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1. Satiuppajjanapañha

Arising of Mindfulness Question

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, katihākārehi sati uppajjatī”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, in how many ways does mindfulness arise?”

“Sattarasahākārehi, mahārāja, sati uppajjatī”ti.
“Your majesty, mindfulness arises in seventeen ways.”

“Katamehi sattarasahākārehī”ti?
“In what seventeen ways?”

“Abhijānatopi, mahārāja, sati uppajjati, kaṭumikāyapi sati uppajjati, oḷārikaviññāṇatopi sati uppajjati, hitaviññāṇatopi sati uppajjati, ahitaviññāṇatopi sati uppajjati, sabhāganimittatopi sati uppajjati, visabhāganimittatopi sati uppajjati, kathābhiññāṇatopi sati uppajjati, lakkhaṇatopi sati uppajjati, sāraṇatopi sati uppajjati, muddātopi sati uppajjati, gaṇanātopi sati uppajjati, dhāraṇatopi sati uppajjati, bhāvanatopi sati uppajjati, potthakanibandhanatopi sati uppajjati, upanikkhepatopi sati uppajjati, anubhūtatopi sati uppajjatīti.
“Mindfulness arises, your majesty, through knowing directly, with outside help, from consciousness of a substantiality, from consciousness of welfare, from consciousness of misfortune, from a common sign, from an uncommon sign, from understanding due to speech, from a distinguishing characteristic, from remembering, from reckoning, from calculation, from bearing in mind, from mental development, from recording in books, from association of ideas, and from experience.

Kathaṁ abhijānato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise through knowing directly?

Yathā, mahārāja, āyasmā ca ānando khujjuttarā ca upāsikā, ye vā pana aññepi keci jātissarā jātiṁ saranti, evaṁ abhijānato sati uppajjati.
Just as, your majesty, venerable Ānanda or the female lay follower Khujjuttarā or those others who remember past births remember a past birth, thus does mindfulness arise through knowing directly.

Kathaṁ kaṭumikāya sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise with outside help?

Yo pakatiyā muṭṭhassatiko, pare ca taṁ sarāpanatthaṁ nibandhanti, evaṁ kaṭumikāya sati uppajjati.
If others urge one who is naturally muddled in mindfulness so that he remembers, thus does mindfulness arise with outside help.

Kathaṁ oḷārikaviññāṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from consciousness of a substantiality?

Yadā rajje vā abhisitto hoti, sotāpattiphalaṁ vā patto hoti, evaṁ oḷārikaviññāṇato sati uppajjati.
When there is a consecration into sovereignty or the attainment of the fruit of stream entry, thus does mindfulness arise from consciousness of a substantiality.

Kathaṁ hitaviññāṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from consciousness of welfare?

Yamhi sukhāpito, ‘amukasmiṁ evaṁ sukhāpito’ti sarati, evaṁ hitaviññāṇato sati uppajjati.
One remembers when one was happy, ‘There was happiness because of that.’ Thus, does mindfulness arise from consciousness of welfare.

Kathaṁ ahitaviññāṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from consciousness of misfortune?

Yamhi dukkhāpito, ‘amukasmiṁ evaṁ dukkhāpito’ti sarati, evaṁ ahitaviññāṇato sati uppajjati.
One remembers when one was suffering, ‘There was suffering because of that.’ Thus, does mindfulness arise from consciousness of misfortune.

Kathaṁ sabhāganimittato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from a common sign?

Sadisaṁ puggalaṁ disvā mātaraṁ vā pitaraṁ vā bhātaraṁ vā bhaginiṁ vā sarati, oṭṭhaṁ vā goṇaṁ vā gadrabhaṁ vā disvā aññaṁ tādisaṁ oṭṭhaṁ vā goṇaṁ vā gadrabhaṁ vā sarati, evaṁ sabhāganimittato sati uppajjati.
Having seen a person similar to oneself one remembers his mother, father, brother, or sister, and having seen a camel, an ox, or a donkey, one remembers a camel, an ox, or a donkey. Thus, does mindfulness arise from a common sign.

Kathaṁ visabhāganimittato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from an uncommon sign?

