Right mindfulness

Right mindfulness (sammā sati) is the seventh factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. It belongs to the training of the mind, with right effort and right concentration. The Pali word sati is related to remembering. It means keeping something in mind, being present with what is happening now.

The four foundations

In the discourses, right mindfulness is defined as the four foundations, or establishments, of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna). A practitioner meditates by observing:

• The body. Breathing, posture, movement and the parts of the body.
• Feelings. Whether experience feels pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
• The mind. Its state, for example whether it is greedy or not, distracted or settled.
• Phenomena. Patterns of experience such as the hindrances and the factors of awakening, seen in the light of the teaching.

In each case the texts say the meditator is ardent, clearly aware and mindful, having put aside desire and aversion for the world.

What makes it “right”

Mindfulness is now widely taught outside Buddhism, often as simple attention to the present moment. In the Eightfold Path it has a wider role. It works together with right view, so that you see experience as impermanent and not worth clinging to. It works with right effort, noticing when unwholesome states arise so they can be let go. And it supports right concentration, keeping the mind with its object.

So right mindfulness is not just attention, which can also serve harmful ends. It is attention guided by wisdom and ethics, aimed at the end of suffering.

Mindfulness in daily life

The discourse on mindfulness also describes being fully aware while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, eating, drinking and speaking. Any activity can be a place to practise.

You can begin with a few minutes of sitting with the breath, simply noticing it come and go, and gently returning when the mind wanders. During the day, choose a regular activity, such as washing your hands or walking to the car, and do it with full attention. Teachers emphasise that the returning, not perfect focus, is the practice itself.