22. The Long Discourse about the Ways of Attending to Mindfulness (DN22)

The Truth of the Path

Now what, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Practice Leading to the Cessation of Suffering?

It is this noble path with eight factors, as follows: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood right endeavour, right mindfulness, right concentration.

Now what, monks, is right view?

That, monks, which is knowledge about suffering knowledge about the origination of suffering knowledge about the cessation of suffering knowledge about the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.

This, monks, is called right view.

Now what, monks, is right thought?

The thought of renunciation, the thought of good-will, the thought of non-violence.

This, monks, is called right thought.

Now what, monks, is right speech?

Refraining from false speech refraining from malicious speech refraining from rough speech refraining from frivolous talk.

This, monks, is called right speech.

Now what, monks, is right action?

Refraining from killing living creatures refraining from taking what has not been given refraining from sexual misconduct.

This, monks, is called right action.

Now what, monks, is right livelihood?

Here, monks, a noble disciple, having abandoned a wrong way of livelihood, makes his living by a right way of livelihood.

This, monks, is called right livelihood.

Now what, monks, is right endeavour?

Here, monks, a monk regarding bad and unwholesome thoughts that have not yet arisen generates desire for their non-arising, (in this regard) he endeavours, instigates energy, exerts his mind, and makes an effort.

Regarding bad and unwholesome things that have already arisen he generates desire for their abandonment, (in this regard) he endeavours, instigates energy, exerts his mind, and makes an effort.

He generates desire for the arising of wholesome things that have not yet arisen, (in this regard) he endeavours, instigates energy, exerts his mind, and makes an effort.

Regarding wholesome things that have arisen he generates desire for their endurance, persistence, multiplication, extension, development, and fulfilment, (in this regard) he endeavours, instigates energy, exerts his mind, and makes an effort.

This, monks, is called right endeavour.

Now what, monks, is right mindfulness?

Here, monks, a monk dwells contemplating (the nature of) the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world.

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

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

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

This, monks, is called right mindfulness.

Now what, monks, is right concentration?

Here, monks, a monk, quite secluded from sense desires, secluded from unwholesome things, having thinking, reflection, and the happiness and joy born of seclusion, dwells having attained the first absorption.

With the calming down of thinking and reflection, with internal clarity, and one-pointedness of mind, being without thinking, without reflection, having the happiness and joy born of concentration, he dwells having attained the second absorption.

With the fading away of joy he dwells equanimous, mindful, fully aware, experiencing happiness through the body, about which the Noble Ones declare: “He dwells pleasantly, mindful, and equanimous,” he dwells having attained the third absorption.

Having abandoned pleasure, abandoned pain, and with the previous passing away of mental happiness and sorrow, without pain, without pleasure, and with complete purity of mindfulness owing to equanimity, he dwells having attained the fourth absorption.

This, monks, is called right concentration.

This, monks, is called the Noble Truth of the Practice Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.

Thus he dwells contemplating (the nature of) things in (various) things in regard to himself, or he dwells contemplating (the nature of) things in (various) things in regard to others, or he dwells contemplating (the nature of) things in (various) things in regard to himself and in regard to others, or he dwells contemplating the nature of origination in things, or he dwells contemplating the nature of dissolution in things, or he dwells contemplating the nature of origination and dissolution in things, or else mindfulness that “there are these (various) things” is established in him just as far as (is necessary for) a full measure of knowledge and a full measure of mindfulness, and he dwells independent, and without being attached to anything in the world.

In this way, monks, a monk dwells contemplating (the nature of) things in (various) things, in the Four Noble Truths.

The Section about the Four Truths is Finished

Contemplation of (the Nature of) Things is Finished

The Advantages of Developing the Ways of Attending to Mindfulness

Whoever, monks, should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for seven years, for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected: final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone seven years, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for six years for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone six years, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for five years for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected: final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone five years, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for four years for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone four years, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for three years for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone three years, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for two years for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected: final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone two years, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for one year for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone one year, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for seven months for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone seven months, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for six months for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone six months, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for five months for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone five months, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for four months for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone four months, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for three months for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone three months, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for two months for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone two months, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for one month for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone a month, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for half a month for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

Let alone half a month, monks, whoever should develop these four ways of attending to mindfulness in this way for seven days for him, out of two results, a particular result is to be expected final knowledge in this very life; or, there being some attachment remaining, the state of non-returner.

This is a one-way path, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of grief and lamentation, for the extinction of pain and sorrow, for attaining the right way, for the direct realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, the four ways of attending to mindfulness. Thus, whatever was said, it is for this reason it was said.”

The Gracious One said this, and those monks were uplifted and greatly rejoiced in what was said by the Gracious One.

The Advantages of Developing the Ways of Attending to Mindfulness is Finished

The Long Discourse about the Ways of Attending to Mindfulness is Finished

Translation by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu, 3rd version, October 2011/2055. Used by kind permission.

This translation, as well as extensive notes and commentary, is found on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

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Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.