SN 5.47.35

The Buddha teaches the beggars that one should live recollected and comprehending.

Read the Sutta

Recommended translation: Minding, M. Olds translation,
Index of Available translations: SN 5.47.35

 

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Note in this sutta the distinction being made between 'sata' and 'sampajāno.'

'Sata' (being recollected, having remembrance (pp of sarati = to remember (not precisely identical with 'sati' as Woodward, Bhk. Thanissaro, Bhk. Bodhi would have it; the difference being that sata is more directly connected with the idea of memory or recall where sati is more directly connected with the putting to use of the recollected)) is defined as while living in body, sense-experience, the heart, and the Dhamma, over-seeing body, sense-experience, the heart, and Dhamma and is exactly the product of the four settings up of memory which includes 'sampajāno' (comprehension), and 'sati' (to mind, minding) and involves the task of energetically eliminating greed and depression.

Comprehension 'Sampajāno' is defined as the 'viditā' (the seeing = knowing = finding out = dis-covery = wise as in 'I'm wise to that') of the rise ('Keep that tool cool fool, I'm wise to that rise in your Levi's'), manifestation, and resolution of sense-experience, word-thought and perception.

Sense-experience is the sensation (of pleasure, pain, or sensation that is neither painful nor pleasant) arising from the experience of sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and awareness of things.

Word thought (vitakka = re-talking) is thoughts formed by words.

Perception (saññā = once-knowing) is the first point of conscious awareness where what is sensed (come into contact with the senses) has first had a name placed on it, that is, has been identified.

So putting it together we can say that being recollected means that one, while living in the body, sense-experience, heart (or mental states) or the Dhamma should over-see (that is observe and take care of) the body, sense-experience, the heart, and the Dhamma, with great energy (ātāpi), comprehending in connection with body, sense-experience, heart and the Dhamma the rise, manifestation, and resolution of sense-experience, word-thought and perception, such as to eliminate worldly greed and depression.

... and all this with regard to the self or external things or both the self and external things together.
... and further, all this only just to the degree that one is conscious that 'this is body', 'this is sense-experience,' 'this is the heart', 'this is Dhamma.'

 

Pāḷi	Olds	Woodward	Bhk. Thanissaro	Bhk. Bodhi
sato	recollected	mindful	mindful	mindful
sampajāno	comprehending	composed	alert	clearly comprehending
kāye kāyānupassī viharati	lives in the body over-seeing the body	abides in body contemplating body	remains focused on the body in and of itself	dwells contemplating the body in the body
vedanā	sense-experience	feelings	feelings	feelings
cittā	heart/mental states	mind	mind	mind
Dhammā	Dhamma	mind-states	mental qualities	phenomena
vitakkā	thoughts	train of thought	thoughts	thoughts