The Four Bases of Mindfulness - Fo Guang Shan International Translation Center

Meditation is not about sitting quietly with your eyes closed—this is just one method for developing meditative concentration. What matters in meditation is being able to contemplate and focus the mind.

Chan Master Nanyue Huairang once said, “Consider an ox pulling a cart: if the cart does not move, do you hit the cart or do you hit the ox?” Beating the cart is useless. In the same way, how you concentrate the mind is far more important than what you do with the body.

To practice meditation, one must focus on the present moment, stop delusion, and see the mind.

In China, the Chan School encouraged the development of meditative concentration through communal labor, like carrying firewood and water. This training allowed Chan practitioners to see their intrinsic nature by illuminating their minds, thus achieving the ultimate goal of meditative concentration.

The Four Bases of Mindfulness allow us to use our mindfulness so that we do not mistake impurity for purity, suffering for happiness, impermanence for permanence, and what has no independent self for something that does. They are:

1. Mindfulness of the Body
One is mindful of the body, and contemplates the impure aspects of the body. At the same time, one contemplates the compounded nature of the body, its impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and lack of selfhood. In this way, one counteracts the delusion of seeing the impure as pure.

2. Mindfulness of Feelings
One is mindful of feelings and observes how pursuing happiness can have the opposite effect of producing the causes for suffering. One also contemplates feelings’ characteristics of suffering and emptiness. In this way, one counteracts the delusion of seeing suffering as happiness.

3. Mindfulness of the Mind
One is mindful of the mind and contemplates the impermanence of the mind as the “seeker” by contemplating the arising and ceasing of thoughts. In this way, one counteracts the delusion of seeing impermanence as permanence.

4. Mindfulness of Phenomena
One is mindful of phenomena, and contemplates how all phenomena arise due to causes and conditions and have no self-nature. In this way, one counteracts the delusion of seeing what has no self as having a self.

From For All Living Beings, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

The Significance of Breathing

In the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections, the Buddha asked his disciples, "How long is one's life?" One of the monks replied, "A few years." The next one answered, "A few days!" Another one said, "Less than one day!" Another responded, "Between meals!" Finally, the Buddha said, "Life lasts for the duration of one breath." Life is extraordinarily precious and yet it is based on a Read more

Master's Advice on Daily Practice

As we live, we must strive for a life of value. Buddhism is different from philosophy, for it does not only deal with knowledge and theory. Rather, Buddhism calls for devout faith, developed morality, and most importantly: spiritual practice.All we need is the right intention to begin any form of spiritual practice, whether it is bowing to the Buddha, chanting sutras, repentance, meditation, or other Read more

Conducting Oneself for the Benefit of Others

If we want to understand what the Dharma teaches us about building affinity and living in harmony with others, we must first understand the four great all-embracing virtues. The Buddha teaches that for us to realize our true capacity of connecting with and serving our fellow citizens, we have to first build a good rapport, and the four virtues are tools to that end. The four Read more

The Buddhist Tradition of Protecting the Environment

Most people regard the Buddhist religion as conservative and passive. Many think that Buddhism only teaches people to meditate, recite mantras and be vegetarians. They do not associate the religion with active and progressive ideas such as environmental protection. In truth, Buddhism is a religion that embodies the spirit of environmental protection and it has a long history of being active in such matters, well Read more

Trees Have Roots; Waters Have Sources

Trees have their roots, and people have their origins. As human beings, we must endeavor to increase joy in the world for the sake of everyone in the world, and we also must ensure that life will sprout flowers and bear fruits as strong and sturdy as the peach. “Mother” is the source of life for every person, and she is also the harbor on Read more

True Stature

True stature is not created by form or ornament; words spoken out of jealousy and greed oppose it. Only when evil has been stopped at its roots, and when there is wisdom without anger is there true stature.— Dharmapadavadana Sutra The False Stature of This WorldEveryone wants to be well regarded by others. However, in seeking true stature, people too often waste their time in Read more

I Am Not a Monk “Sponging Off” Buddhism (I)

At the many places I engaged in practice and study—at places such as Qixia in Nanjing, Jinshan and Jiaoshan in Zhenjiang, and Tianning in Changzhou, where I was brought up experiencing spring breezes, summer rains, autumn frosts, and winter snows—I studied silently and grew up quietly. I was always thinking as to how I could repay Buddhism’s kindness. I could not make a living by depending on Buddhism over Read more

Inspire and Be Inspired

Do you feel inspired when you see people help each other? Not everyone is. Some people may look at a generous donation and say, “Donating such a small amount of money is nothing extraordinary for such a rich person.” When other people suffer from disasters and pain like the many people killed in the South Asian tsunami and earthquakes, don’t you feel for them? Doesn’t Read more

My Reflections on Venerable Master Taixu's Fiftieth Birthday Poem

In fact, what I have enjoyed the most in my reading, and it could be said that a piece of writing that has had an important influence upon my life is the poem “Thoughts on My Fiftieth Birthday,” written by Venerable Master Taixu during his visit to India when the lay Buddhist Tan Yun-shan, Chairperson of the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture at Visva-Bharati Read more

My Progress of Faith

I once copied out a sutra in blood by pricking myself, and once I also burned my arm as an offering. I once remained silent for a year without speaking, and once I also kept my eyes closed for three months without seeing. Later on, I would occasionally open my eyes and suddenly feel: Oh, there are still verdant mountains; there are still trees; the Read more

To Think Positively

Humans are thinking animals! Since the beginning of time, there have always been people who fantasize, who have delusions, who dream—and many who have ideals. When we lie in our beds at night, we should be free from worry. Yet thoughts about our lives often arise then; thoughts about family, country, or even the world. Everything is within our minds.The average person often tends to Read more

Born into Tribulation, Raised in Adversity, yet Experienced a Lifetime of Joy

People often ask me, “What adversity have you experienced in your life?” And for a moment, I cannot come up with an answer. I have always maintained the attitude of taking things as they come, as in the sayings “When the soldiers come, deploy the generals to fight back; when there is a flood, use earth to stop it” and “When encountering a mountain, cut Read more