Sati/Mindfulness - Remembering what was Done & Said long ago?

Discussion
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Satimā hoti, paramena satinepakkenasamannāgato, cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritāanussaritā. (Sekhasuttaṃ)
He is mindful, possessed of the highest mindfulness and discrimination, remembering, recollecting what he has done and said long ago. (Sekhasuttaṃ-SS)

Simply when he is mindful it enhances recalling of memory, if someone says sati has a similar meaning to memory, he is misinterpreting.
This is the phrase that led many people think sati is a form of memory. However, this clearly establishes a relationship between mindfulness and memory, although at the same time it does not just equate the two. Although the standard definition of mindfulness suggests some relationship to episodic memory, the two cannot simply be identified with each other. The reason is that some types of episodic memory can take the form of unintentionally dwelling on memories of the past and related fantasies, which would be the very opposite of being mindful. That being mindful will make one remember better is in fact quite intuitive, and this would apply for working, semantic, as well as episodic types of memory. Being receptively mindful in the present moment, more data related to that moment can be taken in by the mind, thereby furnishing a good foundation for later recalling that moment and its various related details. mindful recognition of the situation in the present moment is indubitably a crucial aspect of successful satipaṭṭhāna practice.( Bhante Analayo, 2016)

When we consider Bhante Analayos explaination, we can conclude that sati (mindfulness) is related to memory but it is not sharing identity with memory.
Mindfulness is not about memory. It simply means bare awareness to the moment. When you are aware of your mind and your object in the meditation dhamma vicaya (Investigation of the nature of reality) helps you identifying the quality of the object. One have to be careful identifying sati and other bojjangas, where they are gathered together.

Bhante Nyanaponika in his book The Power of Mindfulness, explains that the basic, unalloyed form of mindfulness is bare attention. He further explains, the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us, at the successive moments of perception is called bare attention (Bhante Nyanaponika, 1972).

References:
Anālayo, B. (2016). Early Buddhist mindfulness and memory, the body, and pain. Mindfulness, 7(6), 1271-1280.
Thera, N. (2008). The power of mindfulness. Wheel Publication, 1-75.
(This book published originally in 1972)

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53

To me, one way of suggesting the involvement of memory is the bearing in mind of the skillful and ethical behavior contemplated by the six prior factors on the Path. A recollection of this wise and ethical foundation establishes the mind in a foundation of solidity. This recollection, or infusion of positive memory, of this wise and good life, brightens the mind; these qualities allow for calm and bright awareness or focus on the object of mindfulness. This then opens access to the potential for jhana. My two baht, anyway.

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I think it is also not entirely correct, according to the main teachings of sati based on SN 47 Satipatthana Samyutta (such as SN 47.2) and SN 54 Anapana Samyutta (such as SN 54.1).

Sati is not just “bare awareness to the moment” [with respect to body, feeling, mind and phenomena], but also in the direction of mental attention to “restraining covetousness and distress in the world” (vineyya loke abhijjhaadomanassam) ( See Choong Mun-keat, The Fundamental Teachings of Early Buddhism,pp. 215-6, 225-7).

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When we consider the whole sentence from Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttaṃ,
“ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ”
There are few qualities one should achieve to restraining covetousness and distress in the world.

  1. ātāpī- strenuous, ardent (not sure the meaning)
  2. sampajāno-thoughtful
  3. satimā-Mindful
    He is not only mindful (satimā) but also, thoughtful and he is an ātāpī, where he can achieve the restraining.
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Sampajano also means aware.

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Sati-sampajana means mindfulness and clear comprehension and then, sampajāno means comprehensive.

You could get a general idea of sampajana is being aware, but sampajana contains a way more than that.
Read also,
meaning-of-sampajanna-clear-comprehension

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The commentaries developed a definition (given in your link) since sampajāno is not really defined in the suttas; well, except for one place as far as I’m aware: SN 47.35 (with a similar definition covering both sati and sampajāno at AN8.9):

And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu exercise clear comprehension? Here, bhikkhus, for a bhikkhu feelings are understood as they arise, understood as they remain present, understood as they pass away. Thoughts are understood as they arise, understood as they remain present, understood as they pass away. Perceptions are understood as they arise, understood as they remain present, understood as they pass away. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu exercises clear comprehension.

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Tasmātiha tvaṃ bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharāhi ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.

“Ātāpī”tivīriyindriyaṃ, “Sampajāno” ti paññindriyaṃ, “Satimā” ti satindriyaṃ, “Vineyya lokeabhijjhādomanassa” nti samādhindriyaṃ, evaṃkāye kāyānupassino viharato cattāro satipaṭṭhānābhāvanāpāripūriṃ gacchanti. Kena kāraṇena, ekalakkhaṇattā catunnaṃ indriyānaṃ.
(Lakkhaṇahāravibhaṅgo)
See also Samāropanahāravibhaṅgo
I am sorry there is no English translation available.
This explains,
Ātāpī - vīriyindriyaṃ (Faculty of strength)
Sampajāno - paññindriyaṃ (faculty of wisdom)
Satimā - satindriyaṃ (faculty of mindfulness)

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Thanks. I have very little Pali unfortunately though. Those are from the Netti in the Khuddaka Nikaya? If so, there actually seems to be an old PTS Nanamoli translation floating around the web.

