Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization

by Anālayo

15 figures

Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization is a comprehensive and thorough analysis of some of the most fundamental teachings of the Buddha, in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. With unparalleled depth, Anālayo examines the philosophy and instruction of mindfulness meditation, through a detailed explanation of this text and its application, drawing together ancient and modern works to create a holistic view of the philosophy and practice of meditation in Theravada Buddhism.

With a full and detailed translation from the original Pāli script, Anālayo expounds the Satipaṭṭhāna’s richness and complexity with rare insight and allows the reader a glimpse into the Buddha’s direct path to realization, expertly bridging the gap between intellect and practice.

What others are saying

“Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization is a gem. Ven. Anālayo has done a superb job of elucidating this core teaching of the Buddha. His clarity of style, nuanced observations, and depth of analysis opens many new doors of understanding. I learned a lot from this wonderful book and highly recommend it to both experienced meditators and those just beginning to explore the path.”—Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism

“With painstaking thoroughness, Ven. Anālayo marshals the suttas of the Pāli canon, works of modern scholarship, and the teachings of present-day meditation masters to make the rich implications of this text, so concise in the original, clear to contemporary students of the Dharma. His analysis combines the detached objectivity of the academic scholar with the engaged concern of the practitioner for whom meditation is a way of life rather than just a subject of study.”—Bhikkhu Bodhi, scholar and translator

“This book explains in detail the full meaning of the entire body of teaching given in this discourse. I believe this commentary by Anālayo on this root text surpasses all previous commentaries in the Theravada tradition over the past 2,000 years. Anālayo has written an indispensable guide to enable students of the Buddha’s teachings to understand this celebrated talk. His book reads like a practice manual for meditators in daily life.

It is surely destined to become the classic commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna. It will also inspire readers interested in the Buddhist tradition to develop such down-to-earth practices for their own realization.”—Christopher Titmuss, writer and co-founder of Gaia House meditation centre

Highlights

Examines, in detail, the foundational Buddhist discourse on meditation practice
Written in a style which enables it to serve both as a text for scholars of Early Buddhism and for those with a serious interest in the foundations of meditation
Draws together works on early Buddhism and modern meditation to create a holistic study of the practice of meditation
Includes a translation of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta

About the Authors

Ven. Anālayo was born in 1962 in Germany, was ordained in 1995 in Sri Lanka, and completed his PhD on Satipaṭṭhāna at the University of Peradeniya in 2000. At present he is mainly engaged in the practice of meditation, and among other things contributes to the Encyclopedia of Buddhism.