Satipaṭṭhāna not the beginning
Another important fact that needs attention is that practicing the satipaṭṭhāna is not the first step in the path to Nibbāna (Nirvana). Everyone knows that a student who has just entered the university for studies is not ready to sit for the final examination, until he/she has completed the course of studies. In the same way, it is only by completing the first seven steps on the eight-stepped path that one is ready to focus one’s attention on the last step, which is satipaṭṭhāna practice. Of course it is possible and even necessary to practice a certain level of introspection even at the beginning of the Supernormal Eightfold Way, but that level is different from the level of practice at this final point. This is why we have chosen to practice the path in three steps as follows:
(1) Selective thinking (anussati)
= learning to eliminate the hindrances (pahāna)
= sīla
(2) Harmonious exercise (sammāppadhāna)
= tranquillity (samatha)
= samādhi
(3) Seven Steps to Awakening (satta bojjhanga)
= insight (vipassanā)
= paññā
It is useful to quote another important passage from the Mahāparinibbāna sutta quoted above, in order to explain the reason for our choice of the three steps we practice. The Arahat Sariputta, the chief disciple of the Buddha, came to the Buddha and expressed his great appreciation of the Buddha and his teaching Dhamma. The Buddha in answer questioned him as to how he came to recognize the value of the Buddha and the Dhamma. The answer, the Arahat Sariputta gave was that he knew it by knowing the path to Nibbāna through his own experience. He then summarized the path to Nibbāna in the form of three steps:
(1) Overcoming the Five Hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇa) = anussati
(2) Four focuses of introspective attention (cattāri satipaṭṭhāna) = sammāppadhāna
(3) Treading the Seven Steps to Awakening (satta bojjhanga) = satta bojjhanga.
The three stages in our method of meditation are exactly the three stages described by the Arahat Sariputta.
(1) Selective thinking (anussati) is the way to overcome the five hindrances.
(2) The Four Harmonious Exercises (sammāppadhāna) is the way to complete the practice of introspective attention (cattāri satipaṭṭhāna).
(3) The practice of The Seven Steps to Awakening begins with introspective attention (satipaṭṭhāna), and ends with apperception (upekkhā).
It is at this last stage that a paradigm shift occurs, Super- perception (abhiññā) and the individual awakens from the dream of existence (paññā), which results in the breaking of bonds (arahatta) or emancipation (vimutti), thus entering the “imperturbable serenity” (NIBBĀNA).