July 26, 2025
Satipaṭṭhāna means to bring one’s mind to a state that is temporarily free of the five hindrances/obstacles or pañca nīvaraṇa. One may not have eliminated defilements permanently, but while cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna (or while in “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi”), thoughts with rāga, dosa, and moha are temporarily blocked.
What Is Sati in Satipaṭṭhāna?
1. Satipaṭṭhāna is conventionally translated as “Mindfulness Meditation.” That is correct in a way, but we must understand what is meant by “being mindful” according to the Buddha’s teachings.
▪When handling a conventional critical task, we might instruct someone to “pay attention and think through carefully before doing it.” This can even be an immoral deed. For example, a suicide bomber assembling the bomb must be careful not to make any mistakes and blow himself up while assembling it. Thus, “being mindful” is applicable in that immoral situation in the mundane sense.
▪But in Buddha’s teachings, “sati” has a deeper meaning. The mind of an average person (puthujjana) is always covered by ignorance (about the true nature of the world), and that leads to the arising of thoughts with rāga, dosa, and moha. Another way to say that is a puthujjana’s mind is covered by pañca nīvaraṇa.
2. The “previously unheard Dhamma” discovered by the Buddha can be stated in the following way: Those pañca nīvaraṇa arise due to “distorted saññā.” The true nature of this world is to instill a “distorted saññā” of like or dislike in a mind upon experiencing certain sensory inputs. In kāma loka, this “distorted saññā” is “kāma saññā.” Thus, let us focus on “kāma saññā” for the rest of the post.
▪Until one fully understands the origin of kāma saññā, one’s mind will automatically attach to it. This is why it is so hard to control urges for sensual pleasures.
▪The mind of a puthujjana overcomes that “kāma saññā” for the first time when attaining the Sotāpanna phala moment with Sammā Sati while inside Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi (as discussed below); the mind comes off of the “kāma saññā” for a short time, and one may not even be aware of that. However, a Sotāpanna can thereafter access that Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi (free of the “kāma saññā”) and, with practice, can stay there for longer periods while engaging in Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvanā (not during everyday life).
▪Thus, to be “mindful” (and to have “sati”), one must enter that Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi. Only a Sotāpanna (or above) can cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvanā to enter the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi.
▪However, even a puthujjana can approach that mindset free of “kāma saññā” by cultivating the first stage of Satipaṭṭhāna, as discussed below. They will enter the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi for the first time when the Sotāpanna phala moment is attained as a result of that effort.
A Defiled Mind Makes Bad Decisions
3. We all know that when our minds become angry, we make bad decisions. People kill others without thinking of the consequences when getting angry in a confrontation.
▪Next to anger, it is greed that makes a mind make unwise decisions. In particular, one may commit rape when overcome with lust, or take a bribe if the price is high enough. We can think of many such situations. All those come under ‘kāma rāga’, the desire for sensory pleasures. When a mind becomes blinded by kāma rāga, it is elevated to kāmacchanda.
▪Furthermore, the root of anger is also kāmacchanda. One becomes angry when the desired outcome is not attained; then the mind starts to spiral downward with anger, and that is vyāpāda.
▪In the same way, a mind can get covered with the other three types of nīvaraṇa or hindrances/obstacles: thina-middha, uddhacca-kukkucca, and vicikicchā.
▪We discussed that in detail in the post “Kāya Is Pañcupādānakkhandha Kāya in Most Suttas.”
▪To get a general idea about “sati” in Satipaṭṭhāna, let us go through the steps in the growth of pañcupādānakkhandha (which is the same as how a mind becomes defiled upon receiving an enticing sensory input).
Overview of the Growth of Pañcupādānakkhandha (“Anusotagāmi”)
4. I have discussed this in detail in previous posts, but I have made the following simpler chart to make it easy to grasp (hopefully). Following the chart, I have summarized the sequence of main events that occur when a new sensory input is received; we will consider a “seeing event.” Do not worry if you don’t understand the details of these steps. This is intended to provide an overview of the overall process.
Growth of Pañcupādānakkhandha
Download/Print: “WebLink: JPG download: Growth of Pañcupādānakkhandha”
▪The mind of anyone born a human falls in “kāma dhātu.” This is where the mind receives a “representation of the external rūpa” (abbreviated by “rūpa”) captured by the physical eyes and processed by the brain. Paṭicca Samuppāda has tailored the human physical body to embed a ‘distorted saññā’ in that ‘rūpa.’ Furthermore, as we have discussed, the mind, at that instant, identifies the sight based on previous such sightings. Thus, it is really “rūpa upādānakkhandha.” This is an extremely fast process occurring within a billionth of a second.
