Touching the Infinite: A New Perspective on the Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness

A prominent Insight Meditation teacher explores the profound implications of the traditional Buddhist teaching on the four areas to which mindfulness is applied as a means to liberation.

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness as set out in Satipatthana Sutta are among the most basic of Buddhist teachings, relied upon by Buddhist practitioners across the whole spectrum of schools and traditions. They relate to the four areas to which mindfulness should be applied and maintained as a foundation for awakening. The foundations are (1) Mindfulness of the body, (2) Mindfulness of feelings/sensations, (3) Mindfulness of mind/consciousness, and (4) Mindfulness of dhammas. Rodney Smith provides here a guide to the Four Foundations that provides a solid foundation in the teachings, but that then goes further to show how, when practiced, the foundations lead to the perception of the true nature of things, leading the practitioner to the perception of the formless and then back to daily life infused with that great freedom.