Saṁyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
47. Satipaṭṭhana Saṁyutta
1. Ambapāli-Vagga

Sutta 1

The Great Chapter,

47: Kindred Sayings on the Stations of Mindfulness

Chapter I: Ambapālī

Ambapālī Suttaṁ

Ambapālī

 

 

THUS have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying at Vesālī, in Ambapālī's Grove.1

Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Lord" replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

"This, monks, is the sole way2
that leads to the purification of beings,
to the utter passing beyond sorrow and grief,
to the destruction of woe and lamentation,
to the winning of the Method,3
to realizing Nibbāna,
to wit:

The four stations of mindfulness.

What are the four?

Herein a monk abides in body contemplating body4
(as transient),
ardent,
composed
and mindful,
having restrained5 the dejection in the world6
[120] arising from coveting.

He dwells as regards feelings contemplating feelings
(as transient),
ardent,
composed
and mindful,
having restrained the dejection in the world
arising from coveting.

He dwells as regards mind contemplating mind
(as transient),
ardent,
composed
and mindful,
having restrained the dejection in the world
arising from coveting.

He dwells as regards mind-states7 contemplating mind-states
(as transient),
ardent,
composed
and mindful,
having restrained the dejection in the world
arising from coveting.

This, monks, is the sole way
that leads to the purification of beings,
to the utter passing beyond sorrow and grief,
to the destruction of woe and lamentation,
to the winning of the Method,
to realizing Nibbāna,
to wit:

The four stations of mindfulness.

Thus spoke the Exalted One,ed1
and those brethren were pleased at the words of the Exalted One and welcomed them.

 

1 Ambapāli-vana; D. ii, 94. For Ambapālī (mango-guard), a courtesan, who presented this grove to the Buddha, see D. ii, 95-8; Dialogue. ii, 102 ff.: Sisters, 120 ff.

2 Ekāyano (text misprints twice as ekāya no). Comy. reads ekāyanāyaṅ; below there is a vl. ekāyanvāyaṅ. Cf. M. i, 55, ekāyano ayaṅ maggo; i, 74; D. iii, 221; Pts. of Contr. 105, 107, 'the sole conveying path'; Mahānidd. i, 455. Comy. ekāyano = eka maggo; maggassa hi maggo pantho patho pajjo añjasaṅ vatumāyanaṅ, etc. ... na dvedhā patha-bhūto (not diverging).

3 Ñāya = ariyo aṭṭhangiko maggo. Comy.

4 Cf. K.S. iv, 142 n.

5 Vineyya. Comy. tadanga-vinayena vā vikkambhana-vinayena vā vinayitvā.Loke=kdye. Comy. which refers to Vibhanga s.v.

6 Loke = kāye. Comy. which refers to Vibhanga s.v.

7 Dhammesu.

 

ed1 Conclusion omitted by Woodward. Picked up from SN 4.35.28