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Chapter II DEFINITION of the TERM SATI and SAMMĀSATI

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Chapter II DEFINITION of the TERM SATI and SAMMĀSATI Chapter II DEFINITION OF THE TERM SATI AND SAMMĀSATI The word “Sati” has been used in Buddhist psychology in the sense of “mindfulness" for over 2500 years. Sati is the most important for cultivation of mind, and Vipassanā (insight meditation). There are different ways to explain the term Sati, it may be so useful to take a fresh look at mindfulness to clarify its meaning. The approach in this chapter is to seek the nature of mindfulness by studying the Suttas in which the Buddha and his students have used the term. In these Suttas we find a number of themes associated with mindfulness. It consists of the concept of the word Sati and also of the word Sammāsati, which is used to give the sense of correct (right) mindfulness. The definition and the meaning of Sati and Sammāsati, the types of the Sammāsati and different functions of Sati are also discussed in this chapter. Now we should go in detail in order to understand the Term Sammāsati clearly. II.1. Concept of Sati (mindfulness) The psychological concept of mindfulness involves the non- judgmental acceptance of thoughts, feelings and body sensations. 16 Mindfulness and a practicing of mindfulness can also decrease negative thoughts that intrude upon a leader‟s mind.8 The research has shown that Sati (mindfulness) leads to a better quality of life through feeling better and having less emotional distress. Sati plays a central role in the teachings of Buddhist meditation where it is affirmed that "correct" or "right" mindfulness is the critical factor in the path to liberation and subsequent enlightenment. Sati is unique to Buddhism and it is spread to every religion and philosophy. It is the Buddhist code of mental and physical conduct leads to the end of suffering. II.1.1. Definition of Sati (Mindfulness) Sati (Mindfulness) plays an important role in Buddhist philosophy both in theory and practice. Many contemporary Buddhist teachers, especially who follow the Theravada tradition advocate mindfulness. In the book “Mindfulness, Memory and Wisdom” written by Patrick Kearney, we can find a variety of definitions of mindfulness among contemporary authorities, such as: Nyanaponika Thera defines Sati (mindfulness) is “a kind of attentiveness that is good, skilful or kusala (right action).”9 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu sees Sati (mindfulness) as the ability to keep something in mind.”10 8 Srinivasan S. Pillay, Your Brain and Business, Printed in the United States of America, first printing March, 2011, p. 48. 9 Nyanaponika Thera, The Heart of Buddhist Meditatio, Kandy: SriLanka,1962, p. 9. 10 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, The Wings to Awakening, Dhamma Dana Publications, 1998, p.72. 17 Ṃāṇavīra Thera says “it is general recollectedness, not being scatterbrained and he links it with “reflexion,” knowing what one knows or does as one does it.”11 Sati is the only factor which is always present as Cetasika (mental factor) in the Kusala-citta (skilful states of mind): whenever there is skilful consciousness, there is Sati. Sati is paying attention to what is salient in the present moment. The definition of Sati in the Dhammasaṇganī is as follows: “Sati is recollecting, calling back to the mind, remembering, bearing in mind, Sati is not merely memory in the present, but also in the past, discriminating between good and bad.”12 In this definition, Sati appears to be a neutral factor and sati occurs only in the list of Dhammas which are essentially wholesome. It does not belong to the factors common to all kinds of consciousness, etc. Bhikkhunī Kusuma says “Sati is one of the twenty five “states that are good”. Sati accompanies every skillful consciousness; Sati does not accompany unwholesome consciousness.”13 The practice of Sati is the basis for development for inner mind and its role is like a gatekeeper allowing the people to enter into the city. This is the exact sentiment, which the Buddha and Sāriputta have expressed. It is to be expressed that the disciple, who resolves in energy and establishes mindfulness, will gain concentration and one- pointedness of mind. 11 Ñāṇavīra Thera, Clearing The Path. Buddhist Cultural Centre, 2001, p.155. 12 Mrs. Rhys Davids, Translation of Dhamma Sangani Buddhst Psychology.(Abhidhamma), Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, New Delhi, p.16. 13 Bhikkhunii Kusuma M., Ph.D., A Mental Therapy, The Development of Four Foundation of Mindfulness Taipei Taiwan, 2005, p.5. 