<p>I think it is used idiomatically, but as one contributor stated pratimukha in Sanskrit could mean , &quot;reflection&quot; or &quot;presence&quot;. If we look back to Ajhan Geoff's statement, that supports his idea. But the reason I started typing, is we can put aside the definition and see how we naturally start to relax in accord with the basic instruction. If you mediate like me, you will find great benefit from allowing the awareness of the breath through out the entire body, to develop the first foundation well. Well, how about if it could mean all three or four of the meanings, from the most limited to the most expansive...?<br />
Excerpt from the Anapanasati Sutta
&quot;[1] Breathing in long, he discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or breathing out long, he discerns, 'I am breathing out long.' [2] Or breathing in short, he discerns, 'I am breathing in short'; or breathing out short, he discerns, 'I am breathing out short.' [3] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.'[2] He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.' [4] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.'[3] He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.' So, My brief conclusion is, If we follow the instructions, to calm bodily fabrications, then we probably will not want to have our main focus on the the tip of the nose. Otherwise we would have to work our attention too hard, attending to the breath and the nose, in a focused way and also calming bodily fabrications. I think we need to see the bigger picture, and relax deeply.</p>

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2020-10-11T04:55:11.277Z
2020-10-11T04:55:11.277Z
Pasquale 
<p>Mindfulness means to 'remember' or 'keep in mind'. To quote from the Suttas:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Whenever, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwelling thus withdrawn <strong>recollects</strong> that Dhamma and thinks it over, on that occasion the enlightenment factor of mindfulness is aroused by the bhikkhu</p>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn46.3/en/bodhi?lang=en&amp;reference=none&amp;highlight=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 46.3</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>What is the faculty of mindfulness? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, <strong>remembering</strong> &amp; able to <strong>call to mind</strong> even things that were done &amp; said long ago.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn48/sn48.010.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 48.10</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>To also quote from the Abhidhamma:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Therein what is controlling faculty of mindfulness? That which is mindfulness, constant mindfulness, <strong>recollection</strong>, mindfulness, act of <strong>remembering</strong>, <strong>bearing in mind</strong>, non-superficiality, <strong>non-forgetfulness</strong>, mindfulness, controlling faculty of mindfulness, power of mindfulness, right mindfulness. This is called controlling faculty of mindfulness.</p>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/vb5/en/thittila?lang=en&amp;reference=none&amp;highlight=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vb 5</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>What is kept in mind is 'right view' or 'abandonment'. To quote again from the Suttas:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>One is mindful to abandon wrong view &amp; to <strong>enter &amp; remain</strong> in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.</p>
<p>One is mindful to abandon wrong resolve &amp; to <strong>enter &amp; remain</strong> in right resolve: This is one's right mindfulness.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 117</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Keeping the mind empty is all that is required. Sujato has the best answer, in my opinion.</p>

