13. The Four Ways of Attending to Mindfulness (ARV13)

Herein, monastics, what are the four ways of attending to mindfulness?

Here, monastics, a monastic dwells contemplating internally (the nature of) the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world, he dwells contemplating externally (the nature of) the body in the body, he dwells contemplating internally and externally (the nature of) the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world.

He dwells contemplating internally, externally, internally and externally, (the nature of) feelings in feelings, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world.

He dwells contemplating internally, externally, internally and externally, (the nature of) the mind in the mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world.

He dwells contemplating internally, externally, internally and externally, (the nature of) things in (various) things, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world.

These, monastics, are the four ways of attending to mindfulness.

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu, 2016

Based on the edition by Prof. N. H. Samtani in The Arthaviniścaya-sūtra & its commentary (Nibandhana) (Patna, 1971), updated to include the corrections he printed in that work on pp. 180–181, most of which were also printed in his translation of the same, Gathering the Meanings (Berkeley, 2002), on pp. 309–310.

Original translation with comments to be found at http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.