▪Suppose even one of the lowest five saṁyojana (relevant to kāma loka) remains intact. In that case, that ‘distorted saññā’ will trigger automatic attachment to that sensory input and move the mind to “kāma loka.” This is STEP 1 in the chart. (Note: Since Arahants and Anāgāmis have broken those five saṁyojana, their minds will not move to kāma loka and remain in kāma dhātu, i.e., their minds do not become defiled, and thus, do not initiate a growth of pañcupādānakkhandha). [Orambhāgiya Saṁyojana (sakkāyadiṭṭhi, vicikicchā, sīlabbataparāmāso, kāmacchando, byāpādo) or five lower fetters/bonds, See “WebLink: suttacentral: Orambhāgiya Sutta AN 9.67”.]
▪Several steps are included in STEP 1, but it is not necessary to worry about them until one becomes a Sotāpanna. It is enough to get a rough idea of this sequence. Even within this step, the mind keeps attaching repeatedly to that rūpa.
5. The second major step (STEP 2 in the chart) is where the mind evaluates the kāma guṇa (enticing aspects of that rūpa). That evaluation depends on the person’s particular mindset at that moment. This is in contrast to STEP 1, where the mindset does not matter, and the event takes place based purely on saṁyojana (bonds to the rebirth process). For example, one is likely to accept an alcoholic drink while at a party, but not right after waking up or while listening to a dhamma discourse.
▪Furthermore, STEP 2 is not triggered by many sensory events in a day. For example, while traveling in a car, one may look outside and gaze at the scenery for hours without attaching to anything seen.
▪You can guess what types of sensory inputs your mind will get triggered by. It depends on the individual and their mindset at that moment.
▪If attachment to kāma guṇa occurs, then the mind moves to STEP 3, where it feels the joy or dislike associated with that rūpa. It is the “(saŋ)phassa paccayā vedanā” step. If that sukha or dukha vedanā is strong enough, the mind attaches to it with taṇhā (“vedanā paccayā taṇhā”).
▪That prompts the mind to move to STEP 4, where it consciously begins to pursue the rūpa. It must be emphasized that all the events up to this point occur automatically, without one even realizing it. This is the “taṇhā paccayā upādāna” step, where the mind becomes interested in pursuing it; that is called “upādāna.” See “Difference Between Taṇhā and Upādāna.”
▪ This initiates a series of steps in the “nava kamma” stage that I have not discussed in enough detail. I will do that in the next post.
Reversing the Pañcupādānakkhandha (“Paṭisotagāmi”)
6. The following chart indicates how a puthujjana can reverse the process of the growth of pañcupādānakkhandha. They can start by stopping their engagement in dasa akusala, i.e., avoid doing kāya, vacī, and mano kamma. We will discuss that process in detail in upcoming posts. I want to provide an overview of the whole process in this post.
Overcoming Kāma Saññā
Download/Print: “WebLink: JPG download: Overcoming Kama Saññā”
▪At the end of that process, which is called “kāyānupassanā” (an evaluation of the unfruitfulness of the whole pañcupādānakkhandha), a puthujjana’s mind will enter the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi at some point, and that is when they attain the Sotāpanna phala moment.
▪During that process, “vedanānupasanā,” “cittānupassanā,” and “dhammānupassanā” will also be accomplished. See below.
Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi Is Free of Pañca Nīvaraṇa
7. A Sotāpanna enters the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi for the first time at the moment of attaining the Sotāpanna stage of Nibbāna, i.e., when attaining Sammā Sati.
▪Since “kāma saññā” is absent in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi, it is also free of pañca nīvaraṇa. As we have discussed, kāma rāga is the main drive in generating the five hindrances/obstacles (pañca nīvaraṇa); thus, one must overcome kāma rāga (temporarily) to get to the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi. See “Kāya Is Pañcupādānakkhandha Kāya in Most Suttas.”
▪That is why the Sotāpanna phala moment is attained in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi.
▪Furthermore, attaining higher magga phala requires a Sotāpanna to re-access the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi, which enables them to engage in Vipassanā (insight meditation) and achieve higher magga phala.
▪In the next post, we will begin a detailed discussion on how a puthujjana can work to attain the Sotāpanna stage, i.e., to bypass the “kāma saññā” and reach the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi for the first time.