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Sampajāno (aware) (together with Sati) is defined clearly and practically in SN 47.2 (= SA 622):

“And how, bhiksus, is a bhiksu aware? Herein, bhiksus, a bhiksu in going forth and in returning is acting with awareness (sampajānakārī). In looking in front and looking behind he is acting with awareness. In bending or relaxing he is acting with awareness. In wearing his robe, in bearing bowl and outer robe he is acting with awareness. In eating, drinking, chewing and tasting he is acting with awareness. In easing himself he is acting with awareness. In going, standing, sitting and sleeping, in waking, speaking and keeping silence he is acting with awareness. Thus, bhiksus, is a bhiksu aware.”(Choong Mun-keat, The Fundamental Teachings of Early Buddhism, p. 216)

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This is just how the translator thought. Not a must to be correct…

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ, vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati -pe-

This part from Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta is translated by bhante Analayo, in his book Satipaṭṭhāna, the Direct Path to Realization as below,

Here, monks, in regard to the body a monk abides contemplating the body, diligent, clearly knowing, and mindful, free from desires and discontent in regard to the world.
In regard to feelings so on[1].

When you take sampajāno as clearly knowing, which resembles some similarity with pajānāti (knows clearly) where it gives a proper meaning. Here we can see it consists of two words: knowing + clearly, where knowing (somewhat similar to awareness). When we take the clearly part, sampajāno (clearly knowing) needs a clarification of “knowing”. In contrast he knows (he is aware) but not just knows the object, he knows it clearly.
To clarify what he really knows he needs the faculty of wisdom. The quote from Netti back this idea.

In Dasuttarasuttaṃ,
“Katame dve dhammā bahukārā? sati ca sampajaññañca. Ime dve dhammā bahukārā.
This part is translated by R. Davids and
Bhante Sujato.

Which Two help much?
Mindfulness and deliberation.(R. Davids)

What two things are helpful? Mindfulness and situational awareness(Bhante Sujato)
(Up to Ten)
Reference:

  1. Satipaṭṭhāna, the Direct Path to Realization, Birmingham: Windhorse, 2003.

Bhante @sujato, I would be grateful if you could kindly give your opinion on this translation problem.
Why bhante picked stuational awareness?

Davids, T. W. R., & Stede, W. (1993). Pali-english dictionary . Motilal Banarsidass Publ…

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It seems ‘acting with full attention or awareness’ (sampajānakārī) is clearer within the context (e.g. SN 47.2).

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I think the following from p. 52 of Nanamoli’s The Guide (a translation of the Netti) seems to be the section where your quote is taken from:

And the Blessed One said accordingly: [31] <Therefore, bhikkhus, abide contemplating the body as a body, ardent, aware and mindful, guiding out covetousness and grief about the world> (cf. M. iii, 83). Now ‘ardent’ [here means] the energy faculty, ‘aware’ the understanding faculty, ‘mindful’ the mindfulness faculty, and ‘guiding out covetousness and grief’ the concentration faculty. So when someone abides contemplating the body as a body the four Foundations of Mindfulness come to fulfilment through keeping in being. For what reason ? Because of the four faculties’ state of having a single characteristic.

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Thanks. SN47.2 is nice. It does mirror suttas in other places like MN10:

“Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is one who acts in full awareness when going forward and returning; who acts in full awareness when looking ahead and looking away; who acts in full awareness when flexing and extending his limbs; who acts in full awareness when wearing his robes and carrying his outer robe and bowl; who acts in full awareness when eating, drinking, consuming food, and tasting; who acts in full awareness when defecating and urinating; who acts in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, and keeping silent.

By itself, to me it seems a little lacking as a definition (clear comprehension of what?), though it definitely does add to the meaning.

SN47.35 (describing it as understanding of feelings/perceptions/thoughts as they arise, are present, and pass away) and AN8.9 (applying this description to the sati-sampajāno pair) are pretty informative too.

A third interesting data point is that sampajāno (and sati too) is a factor of the third jhana. I guess any understanding has to somehow take that into account too. Why it wouldn’t be a factor of the first and second jhanas too is unclear to me; perhaps the meditator is still too blissed out on piti for that factor to be very strong until then?

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Can you provide the link to download or read the content.
Better if you could understand pali since English is not much related to pali langyage.
Note: With the western origin (a culture away from Eastern Philosophy and Buddhism) English language may lack related words.

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Sure, would be nice to have a bit more Pali. I’ll PM a link to you. It’s not hard to find PDF versions via google, but I suspect they may not be uploaded with the PTS’s permission.

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It is awareness (sampajana) of all bodily postures and movements, naturally including feelings, mental states in the present moment.

The text SN 47.2 on sampajana provides very practical detail, and not idealistic and systematic theory about feelings, perceptions, thoughts (as they arise, present, and pass away), and jhana.

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With clues so few and sparse on sampajano in the suttas (to the extent that the commentators had to construct a more fleshed-out definition later) I’ll take all the crumbs I can get (idealistic or systematic or otherwise :slight_smile: ). To me, SN47.35 seems to indicate a close association with discerning or understanding impermanence in what we are experiencing, and quotes like SN47.2 indicate an external situational awareness aspect, while the jhana link indicates an internal meditational aspect. Other than that, probably not much more can be said, because that’s about all that’s there!

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SCMatt: Did your question get answered satisfactorily for you? Perhaps I missed it, but I read all of the replies and didn’t come away with a clear and direct handling of the “protector” aspect.

The protectors the Buddha listed included energy, sati and wisdom as well as good friends and contentment.

9](SuttaCentral)Furthermore, a mendicant is mindful. They have utmost mindfulness and alertness, and can remember and recall what was said and done long ago. This too is a quality that serves as protector.

In that context, what did the Buddha mean?

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Answer was already there,
Mau be just the wording of the phrase is diferent.

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