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# The Four Inceptions of Deliberation

#### Cattāro Satipaṭṭhānā

"Idha bho bhikkhu ajjhattaṁ kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijdhā domanassaṁ.|| ||

Ajdhattaṁ kāye kāyānupassī viharanto tattha sammā samādhiyati sammā vippasīdati.|| ||

So tattha sammā samāhito sammā vippasanno bahiddhā para-kāye ñāṇa-dassanaṁ abhinibbatte" ti.|| ||

... pe ...|| ||

#### The Four Inceptions of Deliberation

And which are the Four?

Take, Sirs, a brother who abides
subjectively watchful over the body,
ardent
self-possessed
mindful,
that he may discern the unhappiness
arising from coveting the things of the world.

He, subjectively watchful,
attains to right insight
and right calm.

He, having right insight
and right calm
in his physical being,
evokes knowledge of
and insight into
all other physical forms external to himself.

He, again, abides subjectively watchful over his feelings,
ardent
self-possessed
mindful,
that he may discern the unhappiness
arising from coveting the things of the world.

He, subjectively watchful,
attains to right insight
and right calm.

He, having right insight
and right calm
in his feelings,
evokes knowledge of
and insight into
the feelings of others external to himself.

So, again, he abides subjectively watchful over his heart,
ardent
self-possessed
mindful,
that he may discern the unhappiness
arising from coveting the things of the world.

He, subjectively watchful,
attains to right insight
and right calm.

He, having right insight
and right calm
in his heart,
evokes knowledge of
and insight into
the hearts of others external to himself.

He, again, abides subjectively watchful over his ideas,
ardent
self-possessed
mindful,
that he may discern the unhappiness
arising from coveting the things of the world.

He, subjectively watchful,
attains to right insight
and right calm.

He, having right insight
and right calm
in his ideas,
evokes knowledge of
and insight into
the ideas of others external to himself.

Adapted from T.W.Rhys Davids translation of MN 18. In this sutta 'Satipaṭṭhānā' is translated both as 'deliberation' and 'mindfulness'. Note that this is a practice which entails the combined forces of samāttha and vipassana; calm and insight.

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