the uddēsō, the significance of Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna
Sutta. Gautama the Buddha has narrated the uddēsō of the sutta as:
"ēkāyānō…maggō-- The only way for the purification of beings, for overcoming
sorrow, for extinguishing suffering, for walking on the path of truth, and for
realizing Nirvana."3
Buddha has instructed step-by-step techniques to deepen the practice of
meditation. The instruction can be seen comprised of four different states of
contemplation. They are: contemplation on the body, contemplation on the
feelings, contemplation on consciousness or the state of mind and
contemplation on Dhamma, i.e., (kāyānupassanā, Vedananupassana,
Cittanupassana and dhammānupassanā). Some scholars have explained the
same as "four stations of mindfulness" or "four foundations of mindfulness."4
In the following pages, an introduction of these four foundations of
mindfulness are presented.
The Contemplation of the Body: The instruction begins with contemplation
of the Body. The practice of satipaṭṭhāna starts with contemplation on the
body parts or activities in various ways. Under this contemplation, the Buddha
gives detail account how a monk focus on breathing, body movement,
impurities of the body and so on. He mentions the ways monks try to release
the attachment and gain tranquility of the mind. In the text, there are several
ways narrated to practice satipaṭṭhāna in this body contemplation stage. Under
this phase, being mindful of the respiration, being mindful while walking or
watching body movements, being mindful of the impurities of the body or
being mindful of the process a dead body decays. All these practices of

2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
4
Dharmafarer.org, p, 14.
mindfulness help the meditation practitioner to become more and more aware
of the present moment, to be able to concentrate on any object at hand. This
focused concentration helps a lot in further practices.

The Contemplation of the Sensations: Under this phase, Buddha goes on

explaining that there are three basic kinds of sensations: pleasant, unpleasant
and neutral. He instructs the monks to be mindful of any sensations/feelings
of suffering or pleasantness arising in the body. He goes on relating about
moment to moment awareness at the same time. The monks become aware
when certain body sensation is there, when certain sensation is not there,
when certain sensation starts arising and when the same starts passing away.
Buddha used to say in several sermons, "vēdanā samōsaraṇā sabbē
dhammā",5 i.e. everything that arises in the mind is accompanied by
sensation. Whatever comes in mind spreads in whole body in the form of
sensation. dwells observing sensation in sensations both internally and
externally. Thus, knowing the sensation at it is there is a key to exploring the
roots of everything that happens. This practice helps the meditator to realize
wisdom, that is seeing things as they are.

Contemplation of the Mind: In this phase of practice, Buddha gives a detail

account of contemplation of the mind. Buddha narrates that a practitioner
becomes aware of his sixteen different mental states. Some of them are where
the mind is with craving or without craving, whether the mind is with hatred
or without hatred, whether the mind is doubtful or without doubt, whether the
mind is liberated or in bondage of some thoughts. During this practice, a
practitioner dwells detached, without clinging toward anything in the world
consisting of mind and matter.

5
Anguttara-nikaya, VRI 3.159, Nal. IV 184, PTS V. 107, "Dhamma Vani" (Ram Pratap Giri (ed.) published for
Vipassanā visodhan vinyas), year 31, number 4, 2 Oct 2001, page no. not available.
Contemplation of the Dharma: On this phase, Buddha narrates how a
practitioner observes the whole phenomena mindfully. Being mindful on the
fact that mental objects are 'ownerless' or there is no self to which one has so
much attachment. In this contemplation, several stages are explained to
observe or be aware of. Those stages are: The five hindrances, the five
aggregates, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Four Noble Truths and
the Noble Eight Fold Path. In the text of Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta, Buddha has
stated that contemplating on these four basic stages of mindfulness is the only
way to peace. Because, overcoming the obstacles of meditation and deepening
the awareness of the present moment is important steps to realizing things as
they are. By observing the phenomena mindfully, the practitioner attains a
state of equanimity. As the practitioner maintains awareness of the present
moment with composer or steadiness of mind, he or she begins to see the
roots of suffering. The roots of suffering are craving, aversion and ignorance.
The practitioner realizes the nature of things as impermanence, suffering and
no self. With this understanding, he or she is able to uproot the roots of
suffering and regain the peace of mind.

The Four Noble Truths: In the course of the practice, the practitioner
realizes Dharma and then the Four Noble Truths. The practitioner knows 'this
is suffering,' 'this is the cause of suffering,' 'this is the cessation of suffering,'
and this is 'The way leading to the cessation of suffering.' Knowing the
suffering as it truly is a liberating experience. However, mere information of
this truth may not initiate any realization. According to Buddha, this 'knowing'
takes place only in systematic and deep meditation.

