The Foundations of Mindfulness (4)

Satipatthana Sutta 12- 13


(5. Elements)

12. "Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reviews this same body, however it is placed, however disposed, by way of elements thus: 'In this body there are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element.' Just as though a skilled butcher or his apprentice had killed a cow and was sited at the crossroads with it cup up into pieces; so too, a bhikkhu reviews this same body... by way of elements thus: 'In this body there are the earth element, the water element, the fire element and the air element.'
13. "In this way he abides contemplating the body as a body internally, externally, and both internally and externally... And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That too is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.

The Foundations of Mindfulness (3)

Satipatthana Sutta 10-11

(4. Foulness- The Bodily Parts)

10. "Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reviews this same body up from the soles of the feet and down from the top of the hair, bounded by skin, as full of many kinds of impurity thus: 'In this body there are head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil of the joints, and urine. Just as though there were a bag with an opening at both ends full of many sorts of grain, such as hill rice, red rice, beans, peas, millet, and white rice, and a man with good eyes were to open it and review it thus: 'This is hill rice, this is red rice, these are beans, these are peas, this is millet, this is white rice'; so too, a bhikkhu reviews this same body... as full of many kinds of impurity thus: 'In this body there are head-hairs... and urine.'
11. "In this way he abides contemplating the body as a body internally, externally, and both internally and externally...
And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That too is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.

The Foundations of Mindfulness (2)

Satipatthana Sutta 6-9

(2. The Four Postures)

6. "Again, bhikkhus, when walking, a bhikkhu understands: 'I am walking'; when standing, he understand: 'I am standing'; when sitting, he understand: 'I am sitting'; when lying down, he understand: 'I am lying down'; or he understand accordingly however his body is disposed.

7. "In this way he abides contemplating the body as a body internally, externally, and both internally and externally... And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That too is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.

(3. Full Awareness)

8. "Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is one who acts in full awareness when going forward and returning; who acts in full awareness when looking ahead and looking away; who acts in full awareness when flexing and extending his limbs; who acts in full awareness when wearing his robes and carrying his outer robe and bowl; who acts in full awareness when eating, drinking, consuming food, and tasting; who acts in full awareness when defecating and urinating; who acts in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, and keeping silent.

9. "In this way he abides contemplating the body as a body internally, externally, and both internally and externally... And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That too is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.

The Foundations of Mindfulness

10  Satipatthana Sutta 1-5

1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One, was living in the Kuru country where there was a town of the Kurus named Kammasadhamma. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus."- "Venerable Sir," they replied. The Blessed One said this:

2. "Bhikkhus, this is the direct path for the purification of being, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true way, for the realisation of Nibbana - namely, the four foundations of mindfulness.

3. "What are the four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness  and grief for the world.  He abides contemplating feelings and feelings, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. He abides contemplating mind as mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. He abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world.

(CONTEMPLATION OF THE BODY)

(1. Mindfulness of Breathing)

4. "And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu abide contemplating the body as a body? Here a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty hut, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him, ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. Breathing in long, he understand: 'I breathe in long'; or breathing out long, he understand: 'I breathe out long'. Breathing in short he understand" 'I breath in short'; or breathing out short he understand: 'I breath out short'.' He trains thus: 'I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body'; he trains thus: 'I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body'. He trains thus: ' I shall breathe-in tranquillising the bodily formation';  he trains thus: ' I shall breathe-out tranquillising the bodily formation.' Just as a skilled lathe-operator or his apprentice, when making a long turn, understand: ' I make a long turn'; or, when making a short turn, understand: 'I make a short turn'; so too, breathing-in long, a bhikkhu understands: 'I breathe-in long'... he trains thus: 'I shall breathe out tranquillising the bodily formation.'

(INSIGHT)

5. "In this way he abides contemplating the body as a body internally, or he abides contemplating the body as a body externally, or he abides contemplating the body as a body both internally and externally. Or else he abides contemplating in the body its nature of arising, or he abides contemplating in the body its nature of vanishing, or he abides contemplating in the body its nature of both arising and vanishing. Or else mindfulness that 'there is a body' is simply established in him to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and mindfulness. And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.



