Mindfulness in Early Buddhism

The book examines mindfulness as a core component of early Buddhist practice and philosophy, beginning with the meaning of sati and its relationship to memory, awareness, cognition, emotion, and the Noble Eightfold Path. It then studies the soteriological role of mindfulness as a transformative discipline that reshapes perception and emotional response on the path to liberation. The main chapters analyze the types and functions of mindfulness, its role in methodical meditation, and its use in both vipassanā and samatha. Special attention is given to mindfulness of breathing as a practice where serenity and insight operate together. The work then turns to kāyagatā sati, interpreting it as mindfulness directed to the experiencer rather than merely “mindfulness of the body.” The final major discussion concerns the four satipaṭṭhānas as a comprehensive path, examining their doctrinal structure, their relation to kāyagatā sati, and their status as a central formulation of the Buddha’s teaching on liberation. Through these analyses, the book presents mindfulness as a sophisticated early Buddhist discipline involving attention, memory, introspection, ethical protection, meditation, and liberating knowledge.