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2023-07-14T04:25:25.113Z
Hello. Please desist from commenting on my posts.
Dhamma Dhatu
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2023-07-14T04:50:41.580Z
Hello. I updated my post with quotes from the scriptures. Also, the word 'sati' does not mean 'attentiveness' ('manasikara'). Sati means 'remembrance' always. It means to remember Dhamma Principles. This forum is not a debate forum. I will ask you for the last time to desist from commenting on my posts. Thank you
Dhamma Dhatu
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@DhammaAnatta IMO "you're not allowed to comment" would be one extreme, and "endless argument" would be another. I once tried to explain my own view of this topic [in this answer](https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2414/254) -- it's long but in summary, if you disagree with something, try to say so clearly and politely in **one** comment -- to suggest an improvement to the answer for the author, or to mention your view to other readers -- and maybe let the author of the answer have the last word, to avoid "extended discussion".
ChrisW
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Dhamma Dhatu
<p>This is a second answer I will provide for this question from an <a href="https://www.academia.edu/102322604/Anapanasati_from_the_Pali_Suttas_Salient_Points" rel="nofollow noreferrer">article on Anapanasati</a> I recently published.</p>
<p>The preliminary instruction in the Anapanasati Sutta is the following stock phrase found in many suttas:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Here a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an
empty hut, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body
erect, and established mindfulness to the fore (<strong>parimukhaṁ</strong>), ever
mindful he breathes in, ever mindful he breathes out.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>While the above included term ‘parimuka’ is often the subject of debate, the preliminary instruction here in MN 118 in no place refers to intentionally directing mindfulness onto the breathing. As previously suggested, directing mindfulness onto the breathing appears not possible because mindfulness does not mean consciousness, observing, contemplation, attention or similar terms.</p>
<p>In tune with the meaning of ‘mindfulness’ in SN 35.245 as ‘the gatekeeper’, MN 38, while not mentioning Anapanasati but instead proceeding directly to jhana, provides the following instructional explanation of the above stock phrase:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint over
the sense faculties, this noble mindfulness &amp; alertness, he seeks out
a secluded dwelling: a wilderness, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a
glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air,
a heap of straw. After his meal, returning from his alms round, he
sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and brings
mindfulness to the fore.</p>
<p>Abandoning covetousness with regard to the world, he dwells with an
awareness devoid of covetousness. He cleanses his mind of
covetousness. Abandoning ill will &amp; anger, he dwells with an awareness
devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all living beings.
He cleanses his mind of ill will &amp; anger. Abandoning sloth &amp;
drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth &amp; drowsiness,
mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth &amp;
drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness &amp; anxiety, he dwells undisturbed,
his mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness &amp;
anxiety. Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over
uncertainty, with no perplexity with regard to skillful mental
qualities. He cleanses his mind of uncertainty.</p>
<p>MN 38 (Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Similar to the MN 38 instruction above, when the word ‘mindfulness’ is actually used in a practical sense in MN 118, following the stock definition of Samma Sati found in many suttas, mindfulness is used in the
following way:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>….on that occasion a bhikkhu abides…mindful, having abandoned longing
and dejection in relation to the world.</p>
<p>MN 118</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It follows when MN 118 describes mindfulness as a factor of enlightenment, it appears to say much ‘noble’ mindfulness possesses/matures with the salient quality of ‘letting go’, ‘surrender’ or ‘relinquishment’ (namely,
‘vossagga’), as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the mindfulness enlightenment
factor, which depends on seclusion, dispassion and cessation that
matures as relinquishment/abandonment/surrender/letting go (vossagga).</p>
<p>MN 118</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Similarly, in respect to the development of concentration (samadhi), SN 48.9 &amp; SN 48.10 unambiguously say concentration &amp; jhana are developed by making ‘vossagga’ the object of the mind (aramana), as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>And what is the faculty of concentration (samādhi)? It is when a noble
disciple, making letting go the object (vossaggārammaṇaṁ), gains
concentration, gains unification of mind. This is called the faculty
of concentration.</p>
<p>SN 48.9 &amp; SN 48.10</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Also, as previously mentioned, MN 117 &amp; SN 46.3 say the role of mindfulness is to bring the Teachings to mind and remaining abiding in Right View. Naturally, ‘vossagga’ is a manifestation of Right View, namely, per the instruction about the 2nd Noble Truth in SN 56.11, the abandonment of craving. Thus the 3rd Noble Truth contains a Pali word similar to ‘vossagga’, having the same root, namely, ‘paṭinissagga’.</p>
<p>In conclusion, when the opening instruction say the practitioner “<strong>brings mindfulness to the fore</strong>” (<strong>parimukhaṁ</strong>) and is “<strong>ever mindful</strong>”, it appears this means to always maintain Right View (per MN 117), the wholesome (per MN 38),
the absence of longing &amp; dejection (per MN 118) and/or vossagga (per MN 118, SN 48.9 &amp; 10) in the mind.</p>
<p>To reiterate, in no place is an instruction to direct attention/consciousness towards/onto the breathing. In other words, since the nature of consciousness is to come into contact with the most salient sense object, a mind established in letting go (vossagga) will naturally be quiet and the in &amp; out breathing will automatically become the object of consciousness. By being free from coarse willfulness to observe the in &amp; out breathing, the experience or perception of the in &amp; out breathing will be much more lucid, pervasive &amp; long-lasting.</p>

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Dhamma Dhatu
<h2>What are the different interpretations and translations and what might be the most correct interpretation according to the different lines of practice? How are they rationalized?</h2>

