“Bhikkhus, this path is the ekāyana for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path, for the realization of Nibbāna, namely, the four Satipaṭṭhāna.”Ekāyana has mostly been rendered as “the only way” (or something along that line) by traditional, orthodox teachers. According to them then, Satipaṭṭhāna is the only way for the realization of Nibbāna. There has, however, been some argument over whether ekāyana should be rendered as “the only way”. Some prefer to translate it literally as “The one way” while there are some who are of the opinion that it should be interpreted as “The direct way”. So is Satipaṭṭhāna the only way for realizing Nibbāna or is it not?
~ Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta 10
Let us first look at what the tradition says. In its explanation of ekāyana the commentary said “na dvidhā pathabhūto” which gives us an idea that Satipaṭṭhāna is a path that does not have any branch branching off from it. Since there is no branch anywhere along this path this in turns gives us an idea that there is only one path, a long, narrow, and possibly winding path, but nevertheless only one path that leads from here straight into Nibbāna.
But it may be argued that what the commentary is trying to express here is that Satipaṭṭhāna, being a path without any branch, is a direct path rather than the only path for the realization of Nibbāna. Some have in fact translated ekāyana as the direct way or path. But the sub-commentary makes it very clear that what is meant here is that Satipaṭṭhāna is the only way. It says that Satipaṭṭhāna is “The only one path (eko eva maggo), for there is no other path that leads to Nibbāna.”
From these explanations of the commentaries we can see that the ancient teachers of the Theravāda tradition understood ekāyana here to mean “the only one way.”
The sub-commentary goes on to discuss whether it is plausible to say that Satipaṭṭhāna (the path factor of Sammā Sati or Right Mindfulness) is the only way since there are also other factors that constitute the path leading to Nibbāna (i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path) besides Satipaṭṭhāna. What about right view, right thought, etc.? What about right concentration? The answer to this is that since these other path factors are inseparable from Satipaṭṭhāna (i.e. they arise together during the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna and together they constitute the Noble Eightfold Path) their presence are implied by the mention of Satipaṭṭhāna.
Previously in this blog we have discussed how the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna consists not only of mindfulness but other factors as well like ardent energetic effort, directing the mind precisely and continuously onto the object, concentration, and clear-comprehension. We have also discussed how these other factors together with mindfulness and the precepts undertaken prior to the practice of meditation constitute the factors of the Eightfold Path. So in practicing Satipaṭṭhāna the other path factors are present too. They go together with the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna and are in fact part of the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna. So when we say Satipaṭṭhāna is the only way for the realization of Nibbāna these other path factors are by implication included as part of the way as well.
In fact, actually the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna is also the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path and vice versa. In Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta the Buddha said of the Noble Eightfold Path:
“‘This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.In the Ananussuta Sutta (Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Satipaṭṭhānasaṃyutta, Sutta 31) the Buddha spoke about the four Satipaṭṭhāna in exactly the same words:
“‘That noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering is to be developed’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.
“‘That noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.”
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saccasaṃyutta, Sutta 11
“‘This is the contemplation of the body in the body’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.
“‘That contemplation of the body in the body is to be developed’ … ‘That contemplation of the body in the body has been developed’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.
“‘This is the contemplation of feeling in feelings’ …
“‘This is the contemplation of consciousness in consciousness’ …
“‘This is the contemplation of dhamma in dhammas’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.
“‘That contemplation of dhamma in dhammas is to be developed’ … ‘That contemplation of dhamma in dhammas has been developed’ : thus, bhikkhus, with regard to things unheard of before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, penetrative insight, and light.”
And in another passage from the Saṃyutta-Nikāya the Buddha said:
"Bhikkhus, those who have neglected the four Satipaṭṭhāna have neglected the noble path that leads to the complete destruction of suffering. Those who have undertaken the four Satipaṭṭhāna have undertaken the noble path that leads to the complete destruction of suffering."
~ Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Satipaṭṭhānasaṃyutta, Sutta 33
The above three passages just quoted shows that the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna and the practice of Noble Eightfold Path are synonymous. The practice of one is the practice of the other. And in Dhammapada, referring to the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha said:
“Only this is the path; there is no other [path] for the purification of insight. Enter upon this path; it is the bewilderment of Māra.”Since the Noble Eightfold Path is the only way and its practice is also synonymous with the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna, it is plausible to say that Satipaṭṭhāna is the only way.