Key to the Sotāpanna Stage
8. A mind begins to gradually move towards Sammā Sati (Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi) when it starts to comprehend the Buddha’s teachings, first as a Sotāpanna Anugāmi. Then at some point (while listening to a discourse or contemplating), the mind becomes free of pañca nīvaraṇa and enters — for the first time — the “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi” that is free of pañca nīvaraṇa.
▪The Sotāpanna phala moment occurs while in Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi.
▪All subsequent magga phala (Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, Arahant) are also realized while the mind is in “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi.”
▪I am describing the basic ideas without quoting too many suttās first. This provides an overview of the whole process and expands on the basic outline provided in the post “Ānāpānasati – Connection to Satipaṭṭhāna.”
▪In that post, we summarized the three main sections in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118).” Let us expand that a bit more to get some insights.
Attaining Higher Magga Phala
9. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Nīvaraṇa Sutta (SN 46.40)” says, “The five hindrances are destroyers of clear vision (andhakaraṇā, where andhakara means ‘darkness’; acakkhukaraṇā means without ‘dhamma eye’) and wisdom ( paññā). They block the path to Nibbāna.”
▪A puthujjana must cultivate the FIRST STAGE of Satipaṭṭhāna, i.e., “kāyānupassanā,” “vedanānupasanā,” “cittānupassanā,” and “dhammānupassanā” to temporarily overcome pañca nīvaraṇa to attain the Sotāpanna stage.
▪The next step of attaining higher magga phala requires cultivating the second stage of Ānāpānasati.
▪The “WebLink: suttacentral: Nīvaraṇa Sutta (AN 9.64)” states, “To permanently eliminate (pahānāya) these five hindrances, you should cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna.” This sutta refers to the final outcome of eliminating the five hindrances, which involves the SECOND STAGE of Satipaṭṭhāna, i.e., “kāye kāyānupassanā,” “vedanāsu vedanānupasanā,” “citte cittānupassanā,” and “dhamme dhammānupassanā.”
Difference Between “Kāye Kāyānupassanā” and “Kāyānupassanā”
10. “Kāye kāyānupassanā” refers to another “kāya” within the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.” Specifically, it is about the first stage of the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.”
▪As we have discussed, the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya” can be divided into two parts: (i) “purāṇa kamma” stage or the “purāṇa kāya” section that arises at the beginning of a new “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya” and (ii) the “nava kamma” stage or the “nava kāya” section that arises at the latter stage of a new “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.”
▪Thus, “kāye kāya” in “kāye kāyānupassanā” refers to the “purāṇa kamma” stage or the “purāṇa kāya.” This is where the initial attachment to a sensory input takes place automatically.
▪“Kāye kāyānupassanā” focuses on Step 1 of the growth of the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.” On the way to the Sotāpanna stage, a puthujjana doesn’t need to understand the details of that process. However, it will be helpful to have an idea of the entire process.
▪In the same way, “vedanāsu vedanānupasanā,” “citte cittānupassanā,” and “dhamme dhammānupassanā” refer to contemplating vedanā, citta, and dhamma that arise in that initial section. Here, “dhamma” refers to all relevant dhamma concepts for that initial section of the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.”
▪At this point, you can refer back to the post “Ānāpānasati – Connection to Satipaṭṭhāna” for a better overview of the complete process. That post provided only the main outline.
A Puthujjana Starts by Abstaining from Dasa Akusala
11. In comparison, in the first stage of Satipaṭṭhāna, one must focus on the overall features of the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya” as a whole, and especially the second stage of it, the “nava kamma” stage or the “nava kāya.”
▪As we mentioned above, the mind of a puthujjana moves rapidly to the “nava kamma” stage. They do not know how to control their minds. They may have heard that one must abstain from dasa akusala, but may not have fully grasped WHY one must do so (other than to stay away from the apāyās).
▪There are two main benefits of getting to the “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi,” which is free of pañca nīvaraṇa: (i) It makes a mind free of the “distorted saññā” that one has lived up to that time (through the long journey in saṁsāra). This results in an “unburdened mind,” which is preferable to jhānic experiences. (ii) When the mind becomes free from the incessant stress due to “distorted saññā” that makes it the ideal environment to contemplate dhamma concepts (Tilakkhaṇa, Paṭicca Samuppāda, etc.) and reach higher magga phala.
