Dear Q & A forum
I read Bhikkhu Sujato’s translation of SN 47.42, which is:
“Mendicants, I will teach you the origin and the ending of the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.
“Catunnaṃ, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānānaṃ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desessāmi.
Listen …
Taṃ suṇātha.
And what is the origin of the body?
Ko ca, bhikkhave, kāyassa samudayo?
The body originates from food.
Āhārasamudayā kāyassa samudayo;
When food ceases, the body ends.
āhāranirodhā kāyassa atthaṅgamo.
Feelings originate from contact.
Phassasamudayā vedanānaṃ samudayo;
When contact ceases, feelings end.
phassanirodhā vedanānaṃ atthaṅgamo.
The mind originates from name and form.
Nāmarūpasamudayā cittassa samudayo;
When name and form cease, the mind ends.
nāmarūpanirodhā cittassa atthaṅgamo.
Principles originate from attention.
Manasikārasamudayā dhammānaṃ samudayo;
When focus ends, principles end.”
manasikāranirodhā dhammānaṃ atthaṅgamo”ti.
I assume the term “atthaṅgamo” is not synonymous with “nirodha” (which appears generally connected to “liberation”).
My questions are:
-
Is ‘satipaṭṭhānānaṃ atthaṅgamañca’ something negative, i.e., a loss of mindfulness?
-
Is ‘satipaṭṭhānānaṃ samudayañca’ something positive, i.e., the arising of mindfulness?
If the answer to the above questions is ‘yes’, then:
- Is ‘manasikārasamudayā dhammānaṃ samudayo’ something positive, i.e., giving attention to Dhamma principles?
If not:
- Is SN 47.42 merely neutrally saying because there is a body (arising from food), because there is feeling (arising from contact), because there is citta (arising from nama-rupa) and because there is Dhamma principles (arising from attention), these four things (body, feeling, mind & Dhamma) will inevitably arise into consciousness when mindfulness is established?
Thank you 
