Satipatthana

Domain XIII · Contemplative & religious disciplines

What it is

Satipaṭṭhāna (Pāli: "establishment" or "foundation" of sati, mindfulness) is an openly taught early Buddhist meditation framework. The sutta presents four domains for mindful contemplation: body (kāya), feeling tone (vedanā), mind (citta) and mental qualities or phenomena (dhammā). In each, the…

Format

• Suggested self-study format: read the first two chapters, then take one contemplation per week for seven weeks, practising it through the week; free guided audio for each contemplation is published by the publisher.
• Phases for the psychotherapist working alongside.

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Obsessive monitoring of the senses for "fetters" (see B9).
• Self-attack about distraction; ADHD or depression contributing.
• Anxiety or derealisation around "no-self" teachings; see B6 and B8.
• Fear of leaving, shame, or a teacher's claim that distress is purely spiritual.
• Working: arousal settles within the session and the client chooses when to practise.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.