~ Dhammapada 274
That Satipaṭṭhāna is the only way for the realization of Nibbāna can also be seen from the following passage:
“Through higher-knowledge, Uttiya, I teach the Dhamma to the disciples for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path, for the realization of Nibbāna.”In the beginning of this passage just quoted the Buddha said that he taught the Dhamma for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, etc. This is a hint that the Dhamma here refers to Satipaṭṭhāna since the Buddha had also said (see the quotation at the beginning of this post) that Satipaṭṭhāna is the ekāyana or the only way for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, etc. And this fact is confirmed at the end of the quotation when Ven. Ānanda told the wanderer Uttiya that all beings achieve liberation by “first abandoning the five hindrances, the defilements of the mind, and weakeners of wisdom, with their mind well established in the four Satipaṭṭhānas; and then they develop the seven factors of enlightenment in conformity with the truth.”
“Is the whole world, or half of it, or a third part of it, liberated by the Dhamma which Master Gotama taught to the disciples for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path, for the realization of Nibbāna?”
When this was said the Blessed One kept silent.
Then the Venerable Ānanda thought: “May the wanderer Uttiya not give rise to the evil opinion thus ‘When I asked the Recluse Gotama a question of the utmost importance he hesitated and did not answer. Surely he is unable to do so.’ That would be for the harm and suffering for the wanderer Uttiya for a long time.”
Then the Ven. Ānanda spoke to the wanderer Uttiya thus: “I will give you a simile, friend Uttiya, for some wise men here may come to know the meaning of what was spoken by means of a simile. Suppose there is a king’s frontier town with a secure enclosure wall and parapet on a secure foundation and with a single gateway. And there is a gatekeeper who is wise, clever, and judicious, who keeps out strangers and admits only acquaintances. He goes along the path encircling the town all around. As he is going along he does not see any gap or opening in the enclosure wall, even one which is big enough for a cat to slip through. Though he may not know how many creatures enter or leaves the town yet he would knows thus ‘Whatever large creatures enter or leave this town, all of them do so through this gateway.’
“In the same way, friend Uttiya, the Tathāgata is not concerned with whether the whole world, or half of it, or a third part of it, is liberated by the Dhamma, yet he knows ‘Whosoever have been liberated, are being liberated, or will be liberated from the world, all of them do so by first abandoning the five hindrances, the defilements of the mind, and weakeners of wisdom, with their mind well established in the four Satipaṭṭhānas; and then they develop the seven factors of enlightenment in conformity with the truth. In this way they have been liberated, are being liberated, or will be liberated.’”
~ Aṅguttara-Nikāya, the Book of the Tens, Sutta 95
What this means is that by practicing Satipaṭṭhāna, using ardent energetic effort to direct mindfulness precisely and continuously onto the object of contemplation one can develop the jhāna factors which help to overcome the five hindrances, and with the development of Satipaṭṭhāna the seven factors of enlightenment are also developed which leads to liberation. Therefore, according to this passage, all beings achieve liberation through the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna, not otherwise.
But why did the Buddha single out Satipaṭṭhāna from among all the path factors of the Noble Eightfold Path as “the only way.” This doesn’t seem to be explained anywhere. But this is probably because the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna is the practical application of the Noble Eightfold Path, the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. It is in the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna that all the path factors are brought into play for the task of attaining liberation from suffering. And Satipaṭṭhāna is the most significant practice for this purpose because it emphasizes two very important mental states that are crucial in accomplishing the task of liberation: mindfulness (sati) and clear-comprehension (sampajañña). Without these two mental states, for example if the yogi were to simply make effort to concentrate on the object but without any mindfulness that penetrates deep into the object, and clear comprehension of the nature of the object, then the vipassanā wisdom that discerns the impermanence, suffering, and non-self nature of the object cannot arise. Without such a wisdom there can be no detachment, no letting go, no dispassion, no liberation. It is in the development of this vipassanā wisdom that the Noble Eightfold Path truly becomes the path that leads to the cessation of suffering (dukkha-nirodha-gāminī paṭipadā). Therefore, for the path to serve its function effectively, the most essential path factors are right mindfulness or Satipaṭṭhāna, and clear-comprehension, which is represented by the path factor of right view. And the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna gives emphasis to the development of these two factors. So, it was perhaps because of this that the Buddha highlighted Satipaṭṭhāna when he speaks of the only way for the realization of Nibbāna. But by doing so he is not excluding the other factors of the path but rather he includes them by implication since with right mindfulness present the other factors will also be present.
Besides “the only way”, the commentary also gives four other explanation for ekāyana: the way to be practiced by oneself alone, the way of the One (the One = the best = the Buddha), the way found only in one place (i.e. the teaching of the Buddha), and the way that goes to only one destination (i.e. Nibbāna). These four explanations seem to be given by the Commentator to highlight certain secondary features of Satipaṭṭhāna in order to give a better understanding of the nature of the path of Satipaṭṭhāna.
