Four foundations of mindfulness

jlseagull90

I've been practicing mindfulness of breathing an metta bhavana for a while now and really felt some positive effects. I was listening to Pema Chodron's "Unconditional Confidence" the other day and she mentioned the four foundations of mindfulness. From my research I think its the case that there is a kind of meditation for each of these.

I only have experience with the mindfulness of breathing, which I first encountered through listening to guided meditations from www.wildmind.org - I am planning to get to a buddhist centre eventually but right now my life is jam packed and I'd really like to get some more guided meditations, but for the other 3 mindfulness foundations.

Can anyone recommend some good ones? Or even just a written guide... some resource where I can learn about the 4 foundations of mindfulness. I really feel I'm at a point where I could benefit from these other types of mindfulness.

Thanks

Glow

It sounds like Pema may be talking about the four foundations of mindfulness outlined by the Buddha here: Satipatthana Sutta. The four foundations are contemplation of the body, feelings, consciousness, and mental objects (thoughts, essentially). That would be your "firsthand" source. The sutta itself contains fairly detailed explanations. From there, you can find many books and commentaries on this sutta (Thich Nhat Hanh wrote one called Transformation and Healing), and also quite a few talks (and probably guided meditations) on it through Dharma Seed (just search "satipatthana").

jlseagull90

Wow, thanks Glow, that is an awesome amount of help!

Jeffrey

Basicly its being mindful that the body is the body. Feelings are feelings. Consciousness is consciousness. And mental objects are mental objects.

I think its what Pema Chodron means in part when she says 'just thinking'... so it could be 'just the body' 'just a mental object' 'just consciousness' 'just a feeling'

Of course the sutras have more information, but this is the idea I have of the four foundations of mindfulness. Consider it me talking to you rather than teaching, because I am not the latter.

jlseagull90

So is that to say trying to rest in awareness without getting caught up in thinking they are solid?

seeker242

jlseagull90 wrote: »

So is that to say trying to rest in awareness without getting caught up in thinking they are solid?

I would say not exactly. Because you will get caught up in them, which is inevitable. But rather to come back to awareness of the breath, etc. when you realize that you have been caught up. To try to not get caught up in them is a fruitless exercise and only produces frustration.

Glow

jlseagull90 wrote: »

So is that to say trying to rest in awareness without getting caught up in thinking they are solid?

That's a pretty good summary of what happens. Specifically, mindfulness is observing the three qualities of impermanence (anicca), not-self (anatta), and unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) of each of these meditation objects. This helps to ease the identification and grasping that cause suffering. You can see an old post I wrote about how the Buddha breaks this down in the sutta here.

Jeffrey

Pema Chodron teaches anicca, anatta, and dukkha (3 marks of conditional phenominon) in her own expression using western language in an approach that some westerners enjoy because it is more intuitive and feels more connected to daily life than a scholarly approach.

I mention that because I know the original poster, jlseagull, is familiar with pema. When she says 'not solid' that is what she is talking about. I think she is simultaneously introducing an insight into the UNconditional nature of mind, the buddha nature, particularly when she talks about bodhicitta. The UNconditional nature of mind is also shunyata (empty or spacious), but is also compassionate (sensitive), and has insight or prajna (clarity). This is a rough gist and the UNconditional nature cannot be pinpointed because its not like an ordinary object of mind.

For those who haven't read Pema or heard her audio cassettes, obviously 'not solid' is not sufficient to give us a good idea what she is talking about. But if you read an entire book or hour talk, by that time you catch on that Pema is introducing some of the same related material over and over again, each time in a different way to make the point.

Jeffrey

I would say not exactly. Because you will get caught up in them, which is inevitable. But rather to come back to awareness of the breath, etc. when you realize that you have been caught up. To try to not get caught up in them is a fruitless exercise and only produces frustration.

I think so too. Pema Chodron expresses this in that you should cultivate a light touch (no big deal) and also cultivate unconditional friendliness with yourself: willingness to sit with things in the present moment and see them clearly however difficult they are. Without making a big deal

Jeffrey

Ultimate bodhicitta (as opposed to developed conditioned relative bodhicitta), has the quality of unconditional confidence. Ultimate bodhicitta is indestructible and we don't need to create it we just have to remember that it is there. Link into it or open to it.

Jakbob

Wow, I was just reading this the other day in the book "the heart of the budha's teaching" by thich nhat hanh. It talks about this and also suggest that one reads Discourse on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness once a week as a constant reminder . As well as, Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing and The discourse on knowing the better way to live alone. I haven't yet read the latter two but the first is truly enlightening as its taken right from the Buddha I believe.

treederwright

The four foundations are the beginning practices on the Path of Accumulation in all three turnings they are somewhat different . but definately a start.

Good Job !

jlseagull90

Thanks guys, this is really helpful stuff.

Tikal2012

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the four foundations of mindfulness is something that you practice all together, not separately. I like to think of it like the four wheels on a skateboard that carry the meditator to his destination (which is supposed to be pretty good, I hear, haha). Any ways, like if a formation of mind (thought) arises, you just know that the thought arose. If a feeling arises, you just know that the feeling is there. If your mind is relaxed, then you know that your mind is relaxed. I know that the fourth foundation is mind objects, but I'm not too sure how that works. But I'm pretty sure that the four foundations of mindfulness are supposed to be practiced all together, and not separately. Like if your doing your mindfulness of breath, and a thought arises, you just know that the thought arose and passed away and keep breathing and relaxing, and you just practiced mindfulness of the body, and mindfulness of a mind object all at once. But then again, I'm not 100% sure, as I am still learning my self. Maybe you should check out a video on you tube?? Yeah, hope that helped. Peace.