18 II.1.2. The meaning of Sati According to terminology of the Buddhists, Thomas William Rhys Davids, scholar of the Pāli language first translated the word Sati in English as “mindfulness” and Sammāsati as "Right Mindfulness” “the active, watchful mind".14 Subsequently Sati was translated into Tibetan as “trenpa” (wylie: dran pa) and Chinese as nian 念. The Pāli word “Sati” literally means “memory.” the Sanskrit word Smṛti (Smṛti) literally means "that which is remembered", usually translated as mindfulness, or as awareness and constitutes a mental quality of crucial importance in early Buddhism. Bhikkhu Bodhi adds that “as a mental factor, it signifies presence of mind, attentiveness to the present, rather than the faculty of memory regarding the past.”15 According to Monier-Williams in Sanskrit-English Dictionary16 Sati related to the root “Smṛ” which means to remember, to recollect, bear in the mind, call to mind, be mindful of something. A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms gives basic translations of Sati (nian 念) Smṛti as "Recollection, memory; to think on, reflection; repeat, intone; a thought; a moment.”17 In the simple term, Sati means the training of one‟s mind to examine things in such a way as to recognize what is important and 14 T. W. Rhys Davids, (tr.), Buddhist Suttas, Orford, 1881, p.107. 15 Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed), Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha, A comprehensive manual of Abhidhamma, Kandy BPS, 1993, p.86. 16 Monier Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Motilat Barnasidass New Delhi, 2002, p. 1272. 17William Edward, A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, Motilat Barnasidass New Delhi, 2003, p. 258. 19 not to be led astray by the way of unwholesomeness. “Whatever we do we should do it with mindfulness, that is paying full attention, when you study you should pay full attention, you must be mindful, then you will get good results. If you work with mindfulness you will do good work and the chance for errors is very slim. Mindfulness is important instrument of working”.18 Sati is required not only to fully take in the moment to be remembered, but also to bring this moment back to mind at a later time. To “re-collect”, then, becomes just a particular instance of a state of mind characterized by “collectedness” and the absence of distraction. To sum up, we can say that there are basically the elements to note of the definition and meaning of sati in the literature: (1) sati remembers or does not lose what is before the mind; (2) Sati is a natural 'presence of mind'; it stands near and hence serves and guards the mind; (3) Sati “calls back to mind”, that is, it remembers things in relationship to things and thus tends to know their value and widen the view; (4) Sati is thus closely related to wisdom; it naturally tends to seeing things as they truly are. II.1.3. Characteristics, functions of Sati (mindfulness) The theme of mindfulness spreads throughout each of the Buddhist scripture as well as other religions that compose the path to freedom. The fundamental of mindfulness and its characteristics will be explained in detail. 18 Ven, C. Phangcham, Buddhism for Young Students, Wat Dhammaram:Sunday School, USA, 1990, p. 48. 20 Characteristics of Sati (mindfulness) The characteristic of Sati (mindfulness) is non superficiality. In the Visuddhimagga, Sati is described as follows; Mindfulness has the characteristic of remembrance. Its function is not to forget. It is manifested as guarding.19 Or Sati has the characteristic of not wobbling. Its function is to forget unwholesomeness. It is manifested as the state of confronting an objective field. Its proximate cause is strong perception or the foundation of mindfulness concerned with the body, feeling, consciousness and mind objects.20 While a determining factor among the thirty-seven factors of Buddha‟s teaching, Sati is the central characteristic of the mind. Other characteristics of Sati, according to Venerable H.Gunaratana Mahathera as follow: 1. “Sati is non-judgmental observation. It is the ability of the mind to observe without criticism.”21a 2. “Sati is an impartial watchfulness, it does not get hung up in what is perceived, it just perceives.”21b Mindfulness does not get infatuated with the good mental states, not try to sidestep the bad mental states, it is neither clinging to the pleasant, nor fleeing from the unpleasant. Mindfulness sees all experiences, all thoughts, and all feelings as equal. 19 Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli (trans), The Path of Purification, Taipei, Taiwan, 2006, Pr.172,p.169. 20 Ibid, p.142. 21 a,b,c Venerable H. Gunaratana Mahathera, Mindfulness in plain English, W.A.V.E, 2003, p.148. 21 3. “Sati registers experiences, Sati just observes everything as if it was occurring which is based on reflection and memory.”21c In the present time, awareness is the characteristic of Sati (Mindfulness). With Mindfulness one sees all phenomena without references to concepts like “me”, “my” or “mine”. Functions of Sati (Mindfulness) The "absence of confusion" is the function of Sati (Mindfulness). According to Joseph Goldstein & Jack Kornfield in the book “Seeking the Heart of Wisdom” there are three functions of Sati (Mindfulness): The first function of Sati (Mindfulness) is to see clearly what is happening in the present moment.22a In this function mindfulness allows us to notice the present things, to receive each experience without judgment, without grasping or aversion.
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