English
8. Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness 301. Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Are all phenomena mindfulness, the faculty of mindfulness, the power of mindfulness, right mindfulness, the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, the one-way path, leading to destruction, leading to awakening, leading to decrease, undefiled, unbinding, untying, unflooding, unyoking, unhindering, ungrasped, unattached, uncorrupted; are all phenomena recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dhamma, recollection of the Saṅgha, recollection of virtue, recollection of generosity, recollection of deities, mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of death, mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of peace? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Is the eye-base a foundation of mindfulness? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Is the eye-base a foundation of mindfulness? Yes. Is the eye-base mindfulness, the faculty of mindfulness, the power of mindfulness, right mindfulness, the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, the one-way path, leading to destruction, leading to awakening, leading to decrease, undefiled, unbinding... (etc.)... uncorrupted; is the eye-base recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dhamma, recollection of the Saṅgha, recollection of virtue, recollection of generosity, recollection of deities, mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of death, mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of peace? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Are the ear-base... the nose-base... the tongue-base... the body-base... the form-base... the sound-base... the smell-base... the taste-base... the touch-base... lust... hatred... delusion... conceit... wrong view... doubt... sloth... restlessness... shamelessness... lack of moral dread foundations of mindfulness? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Is lack of moral dread a foundation of mindfulness? Yes. Is lack of moral dread mindfulness, the faculty of mindfulness, the power of mindfulness, right mindfulness... (etc.)... mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of peace? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Is mindfulness a foundation of mindfulness, and is that mindfulness? Yes. Is the eye-base a foundation of mindfulness, and is that mindfulness? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Is mindfulness a foundation of mindfulness, and is that mindfulness? Yes. Are the ear-base... (etc.)... the body-base... the form-base... (etc.)... the touch-base... lust... hatred... delusion... (etc.)... lack of moral dread foundations of mindfulness, and are they mindfulness? It should not be said thus... (etc.) Is the eye-sphere a foundation of mindfulness, and is it not mindfulness? Yes. Is mindfulness a foundation of mindfulness, and is it not mindfulness? It should not be said so... the ear-sphere... the body-sphere... the form-sphere... the touch-sphere... Is greed... hatred... delusion... lack of conscientiousness a foundation of mindfulness, and is it not mindfulness? Yes. Is mindfulness a foundation of mindfulness, and is it not mindfulness? It should not be said so... Should it not be said: "All phenomena are foundations of mindfulness"? Yes. Does not mindfulness arise in relation to all phenomena? Yes. If mindfulness arises in relation to all phenomena, then indeed it should be said: "All phenomena are foundations of mindfulness." If mindfulness arises in relation to all phenomena, are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. If contact arises in relation to all phenomena, are all phenomena foundations of contact? It should not be said so... If mindfulness arises in relation to all phenomena, are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. If feeling arises in relation to all phenomena... perception arises... volition arises... consciousness arises, are all phenomena foundations of consciousness? It should not be said so... Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Are all beings endowed with present mindfulness, possessed of mindfulness, imbued with mindfulness; is mindfulness present for all beings? It should not be said so... Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Was it not said by the Blessed One: "Those, monks, who do not partake of mindfulness directed to the body, do not partake of the Deathless. Those, monks, who partake of mindfulness directed to the body, partake of the Deathless"? Is there such a discourse? Yes. Do all beings partake of, attain, practice, develop, and make much of mindfulness directed to the body? It should not be said so... Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Was it not said by the Blessed One: "This, monks, is the one-way path for the purification of beings, for sorrow for the overcoming of lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and sorrow, for the attainment of the method, for the realization of Nibbāna, namely, these four foundations of mindfulness. Is there such a discourse? Yes. Are all phenomena the one-way path? It should not be said so (etc.). Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: "Monks, with the appearance of a Wheel-turning Monarch, there is the appearance of seven jewels. Which seven? There is the appearance of the wheel-jewel, there is the appearance of the elephant-jewel, the horse-jewel... the gem-jewel... the woman-jewel... the householder-jewel... the adviser-jewel. Monks, with the appearance of a Wheel-turning Monarch, there is the appearance of these seven jewels." "Monks, with the appearance of a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, there is the appearance of seven jewels of awakening factors. Which seven? There is the appearance of the mindfulness-awakening-factor jewel, there is the appearance of the investigation-of-states-awakening-factor jewel, there is the appearance of the energy-awakening-factor jewel, there is the appearance of the rapture-awakening-factor jewel, there is the appearance of the tranquility-awakening-factor jewel, there is the appearance of the concentration-awakening-factor jewel, there is the appearance of the equanimity-awakening-factor jewel. Monks, with the appearance of a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, there is the appearance of these seven jewels of awakening factors." Is there such a discourse? Yes. With the appearance of a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, are all phenomena the mindfulness-awakening-factor jewel? It should not be said so (etc.). Are all phenomena foundations of mindfulness? Yes. Are all phenomena right exertions... bases of psychic power... faculties... powers... awakening factors? It should not be said so (etc.). The discourse on the foundations of mindfulness is concluded.