Asukassa nāma vaṇṇo ediso, saddo ediso, gandho ediso, raso ediso, phoṭṭhabbo edisoti sarati, evampi visabhāganimittatopi sati uppajjati.
When one remembers that such is the colour of a certain thing, such the sound, such the smell, such the taste, such the touch, thus does mindfulness arise from an uncommon sign.

Kathaṁ kathābhiññāṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from understanding due to speech?

Yo pakatiyā muṭṭhassatiko hoti, taṁ pare sarāpenti, tena so sarati, evaṁ kathābhiññāṇato sati uppajjati.
If others remind one who is naturally muddled in mindfulness so that he remembers, thus does mindfulness arise from understanding due to speech.

Kathaṁ lakkhaṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from a distinguishing characteristic?

Yo pakatiyā balībaddānaṁ aṅgena jānāti, lakkhaṇena jānāti, evaṁ lakkhaṇato sati uppajjati.
One who knows an ox based on a conventional factor, remembers it by its distinguishing characteristic. Thus, does mindfulness arise from a distinguishing characteristic.

Kathaṁ sāraṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from remembering?

Yo pakatiyā muṭṭhassatiko hoti, yo taṁ ‘sarāhi bho, sarāhi bho’ti punappunaṁ sarāpeti, evaṁ sāraṇato sati uppajjati.
If one causes someone who is usually muddled in mindfulness to remember by repeatedly saying, ‘Remember, sir! Remember, sir!’ thus does mindfulness arise from remembering.

Kathaṁ muddāto sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from reckoning?

Lipiyā sikkhitattā jānāti ‘imassa akkharassa anantaraṁ imaṁ akkharaṁ kātabban’ti evaṁ muddāto sati uppajjati.
From being trained in writing, one knows, ‘This letter is to be made immediately after that letter.’ Thus, does mindfulness arise from reckoning.

Kathaṁ gaṇanāto sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from calculation?

Gaṇanāya sikkhitattā gaṇakā bahumpi gaṇenti, evaṁ gaṇanāto sati uppajjati.
From being trained in calculation, accountants calculate even very large sums. Thus, does mindfulness arise from calculation.

Kathaṁ dhāraṇato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from bearing in mind?

Dhāraṇāya sikkhitattā dhāraṇakā bahumpi dhārenti, evaṁ dhāraṇato sati uppajjati.
From being trained in bearing in mind, those who bear in mind can remember even a large amount. Thus, does mindfulness arise from from bearing in mind.

Kathaṁ bhāvanāto sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from mental development?

Idha bhikkhu anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—
Here, a bhikkhu recalls his various past lives, that is,

ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe…
one birth, two births, …

iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, evaṁ bhāvanāto sati uppajjati.
such that he remembers them with all their aspects and features. Thus, does mindfulness arise from mental development.

Kathaṁ potthakanibandhanato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from recording in books?

Rājāno anusāsaniyaṁ assarantā etaṁ potthakaṁ āharathāti, tena potthakena anussaranti, evaṁ potthakanibandhanato sati uppajjati.
A king’s minister when not remembering an administrative rule might have a book brought to him, and then would remember by means of that book. Thus, does mindfulness arise from from recording in books.

Kathaṁ upanikkhepato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from association of ideas?

Upanikkhittaṁ bhaṇḍaṁ disvā sarati, evaṁ upanikkhepato sati uppajjati.
When one remembers after seeing goods laid aside, thus does mindfulness arise from association of ideas.

Kathaṁ anubhūtato sati uppajjati?
How does mindfulness arise from experience?

Diṭṭhattā rūpaṁ sarati, sutattā saddaṁ sarati, ghāyitattā gandhaṁ sarati, sāyitattā rasaṁ sarati, phuṭṭhattā phoṭṭhabbaṁ sarati, viññātattā dhammaṁ sarati, evaṁ anubhūtato sati uppajjati.
From what was seen one remembers material form, from what was heard one remembers sound, from what was smelled one remembers odour, from what was tasted one remembers flavour, from what was contacted one remembers touch, from what was cognised one remembers thought. Thus, does mindfulness arise from experience.

Imehi kho, mahārāja, sattarasahākārehi sati uppajjatī”ti.
In these seventeen ways, your majesty, mindfulness arises.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”

Satiuppajjanapañho paṭhamo.
Arising of Mindfulness Question first