<p>Here are some:  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.buddha-vacana.org/voc/parimukham.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Etymology</a>:<br>
  <strong><em>pari-</em></strong> is a prefix used with the connotation of around, about, all over, or that of completeness. Thus <em>dhāvati</em> means
  'to run' and <em>paridhāvati</em> means 'to run about'; <em>vajati</em> - 'to go/
  proceed' becomes <em>paribbajati</em>, 'to wander about', ie. 'to live the life
  of a religious mendicant'; <em>carati</em> - 'to walk' becomes <em>paricarati</em> - 'to
  walk around, ie. to serve, honour'; <em>gaṇeti</em>, 'to count' becomes
  <em>parigaṇeti</em> - 'to calculate'.</p>
  
  <p><strong><em>mukhaṃ</em></strong> means primarily and literally 'mouth', by extension 'face' and
  figuratively 'entrance', 'opening', 'brim', then in a more abstract
  meaning 'the front', 'the foremost' and finally 'that which is an
  entrance into something', ie. 'a mean', 'a cause'.</p>
  
  <p>Strictly from the point of view of semantics (ie. neglecting
  contextual information), the following meanings could reasonably be
  derived from the juxtaposition of these two components: around the
  mouth, all over the mouth, completely on the mouth, around the face,
  all over the face, completely on the face, around the entrance, all
  over the entrance, completely on the entrance, around the front, all
  over the front, completely on the front</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Note: The above link also has references to commentaries &amp; later <em>Pāḷi</em> literature.  </p>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><em><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html#fn-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Thanissaro Bhikkhu</a></em>:
  To the fore (<em>parimukhaṃ</em>): The <em>Abhidhamma</em> takes an etymological
  approach to this term, defining it as around (<em>pari-</em>) the mouth
  (<em>mukhaṃ</em>). In the <em>Vinaya</em>, however, it is used in a context (Cv.V.27.4)
  where it undoubtedly means the front of the chest. There is also the
  possibility that the term could be used idiomatically as "to the
  front," which is how I have translated it here.  </p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><em><a href="http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Satipatthana/Satipatthana-02.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ānandajoti Bhikkhu</a></em>:
  <em>Parimukhaṃ</em> means at the front, or perhaps, around the mouth, i.e. it
  is a vague area, not meant to be confined to one particular spot or
  place, which would have been easy to designate if that is what was
  meant (like specifying <em>oṭṭha</em>, the lip). It is of course the
  mindfulness that is important in the practice, not the breathing as
  such, which only provides a basis for the mindfulness.  </p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><em><a href="https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/direct-path.pdf#page=142" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anālayo Bhikkhu</a></em>:
  Once the posture is set up, mindfulness is to be established “in
  front”. The injunction “in front” (<em>parimukhaṃ</em>) can be understood
  literally or figuratively. Following the more literal understanding,
  “in front” indicates the nostril area as the most appropriate for
  attention to the in- and out-breaths. Alternatively, “in front”
  understood more figuratively suggests a firm establishment of <em>sati</em>,
  <em>sati</em> being mentally “in front” in the sense of meditative composure
  and attentiveness.  </p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><em><a href="http://lirs.ru/do/history-of-mindfulness.ocr.pdf#page=109&amp;search=%22parimukha%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sujato Bhikkhu</a></em>:
  In the gradual training, <em>sati</em> and <em>upatthana</em> occur together in the
  common idiom <em>parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti</em>. Here the term <em>parimukha</em> is
  one of those simple words that is so hard to interpret. It modern
  renderings usually use something vague like 'in front'. However the
  phrase frequently occurs in contexts outside of <em>anapanasati</em>, making
  the interpretation 'at the nose-tip', or any literal spatial
  interpretation, unlikely. The <em>Sanskrit</em> has a different reading,
  <em>pratimukha</em>. This has many meanings, among which are 'reflection' and
  'presence'. Both of these would be appropriate in meditative context.
  But the word usually, as here, occurs in close conjunction with
  <em>upatthana</em>, which also means 'presence'. I think here we have another
  example of that common feature of <em>Pali</em> or <em>Sanskrit</em>, a conjunction of
  synonyms for emphasis: literally, 'one makes present a presence of
  presence of mind', or more happily, 'one establishes presence of
  mindfulness'.</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.vridhamma.org/Discourses-on-Satipatthana-Sutta" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>S. N. Goenka</em></a>: The awareness is established around the mouth,
  the entrance to the nostrils: <em>parimukhaṃ</em>. Certain traditions
  translate this as "in the front," as if the awareness is imagined to
  be in front of the person, but this sets up a duality. Actually you
  have to feel the breath coming and going around the mouth, above the
  upper lip, which is parimukhaṃ.</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p><strong>Additional References:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.4nt.org/anapana/parimukham" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Parimukhaṁ</em> article</a> with <em>Āgama</em> references  </li>
<li><a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/12.21-Kayagatasati-S-m119-piya.pdf#page=10&amp;search=%22Parimukha%EF%83%97%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Footnote 55</a> of <em>Piya Tan's</em> Study of <em>Kāyagatāsati Sutta</em>  </li>
<li><a href="http://palidictionary.appspot.com/browse/p/parimukha" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dictionary entries</a></li>
</ul>