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"The Questions of Magandiya" Sutta Nipata Attahakavagga (v.844)

Extracted from Maha Kaccana - Master of Doctrinal Exposition by Bhikkhu Bodhi 1996

In SN 22:3, Haliddikani asks the elder Venerable Maha Kaccana to explain in detail the meaning of a verse from "The Questions of Magandiya"

"Having left home to roam without abode,In the village the sage is intimate with none;Rid of sensual pleasures, without preference,He would not engage people in dispute".

Taking up first the expression "having left home" (okam pahaya), Maha Kaccana treats the word "home", not as bearing the literal meaning of a place where people live, but as an elliptical reference to the "home of consciousness" (viññanassa oko). He explains that the "home of consciousness" is the other four aggregates - material form, feeling, perception, and volitional formations - which are here referred to as elements (dhatu); elsewhere these are described as the four"stations of consciousness" (viññana-thiti). If consciousness is bound by lust to these four elements, one is said to move about in a home. If one has abandoned all desire, lust, delight, and craving for these four home of consciousness, one is said to "roam about homeless" (anokasari). It should be noted that this last term does not itself occur in the verse, but Maha Kaccana has introduced it into his exegesis as a description of one who has abandoned home. 
Next the elder explicates the phrase "to roam without abode" (aniketasari). He first defines the counterpart, "roaming about in an abode" (niketasari), which also does not appear in the verse. As before, Maha Kaccana treats this expression as a metaphor to be reformulated in terms of systematic doctrine. In this instance, rather than using the five aggregates as his scaffold, he draws in the six external sense bases. By being shackled to the sign of forms (sounds, odours, etc.), by moving about in the abode of forms, etc., one is called "one who roams about in an abode." When one has abandoned all bondage to the sign of forms, etc., cut them off at the root, then one is said to "roam without abode."
The remaining sections of the exposition proceed more literally, and simply explicate, with straightforward definition, the meaning of the phrases used in the verse, always in terms of contrasting pairs. One who is "intimate with none in the village" is defined as a bhikkhu who keeps aloof from lay people and their worldly concerns. One "rid of sensual pleasures" is one devoid of lust and craving for sensual pleasures. One without preferences" (apurakkharano) is one who does not yearn for the future. And one who "would "would not engage people in dispute" is one who does not become embroiled in quarrels and disputes over the interpretation of the Dhamma.

An unexpected visit to Vimutti: The walking monk, Jason Chan

14-01-2014

Bhante Jason's visit was the most pleasant surprise! He was an anagarika in Santi at the time I just came there after the Vasa in 2009. He was already extremely dedicated to his practice.

He left Santi after I did in 2010 and I lost all contact with him. I got to know that he had ordained in Sri Lanka and that was all. I lost all hope that I will see him again.

When I was told on Sunday that he was on his way to my place I was inmenselly happy. I hurried to prepare lunch and he ate it all alone under a tree in the garden.

His complexion was so radiant that was hard to believe he ate only one meal a day during his walking from Queensland to Sydney! His movements were very mindful, his voice calm and grounded as he was telling about what the practice is about.

He is a real homeless monk. He lives no where, has no especial name, follows no rituals and really follows the Buddha's instructions. His only robe is been discoloured by the sun, the rain, the wind and time. He carries only this robe, his bowl and a bottle with water. He eats only one meal a day and sit with mosquitos, flies,  and sleeps in the wild whenever the night encounters him.

I feel he came just when I most needed to hear all what he have to say: something that I already knew but that I was so scared to accept because of so much needed letting go to accomplish it. "Letting go of the safety, letting go of security, of the "knowing what will be next", of "wanting to make sure how things will unfold"... Letting go of this extremely vulnerable "I". I suddenly realised how unprepared I was for the real path.

To see that, helped me to see even further: I know where I want to go; I know is possible, and I also know how I must train to be ready to ordain as a real Buddhist nun. It is not about learning about the path; it is not about walking the path; it is about making the path as you walk.

Bhante Jason; thank you for your message and inspiracion.