Rethinking Satipaṭṭhāna: from investigating Dhamma to dwelling in jhāna

Satipaṭṭhāna (often translated as “Foundations of mindfulness”) is the Buddha’s method of wisdom contemplation, best known through the ancient practice tutorial The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. It is recognized as the basis of modern vipassanā or insight meditation and of many other modern and historical practices. Unfortunately, the currents of Buddhist intellectual history have not been kind to this early teaching.