Kāyānupassanā Is the Same as Kāyagatāsati
12. Not many people are aware of Kāyagatāsati. Here, “kāyagatā sati” can be loosely translated as “focusing on kāya (pañcupādānakkhandha kāya) with Sammā Sati.” That is the same as Kāyānupassanā in Ānāpānasati or Satipaṭṭhāna.
▪There are two suttās with the title “Kāyagatāsati Sutta,” and we will discuss both in the future to clarify whether they refer to the “physical body” or the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya.” Even though the primary focus is on the “pañcupādānakkhandha kāya,” some insights can be gained by contemplating the physical body, too (in the early stage, on the way to becoming a Sotāpanna).
▪Thus, insights on both types of kāya (pañcupādānakkhandha kāya and the physical body) can be applied to cultivate Kāyagatāsati or Kāyānupassanā.
▪The key to making progress is not getting stuck in words, but in capturing the key ideas involved.
Some Interesting Historical Facts
13. In addition to discussing the Kāyānupassanā (in a similar fashion to Ānāpānasati Sutta and relevant parts of Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta), the main sutta on Kāyagatāsati (Kāyagatāsati Sutta) also discusses getting into jhānās. It appears that the Kāyagatāsati Sutta was delivered in the early days when many people easily attained jhānās.
▪At the end of the “WebLink: suttacentral: Kāyagatāsati Sutta (MN 119),” it is stated that one can attain Arahanthood by cultivating Kāyagatāsati. This is also further evidence that this is one of the early suttās.
▪As we know, many people attained magga phala and even Arahanthood (e.g., Ven Bāhiya) upon hearing only a few verses. In those days, there was no need to explain Dhamma in great detail. Thus, the majority of people who attained magga phala in the early days were ugghaṭitañña or vipañcitañña who could grasp Dhamma concepts quickly. In this regard, “WebLink: suttacentral: Ugghaṭitaññu Sutta (AN 4.133)” discusses the four categories of persons — ugghaṭitañña, vipañcitañña, neyya, and padaparama. See #6 of “Sutta Interpretation – Uddesa, Niddesa, Paṭiniddesa.” (This does not mean that people in the ugghaṭitañña or vipañcitañña categories were randomly “lucky.” They had strived in past lives, which made it easier for them to get to the “final stretch.”)
▪In contrast to the Kāyagatāsati Sutta, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (which goes into relatively great detail) was likely delivered close to the Parinibbāna of the Buddha or at least in the latter stages of his life. By that time, most of those in the ugghaṭitañña or vipañcitañña likely had attained Arahanthood. The remaining people needed detailed explanations. These days, most are in the neyya or padaparama categories, and thus, also need detailed explanations.
▪Also note that there is no mention of jhānās in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta, which, as we discussed above, leads one to at least the Anāgāmi stage. Jhānās are not necessary to attain magga phala, but if they are achieved, they may help get to magga phala sooner. However, there is a danger in “getting trapped” in jhānic pleasures.
▪In a related matter, no Vinaya rules existed in the first twenty years or so, as they were not necessary. The Buddha began enacting the Vinaya rules approximately twenty years after attaining Buddhahood.
Summary
14. What we discussed above is a broad overview of the complete process of getting to the Arahant stage of Nibbāna.
▪It is beneficial to have this broad view so that one can avoid areas that are not yet comprehensible.
▪For example, until getting to the Sotāpanna stage, there is no need to worry about or think deeply about the second stage of Ānāpānasati involving “kāye kāyānupassanā,” “vedanāsu vedanānupasanā,” “citte cittānupassanā,” and “dhamme dhammānupassanā.”
▪Still, for the reasons discussed in #13 above, it is beneficial to have some understanding of the “purāṇa kamma” stage, even to attain the Sotāpanna stage. Being in the neyya and padaparama categories these days, we need all the help we can get.
▪That understanding will be helpful to become a Sandiṭṭhiko, one who can discern how “saŋ” (rāga, dosa, moha) gets “added” to a “pure mind” (pabhassara mind) via attaching to saññā. See “Sandiṭṭhiko – What Does It Mean?” Also, note that Sappabhāsa Citta (another name for the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi) is not the same as pabhassara citta, which can be attained only by an Arahant. While pañca nīvaraṇa remain suppressed while in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi, pabhassara citta is permanently devoid of pañca nīvaraṇa. See #4 of “Kāma Saññā – How to Bypass to Cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna.”