The Noble Eightfold Path: The Fourth Noble Truth is there is way to the
cessation of suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path are the very ways to liberation
and peace. These are the basic to all Buddhist schools. Buddha realized these
paths during his enlightenment and taught to the five monks in his first
sermon. These Noble Eightfold paths are as below: samyakdr̥ṣṭiऽ

samyaksaṁkalpa, samyakvacana, samyakkarmānta, samyakaājīvikā,

samyakvayama, samyaksmr̥ti, samyaksamādhi. The English translation of
these pāli terms follows respectively: Right View, Right Thought, Right
Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right
Concentration. These are the core teachings of Buddha. Knowing these
teachings and generating the panna, or wisdom leads to ultimate peace of
mind. Acharya Nagarjuna has said, 'these eight fold paths will give you stable
peace of the mind.'6
Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta is collected in Pāli Canon's Digha Nikaya (Sutta 22).
In this Sutta, Buddha has stated clearly that satipatthana is the only way to
peace. In Buddha's words, "There is only one unique way (path) for the
purification of the human being for the destruction of suffering, for the
eradication of grief, and sorrowfulness for the comprehending of wisdom, for
the realization of emancipation, liberation."7
The later scholars have affirmed the importance of this Sutta as most
important and a surest way to peace. D.C. Ahir writes, "Vipassanā is the most
ancient meditation technique…(it is) the most important discourse ever given
by the Buddha."8 A quick survey of some Buddhist scholars' opinion about is
approves it well. Maurice Walshe writes that, “(The Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta) is
generally regarded as the most important sutta in the entire Pāli
canon.”9Walpola Rahula has assured this Sutta as “The most important

6
Nagarjuna, Suhrillekha, 211-212.
7
MahaSatipaṭṭhāna sutta, Eng. tr. Ven. Dr. B Devananda, Taiwan, The corporate body of the Buddha Educational
Foundation, 2000, pp. 34.
8
D.C. Ahir, Vipassanā, A Universal Buddhist Technique of Meditation, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publication, 1999, p. 1.
9
Maurice Walshe (tr.), The Long Discourses of the Buddha, A Translation of the DighaNikaya, Wisdom Publications,
1995, p. 588.
discourse ever given by the Buddha on mental development (meditation) is
called the Satipaṭṭhāna-Sutta.”10
At the end of the Sutta, Buddh has ascertained that a practitioner, if diligently
practices, will attain enlightenment, the state of ultimate peace within as less
as seven days.11 This practice is probably the most important and most
effective practice in comparison to all other practices. In this very practice,
one learns how to stay aloof from sensuous appetites, how to stay aloof from
evil ideas and how to enter into first, second, third and fourth state of
meditation (Jhana).
The first phase of mindfulness helps the practitioner to develop detachment
from life and the world. As one observes closely how transitory the body itself
is, how changing things are in every moment. The second phase of
mindfulness helps to develop a sense of impermanence. The practitioner
knows this in his each and every body part as sensations arise and pass away.
The third phase of mindfulness helps in mind purification. The mind either
goes on running after desires or trying to avoid un-desired things. During the
practice, one learns to watch the nature of the mind with equanimity. Finally,
the fourth phase of mindfulness helps the practitioner in arising of wisdom. It
is seeing things as they are. It is seeing the impermanent nature of things,
the existence, causes and ways to overcome suffering, and the truth of no
self. When one sees things in this light and realizes there is nobody who
suffers, suffering surely comes to an end. All that remains is a state of peace
and tranquility. The practitioner develops compassion towards all who are still
suffering.

10Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught, Taiwan: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Education
Foundation, 1972, p. 69
11
Mahasatipatthana Sutta, Dr. B. Devananda, (Tr.) Taiwan: Corporate Body of Buddha Education Foundation,
2000, p. 55.
Having compassion towards others is rewarding in both way: to the recipient
and to the compassionate one. A sense of satisfaction or fulfillment of being
compassionate is a higher level experience for a human being.

Conclusion

The above study has explored that Individuals can attain the state of
peacefulness by practicing Vipassanā meditation as their mental defilements
are gradually uprooted. Peaceful individuals will be able to create peaceful
society. This research study has revealed an authentic and easy way of social
peace building. The core of the hypothesis in this study is peace in oneself;
peace in the world. The first place to seek peace is within our own place. We
cannot find peace anywhere as we find it in our own self. When a person has
made peace within himself, he will be able to make peace in the larger world.

If there is peace at heart, there will be peace at home, if there is peace at

home; there will be peace in the neighbors. Peace begins inside and prevails
outside. As one is required to have a perfect bodily posture while standing,
sitting or walking, peace is the perfect posture of the self. How to have that
perfect posture of the self? This is not always an easy mode. The practice of
meditation may help to have right posture.

References

Anguttara-nikaya, VRI 3.159, Nal. IV 184, PTS V. 107, "Dhamma Vani" (Ram
Pratap Giri (ed.) published for Vipassanā visodhan vinyas), year 31, number
4, 2 Oct 2001, page no. not available.
D.C. Ahir, Vipassanā, A Universal Buddhist Technique of Meditation, Delhi:

Sri Satguru Publication, 1999.

Mahasatipatthana Sutta, Ven. Dr. B Devananda, (tr.) Taiwan: The Corporate

Body of Buddha Education Foundation, 2000.

Maurice Walshe (tr.), The Long Discourses of the Buddha, A Translation of

the DighaNikaya, Wisdom Publications, 1995.

Nagarjuna, Suhrillekha, Varanasi: Chaukhamba Bauddha Bharati, 1990.

Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught, Taiwan: The Corporate Body of the

Buddha Education Foundation, 1972.

Web references

Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa, The Meaning of Satipatthana.

http://www.saddhamma.org/pdfs/the-meaning-of-satipatthana.pdf, Date
retrived, 26 March 2019.

www.dhammafarer.org