What is the relationship between mindfulness and satipatthana?
The answer to this question is simple yet of profound importance. That’s why I’ve decided to write this article and explain the connection between them.
In simple terms, satipatthana is a Buddhist meditation that leads to Nirvana through the practice of mindfulness. Here is a quote from the book called Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization by Bhikkhu Analayo:
Mindfulness and the proper way of putting it into practice are certainly topics of central relevance for anyone keen to tread the Buddha’s path to liberation. Yet for a proper understanding and implementation of mindfulness meditation, the original instructions by the Buddha on satipatthana need to be taken into consideration.
I’ve emphasized the phrase “original instructions by the Buddha” because new meditation techniques and apps often obscure traditional mindfulness practice — a tendency I try to remedy every chance I get.
About the book’s author: Ven. Bhikkhu Analayo was born in 1962 in Germany, was ordained in 1995 in Sri Lanka, and completed his PhD on satipatthana at the University of Peradeniya in 2000. At present, he is mainly engaged in the practice of meditation, and among other things contributes to the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. He has authored several books on Buddhist practice, including Satipatthana and Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation.
I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. What you see here is the combination of my three favorite things: reading, writing, and mindfulness. While you’re here, subscribe to my blog updates and gain access to free mindfulness resources for stress relief.