All these four other explanations of ekāyana hinges on taking the word eka in its literal sense of “one”. It was perhaps to capture all these four meanings of ekāyana that some translators have chosen to render it literally as “The one way”. But by packing too many meaning into such a short phrase the meaning of the phrase become vague, unhelpful, and even cryptic. To those who are reading the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta for the first time, and who have absolutely no background knowledge about Satipaṭṭhāna at all, the phrase “The one way” is cryptic and open to interpretation. There is also no apparent relation between “The one way” and the four other explanations for ekāyana given above. The translator would need a footnote to explain this away.
Without a footnote, however, there is a way to make sense of “the one way” and that is by taking “the one” to mean “the best.” In the English language when we say “He is the one man for the job” what we mean is “He is the best man for the job.” So by taking “the one” to mean “the best” Satipaṭṭhāna is then understood as “the best way.” But this would imply that there is another way which is inferior to Satipaṭṭhāna but which nevertheless can serve the function of the realization of Nibbāna. And we know from the foregoing discussion that there is no such a way. The practice of Satipaṭṭhāna which is also the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path is the only way that leads to the realization of Nibbāna.
Then there are some scholars who interpret ekāyana to mean “the direct way.” This interpretation as we have seen above probably stem from the commentarial explanation that the path of Satipaṭṭhāna is a path without any branch. And this has been taken by some to mean that it is a direct path without any detour. But as we have shown, the Sub-Commentary made it very clear that what is meant by a path without any branch is that Satipaṭṭhāna is the only way leading to the realization of Nibbāna.
The translation “direct way” also implies that there is another “indirect way” for the realization of Nibbāna. And this may probably be held true by some due to a misunderstanding which can be observed among many Buddhist yogis. It seems that for many Buddhist yogis the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna has come to be identified with the practice of direct vipassanā meditation or what is called, in the Sutta, the development of tranquillity preceded by insight (vipassanāpubbaṅgamaṃ samathaṃ bhāveti), or, in the commentaries, the bare-insight-vehicle (suddha-vipassanā-yānika). This is the practice where the yogi goes straight into the development of insight without any prior practice dedicated to the development of tranquillity. In this practice the yogi begins his practice straight away by contemplating mental and physical phenomena and seeing into their true nature. Tranquillity and concentration are not ignored but are developed even as the yogi is contemplating the nature of these phenomena. The practice of Satipaṭṭhāna had often times been identified with this method of practice, and this is probably because of the strong emphasis given by many teachers of this method to the Buddha's teaching on Satipaṭṭhāna.
But the Buddha did not teach only this method of practice for the realization of Nibbāna. There is also another method called, in the Sutta, the development of insight preceded by tranquillity (samathapubbaṅgamaṃ vipassanaṃ bhāveti), or, in the commentaries, the tranquillity-vehicle (samatha-yānika). In this practice, the yogi spent some time developing tranquillity first. He does this until he reaches either access (upacāra) or absorption (appaṇā) concentration. Then he switched over to the development of insight (vipassanā) by contemplating the nature of the jhāna factors and other associated phenomena connected with the concentration he has achieved.
These are the two major methods that the Buddha taught for the realization of Nibbāna, and they are both included among the twenty one ways for practicing Satipaṭṭhāna given in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. But when Satipaṭṭhāna comes to be identified with only the first way, the direct vipassanā method of meditation, the question arises regarding the translation of ekāyana as “the only way.” What about the samatha-yānika method? Does it not lead to the realization of Nibbāna as well? The Buddha clearly said that it does. Therefore, according to this argument ekāyana cannot mean “the only way.” But it can be called “the direct way” since the direct vipassanā method approach Nibbāna directly by proceeding straight away to the development of vipassanā or insight, and this would then make the samatha-yānika method the “indirect way” since it approaches Nibbāna indirectly via the development of tranquillity first, then only proceeding to the development of vipassanā.
But although it is true that one method is a direct approach to Nibbāna while the other is indirect, both method falls within the domain of Satipaṭṭhāna. And so the word ekāyana used to describe Satipaṭṭhāna cannot mean “the direct way” since that would not encompass both these approaches to Satipaṭṭhāna. But “the only way” would encompass both these methods since both of them would finally lead to the realization of Nibbāna.
