THE FOUNDATION OF THE KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
DHAMMA-KAKKA-PPAVATTANA-SUTTA

This translation is made from a transcript of the text as found in the very beautiful Ceylon MS. on silver plates, now in the British Museum[1]…. This text belongs to the Anguttara Nikâya. M. Léon Feer has lithographed the Samyutta treatment in his ‘Textes tirés du Kandjour[2],’ together with the text of the corresponding passage in the Lalita Vistara, and the Tibetan translation from that poem.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe11/sbe1104.htm

Seven Conditions of the Welfare of a Community

 ‘Other seven conditions of welfare will I teach you, O brethren. Listen well, and attend, and I will speak.’

And on their expressing their assent, he spake as follows:

‘So long as the brethren shall not engage in, or be fond of, or be connected with business–so long as the brethren shall not be in the habit of or be fond of, or be partakers in idle talk–so long as the brethren shall not be addicted to, or be fond of, or indulge in slothfulness–so long as the brethren shall not frequent, or be fond of, or indulge in society–so long as the brethren shall neither have, nor fall under the influence of, sinful desires–so long as the brethren shall not become the friends, companions, or intimates of sinners–so long as the brethren shall not come to a stop on their way [to Nirvâna^[1]] because they have attained to any lesser thing–so long may the brethren be expected not to decline, but to prosper.’

From the MAHÂ-PARINIBBÂNA-SUTTANTA pg 7-8, Translated from Pâli by T. W. Rhys Davids, 1881 http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe11/sbe1103.htm

Seven Conditions of the Welfare of a Community

And the Blessed One arose, and went to the Service Hall; and when he was seated, he addressed the Brethren, and said:

‘I will teach you, O mendicants, seven conditions of the welfare of a community. Listen well and attend, and I will speak.’

‘Even so, Lord,’ said the Brethren, in assent, to the Blessed One; and he spake as follows:

‘So long, O mendicants, as the brethren meet together in full and frequent assemblies–so long as they meet together in concord, and rise in concord, and carry out in concord the duties of the order–so long as the brethren shall establish nothing that has not been already prescribed, and abrogate nothing that has been already established, and act in accordance with the rules of the order as now laid down–so long as the brethren honour and esteem and revere and support the elders of experience and long standing, the fathers and leaders of the order, and hold it a point of duty to hearken to their words–so long as the brethren fall not under the influence of that craving which, springing up within them, would give rise to renewed existence[1]–so long as the brethren delight in a life of solitude–so long as the brethren so train their minds[2] that good and holy men shall come to them, and those who have come shall dwell at case –so long may the brethren be expected, not to decline, but to prosper. So long as these seven conditions shall continue to exist among the brethren, so long as they are well-instructed in these conditions, so long may the brethren be expected not to decline, but to prosper.’

From the MAHÂ-PARINIBBÂNA-SUTTANTA pg 6-7, Translated from Pâli by T. W. Rhys Davids, 1881 http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe11/sbe1103.htm

I. Contemplation of the Body – The Nine Cemetery Contemplations

6. The Nine Cemetery Contemplations

(1) And further, monks, as if a monk sees a body dead one, two, or three days; swollen, blue and festering, thrown in the charnel ground, he then applies this perception to his own body thus: “Verily, also my own body is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it.”

Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body internally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body externally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination-factors in the body, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in the body, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution-factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: “The body exists,” to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating the body in the body.

(2) And further, monks, as if a monk sees a body thrown in the charnel ground, being eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals or by different kinds of worms, he then applies this perception to his own body thus: “Verily, also my own body is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it.”

Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body…

“Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness” (MN 10), translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html .

Comment: There is much more to contemplate. Reading the Satipatthana Sutta in its entirety is left for those of you who wish to finish studying the remaining seven cemetery contemplations and the contemplations of feeling, consciousness, mental objects, concluding with the contemplation of mental objects in the mental objects of the four noble truths. To your happiness – Mark

I. Contemplation of the Body – Reflection on the Material Elements

5. The Reflection on the Material Elements

And further, monks, a monk reflects on this very body, however it be placed or disposed, by way of the material elements: “There are in this body the element of earth, the element of water, the element of fire, the element of wind.”[11]

Just as if, monks, a clever cow-butcher or his apprentice, having slaughtered a cow and divided it into portions, should be sitting at the junction of four high roads, in the same way, a monk reflects on this very body, as it is placed or disposed, by way of the material elements: “There are in this body the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind.”

Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body…

“Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness” (MN 10), translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html .

I. Contemplation of the Body – Reflection on the Repulsiveness of the Body

4. The Reflection on the Repulsiveness of the Body

And further, monks, a monk reflects on this very body enveloped by the skin and full of manifold impurity, from the soles up, and from the top of the head-hairs down, thinking thus: “There are in this body hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidney, heart, liver, midriff, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovial fluid, urine.”

Just as if there were a double-mouthed provision bag full of various kinds of grain such as hill paddy, paddy, green gram, cow-peas, sesamum, and husked rice, and a man with sound eyes, having opened that bag, were to take stock of the contents thus: “This is hill paddy, this is paddy, this is green gram, this is cow-pea, this is sesamum, this is husked rice.” Just so, monks, a monk reflects on this very body enveloped by the skin and full of manifold impurity, from the soles up, and from the top of the head-hairs down, thinking thus: “There are in this body hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidney, heart, liver, midriff, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovial fluid, urine.”

Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body…

“Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness” (MN 10), translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html .

I. Contemplation of the Body – Mindfulness With Clear Comprehension

3. Mindfulness with Clear Comprehension

And further, monks, a monk, in going forward and back, applies clear comprehension; in looking straight on and looking away, he applies clear comprehension; in bending and in stretching, he applies clear comprehension; in wearing robes and carrying the bowl, he applies clear comprehension; in eating, drinking, chewing and savoring, he applies clear comprehension; in walking, in standing, in sitting, in falling asleep, in waking, in speaking and in keeping silence, he applies clear comprehension.

“Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness” (MN 10), translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html .

I. Contemplation of the Body – The Postures of the Body

2. The Postures of the Body

And further, monks, a monk knows, when he is going, “I am going”; he knows, when he is standing, “I am standing”; he knows, when he is sitting, “I am sitting”; he knows, when he is lying down, “I am lying down”; or just as his body is disposed so he knows it.

Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body internally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body externally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination factors in the body, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in the body, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution factors in the body.[10] Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: “The body exists,” to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating the body in the body.

I. Contemplation of the Body – Mindfulness of Breathing

1. Mindfulness of Breathing

And how does a monk live contemplating the body in the body?

Herein, monks, a monk, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree or to an empty place, sits down with his legs crossed, keeps his body erect and his mindfulness alert.[3]

Ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, he knows, “I am breathing in a long breath”; breathing out a long breath, he knows, “I am breathing out a long breath”; breathing in a short breath, he knows, “I am breathing in a short breath”; breathing out a short breath, he knows, “I am breathing out a short breath.”

“Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe in,” thus he trains himself. “Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe out,” thus he trains himself. “Calming the activity of the (breath-) body, I shall breathe in,” thus he trains himself. “Calming the activity of the (breath-) body, I shall breathe out,” thus he trains himself.

“Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness” (MN 10), translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html .

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

This is the only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness. What are the four?

Herein (in this teaching) a monk lives contemplating the body in the body,[1]ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating consciousness in consciousness,[2] ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating mental objects in mental objects, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief.

The Foundations of Mindfulness: Satipatthana Sutta”, translated by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanasatta/wheel019.html .

Comment: How does one contemplate the body in the body, etc.? Buddha continues the Sutta with answers to those questions. To your happiness – Mark