Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Kuru people at a Kuru village named Kammāsadhamma. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Monks!” “Venerable sir,” those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:

“Monks, this is the one-way path for the purification of beings, for the complete transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and depression, for the attainment of the way, for the realization¹ of Nibbāna – that is, the four establishments of mindfulness.

“What four? Monks, a monk abides observing the body as the body² – dedicated, completely aware, and mindful, without covetousness or depression about the world. One abides observing feelings as feelings… the mind as the mind… phenomena³ as phenomena – dedicated, completely aware, and mindful, without covetousness or depression about the world.

Mindfulness of the Body

“Monks, how does a monk abide observing the body as the body?

Mindfulness of Breathing

“Monks, a monk who has gone to the forest, to the base of a tree, or to an empty building sits down, crosses his legs, sets his body upright, and establishes mindfulness as foremost⁴. One breathes in mindfully, one breathes out mindfully.

“Breathing in a long breath, one understands, ‘I am breathing in a long breath.’

“Breathing out a long breath, one understands, ‘I am breathing out a long breath.’

“Breathing in a short breath, one understands, ‘I am breathing in a short breath.’

“Breathing out a short breath, one understands, ‘I am breathing out a short breath.’

“One trains in this way: ‘I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.’

“One trains in this way: ‘I will breathe out experiencing the whole body.’

“One trains in this way: ‘I will breathe in calming the body⁵.’

“One trains in this way: ‘I will breathe out calming the body.’

“Monks, just as a skilled turner or apprentice turner who is making a long turn understands ‘I am making a long turn,’ or when making a short turn understands ‘I am making a short turn,’ in the same way, when a monk is breathing in a long breath, he understands ‘I am breathing in a long breath,’ or when breathing out a long breath, he understands ‘I am breathing out a long breath.’ When breathing in a short breath, he understands ‘I am breathing in a short breath,’ or when breathing out a short breath, he understands ‘I am breathing out a short breath.’ He trains in this way: ‘I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ He trains in this way: ‘I will breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ He trains in this way: ‘I will breathe in calming the body.’ He trains in this way: ‘I will breathe out calming the body.’

“In this way, one abides observing the body as the body internally, or one abides observing the body as the body externally, or one abides observing the body as the body both internally and externally. Or one abides observing the nature of manifestation in relation to the body, or one abides observing the nature of cessation in relation to the body, or one abides observing the nature of both manifestation and cessation in relation to the body. Or mindfulness that ‘There is the body’ is established to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness. And one abides independent, and one does not cling to anything in the world. Monks, in this way a monk abides observing the body as the body.

Mindfulness of the Four Postures

“Monks, when moving, a monk understands ‘I am moving.’

“When standing, one understands ‘I am standing.’

“When sitting, one understands ‘I am sitting.’

“When reclining, one understands ‘I am reclining.’

“Or in whatever way the body is positioned, one understands it as it is.