That Satipaṭṭhāna includes direct vipassanā method, this needs no explanation. It is already well explained by many teachers of Vipassanā Meditation. But the fact that it includes also the practice of Samatha Yānika can be seen from Anuruddha Saṃyutta in the Saṃyutta Nikāya. Ven. Anuruddha was a master of the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna as well being proficient in various psychic abilities, especially that of the divine eye. In the Anuruddha Saṃyutta, it is recorded (Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Anuruddhasaṃyutta, Sutta 11f) that he was once questioned by some monks on how he developed these various psychic powers. His reply was that he did so through practicing the four Satipaṭṭhānas. We know according to the tradition that in order to developed psychic powers one must develop and master the Samatha jhānas or absorption concentration. The fact that Ven. Anuruddha said he developed these psychic powers via the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna shows that it is also possible to developed the samatha jhānas through Satipaṭṭhāna, and that the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna can encompass also the practice of the Samatha Yānika.
The practice of āṇāpāṇasati or mindfulness of breathing, one of the objects of Satipaṭṭhāna, for example, can enable the yogi to develop all the samatha jhānas. The contemplation on the thirty two parts of the body as well as the contemplation of the fourteen different stages of decay of a corpse (the cemetery contemplations), can produce the first jhāna. But by contemplating the color of the parts of the body, e.g. the white color of the bones, red color of the blood, etc., it is possible to develop all the samatha-jhānas. In this case it actually becomes a color kasiṇa object based on parts of the body. The samatha-yānika yogis may also choose to use other samatha objects not mentioned as an object of Satipaṭṭhāna to developed jhānas first and then after that switch to the development of vipassanā by contemplating the jhānas they have developed. Of course, object wise, this may not be purely a Satipaṭṭhāna approach but the moment they switch to the development of vipassanā they enter the realm of Satipaṭṭhāna. For the development of vipassanā wisdom falls within the domain of Satipaṭṭhāna practice.
In the commentary to Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta also, in its explanation of the line “overcoming covetousness and grief with regards to the world” (vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ), it is explained that overcoming here may take place in two ways: overcoming by means of substitution with an opposite factor (tadaṅga-vinaya), or overcoming by means of suppression (vikkhambhana-vinaya). The first kind of overcoming is usually associated with the suddha-vipassanā-yānika or direct vipassanā method where the overcoming of defilements is achieved by substituting the unwholesome defilements or the mental hindrances with wholesome factors of mindfulness and clear-comprehension. The second kind of overcoming is achieved by suppressing the mental hindrances with the jhāna factors either at the access or absorption level of concentration. Although this can be achieved through the direct vipassanā method by means of well developed momentary concentration (khaṇika-sāmadhi) the overcoming through suppression is usually associated with the development of samatha which is more peculiar to the samatha-yānika method. This explanation of the commentary again shows that the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna encompasses both the suddha-vipassanā-yānika as well as the samatha-yānika method.
Actually these two methods are two different approaches taught by the Buddha as part of the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna. Both qualify as ekāyana, the only way for the realization of Nibbāna. They are the only way because the yogis practicing both these methods must finally end up with the practice of vipassanā meditation, which is the essence of Satipaṭṭhāna practice. It is the wisdom of vipassanā, the wisdom that sees clearly the true nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self inherent in our existence that enable a person to let go of existential suffering, achieve liberation from it, and realize Nibbāna. Without this vipassanā wisdom liberation from suffering and the realization of Nibbāna is not possible.
Here we must also mention that in order to qualify as samatha-yānika method, the development of samatha must be followed up with the development of vipassanā. Without doing so, if one stops at the development of samatha or tranquility and does not go on to the development of vipassanā, this method cannot be called samatha-yānika. It is only the practice of pure samatha which cannot lead to the realisation of Nibbāna. Samatha-yānika means one whose vehicle is samatha or tranquility. The vehicle here refers to the vehicle that will bring one to the realization of Nibbāna. But that vehicle must necessarily include the development of vipassanā wisdom, for without it such a vehicle of liberation is not possible. So in the practice of samatha-yānika, development of samatha must necessarily be followed up by the development of vipassanā. Otherwise it is merely a pure samatha exercise.
So is Satipaṭṭhāna the only way? We are inclined to think so. In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (Dīgha-Nikāya, Sutta 16) the Buddha told Ven. Ānanda to be an island unto himself, a refuge unto himself, with no other refuge, with the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, with no other refuge. And in showing how one is to do this the Buddha expounded the practice of the Satipaṭṭhāna. In the highest sense Dhamma as a refuge means Nibbāna, the only safe refuge from the suffering in Saṃsāra. Had there been any other way to reach this safe refuge of Nibbāna, the Buddha would have also mention it here. But he did not. He mentioned only the practice of the Satipaṭṭhāna. So Satipatthāna is the only way for the realization of Nibbāna. Therefore:
“Bhikkhus, this path is the only way for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path, for the realization of Nibbāna, namely, the four Satipaṭṭhāna.”
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