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THE FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS (SATIPATTKANA) AS A MICROCOSM OF THE THERAVADA BUDDHIST WORLD VIEW by Thomas Gyori submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History of Religions: The Hindu Tradition Chair: College or School 1996 The American University Washington, D.C. 20016 lill CSS AMERICAS UlilTLSSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1381807 UMI Microform 1381807 Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS (SATIPATTHANA) AS A MICROCOSM OF THE THERAVADA BUDDHIST WORLD VIEW BY THOMAS GYORI ABSTRACT The following study is an attempt to illustrate the manner in which the prescribed method of Theravada Buddhist praxis; namely, mindfulness (sati, i.e., the seventh stage of the Eightfold Noble Path) represents the microcosmic image of the Theravada Buddhist v/orld view. Implicit in this work is the fundamental notion that soteriological systems never exist in a vacuum. Rather, they necessarily presuppose a world and existential condition that one seeks to transcend. As per the Theravada tradition, its salvational schema emerges directly from its view of the cosmos (i.e., the three characteristics of existence: anicca, anatta, and dukkha), while its specific form of meditation manifests that view. In effect, then, this work is aimed towards establishing a more reciprocal relationship between theory and practice within Theravada Buddhism. The chosen method of research for the proposed problem is phenomenological in nature. Mircea Eliade's significant ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. contributions to the phenomenology of religion have resulted in a more profound understanding of religious consciousness, particularly as expressed through the rich varieties of myth, ritual (i.e., meditation), and symbolism. As such, the phenomenological approach forces the outsider to become more sensitive to the needs and experiences of the insider as having liberating effects. Finally, the conclusion seeks to reestablish (by way of analogy) the basic underlying theme: namely, how the synthesizing of theory and practice yields a freedom experience. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would, first of all, like to acknowledge the outstanding work and scholarship of five faculty members who, in their own unique way, equally contributed to my success as a student. From the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook (where I received my B.A.in Religious Studies), my heartfelt gratitude goes to Prof. Sung Bae Park (Director of Korean Studies), Prof. William Chittick (Academic Advisor/Coordinator for Religious Studies and renowned Islamicist), and Prof. Sachiko Murata (Director of Japanese Studies), for giving me the kind of knowledge I can value for the rest of my life. At the graduate level, from the Catholic University of America (CUA), well deserved recognition goes to Prof. William Cenkner for having sharpened my understanding of the comparative approach to the study of religion as well as the religious traditions of India. Finally, from Georgetown University (GU), I would like pay tribute to Prof. B.N. Hebbar for his superb job in the teaching of Indian Philosophy and Mysticism. I'm confident that the experience I gained from iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. his course will prove beneficial for years to come. On a more personal note, I would be remiss if I failed to thank my parents for having had the patience and courage to allow me to, in the words of the late Joseph Campbell, "follow my bliss." Without their encouragement and emotional support, the journey would surely have been a lot more difficult. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................... iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ...................................... 1 II. THE MIND PRINCIPLE ................................ 3 III. MINDFULNESS IN THEORY ............................16 IV. MINDFULNESS IN PRAXIS.............................. 31 V. CONCLUSION 4 6 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background In his first sermon at Benares, known as the 'Discourse on the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma' (Dhammacakkappavatta Sutta), the Buddha is said to have proclaimed the essence of his teachings. Thereupon, he uttered the following words to his disciples: "Formerly and today, monks, I teach but one thing: Suffering and the release from suffering."1 The existential significance of this claim, indeed, constitutes the heart and soul of the Four Noble Truths; the foundation upon which the entire history of Buddhist thought is predicated. Having awoken to the fundamental nature of human suffering (dukkha) through the recognition of its primary causes (Skt. samudaya), and while, at the same time, having proposed a practical method way for ending suffering (i.e. magga or the Eightfold Noble Path) , the Buddha has often times been portrayed as a spiritual physician. Upon curing himself from the plague of dukkha, he showed his undying compassion by lA.L. Herman, An Introduction to Buddhist Thought. (New York: University Press of America, 1983), p. 56. l Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. devoting virtually the remainder of his life to accomplishing the same for others. The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga- one of the two orthodox manuals of Theravada Buddhist meditation) makes use of the following simile that partially illustrates this point. The truth of suffering is like a disease, the truth of origin is like the cause of the disease, the truth of cessation is like the cure of the disease, and the truth of the path is like the medicine. Or the truth of suffering is like a famine, the truth of origin is like a drought, the truth of cessation is like plenty, and the truth of the path is like timely rain.2 To fully appreciate the salvific import of the Four Noble Truths it is necessary to understand the tension that existed between the rise of Theravada Buddhism and the Upanisadic tradition, the predominant religious trend during the period in which the Buddha lived (563 - 483 B.C.E.). Basically, the ultimate goal of the Upanisads was intended to be a kind of intuitive experience that enabled one to realize the inherent unity between the individual soul or spirit (atta; Skt. atman) and the universal Spirit, Brahman. This so-called "ontological identity" led to the threefold vision of "sat (permanent being), cit (knowledge), and ananda 2Bhikkhu Nanamoli, The Path of Purification. (Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1975), p. 586. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 (bliss)."3 This metaphysical substratum of eternality, however, was a contention that the Buddha was vehemently opposed to. What the Buddha taught, in contrast, was based on a radical form of empiricism in which reality