AN 7.67, the fortress simile, is an especially excellent sutta, because of the robustness of the similes really show how the 8aam path factors, and the 5ind work together, and how they’re interdependent and holistic.
The MA 3, the chinese parallel to AN 7.67, for right mindfulness, is even better. Where AN 7.67 has “a wise gate keeper”, MA 3 has a “general who is wise and sharp witted” as the gatekeeper.
(6. sati/mindfulness → wise gatekeeper)
- Just as a general is appointed as gatekeeper to the king’s border
town, one who is sharp-witted and wise in making decisions, brave
and resolute, of excellent counsel, who allows entry to the good and
keeps out the bad, to ensure peace within and to control outside enemies;
in the same way the noble disciple continuously practices mindfulness,
achieves right mindfulness, always recalling and not forgetting what
was done or heard long ago.
This is how the noble disciple gains the
“gatekeeping general” of mindfulness, which removes what is evil and
unwholesome and develops wholesome states.
“A wise” gate keeper is obviously referencing the close connection between pañña/wisdom, right view, right intention. “A wise general” one ups that by closely integrating wisdom, mindfulness, AND right effort (the army, which the general is part of). So the gatekeeper isn’t just a wimpy nerdy egghead, and he doesn’t just blow a whistle and wait for the army to show up, he leads the attack by himself. Kilesas shows up at the door, he just pulls out the sword and takes care of business on the spot.
You can see the robustness of the gatekeeper simile when you apply some of the modern wrong interpretations of “right mindfulness.”
What’s going to happen when the gatekeeper is standing there with choiceless awareness, only aware of the beautiful present moment, not aware of the past and future consequences, gentle and non judgemental? Then the kilesas are going to march right through the gate without resistance. You better believe the general is judgemental and decisive in action.
Also, we can see SN 45.8 definition of samma sati as being only the 4sp (satipatthana) is problematic here. 4sp covers atapi, sati, sampajano, but without a little more explanation of what that entails, again the gatekeeper is not going to be able to do his job. Memory is important, discernment is important, the gatekeeper needs a long memory, a sharp wit, and the ability to discern very subtle defilements that could slip by with a clever disguise.
For that, sati-indriya fills in the gap:
ariyasāvako satimā hoti paramena satinepakkena samannāgato cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā.
remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago.