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2018-08-14T22:06:13.773Z
Unrul3r
<p>What is the interpretation of parimukham in the context of Buddhist Meditation?</p>
<p>This seems to have different interpretation and translations? What are the different interpretations and translations and what might be the most correct interpretation according to different line of practice? How is the particular interpretation rationalised?</p>

<pali-canon><pali-language><anapanasati><satipatthana><meditation-classification>
What is the Interpretation of Parimukham in the context of Buddhist Meditation?
# What is the Interpretation of Parimukham in the context of Buddhist Meditation?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-07)

What is the interpretation of parimukham in the context of Buddhist Meditation?

This seems to have different interpretation and translations? What are the different interpretations and translations and what might be the most correct interpretation according to different line of practice? How is the particular interpretation rationalised?

**Tags:** pali-canon, pali-language, anapanasati, satipatthana, meditation-classification


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-08-07. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

## What are the different interpretations and translations and what might be the most correct interpretation according to the different lines of practice? How are they rationalized?

Here are some:

> [Etymology](http://www.buddha-vacana.org/voc/parimukham.html):  
> ***pari-*** is a prefix used with the connotation of around, about, all over, or that of completeness. Thus *dhāvati* means
> 'to run' and *paridhāvati* means 'to run about'; *vajati* - 'to go/
> proceed' becomes *paribbajati*, 'to wander about', ie. 'to live the life
> of a religious mendicant'; *carati* - 'to walk' becomes *paricarati* - 'to
> walk around, ie. to serve, honour'; *gaṇeti*, 'to count' becomes
> *parigaṇeti* - 'to calculate'.
>
> ***mukhaṃ*** means primarily and literally 'mouth', by extension 'face' and
> figuratively 'entrance', 'opening', 'brim', then in a more abstract
> meaning 'the front', 'the foremost' and finally 'that which is an
> entrance into something', ie. 'a mean', 'a cause'.
>
> Strictly from the point of view of semantics (ie. neglecting
> contextual information), the following meanings could reasonably be
> derived from the juxtaposition of these two components: around the
> mouth, all over the mouth, completely on the mouth, around the face,
> all over the face, completely on the face, around the entrance, all
> over the entrance, completely on the entrance, around the front, all
> over the front, completely on the front

Note: The above link also has references to commentaries & later *Pāḷi* literature.

---

> *[Thanissaro Bhikkhu](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html#fn-1)*:
> To the fore (*parimukhaṃ*): The *Abhidhamma* takes an etymological
> approach to this term, defining it as around (*pari-*) the mouth
> (*mukhaṃ*). In the *Vinaya*, however, it is used in a context (Cv.V.27.4)
> where it undoubtedly means the front of the chest. There is also the
> possibility that the term could be used idiomatically as "to the
> front," which is how I have translated it here.

---

> *[Ānandajoti Bhikkhu](http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Satipatthana/Satipatthana-02.htm)*:
> *Parimukhaṃ* means at the front, or perhaps, around the mouth, i.e. it
> is a vague area, not meant to be confined to one particular spot or
> place, which would have been easy to designate if that is what was
> meant (like specifying *oṭṭha*, the lip). It is of course the
> mindfulness that is important in the practice, not the breathing as
> such, which only provides a basis for the mindfulness.

---

> *[Anālayo Bhikkhu](https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/direct-path.pdf#page=142)*:
> Once the posture is set up, mindfulness is to be established “in
> front”. The injunction “in front” (*parimukhaṃ*) can be understood
> literally or figuratively. Following the more literal understanding,
> “in front” indicates the nostril area as the most appropriate for
> attention to the in- and out-breaths. Alternatively, “in front”
> understood more figuratively suggests a firm establishment of *sati*,
> *sati* being mentally “in front” in the sense of meditative composure
> and attentiveness.

---

> *[Sujato Bhikkhu](http://lirs.ru/do/history-of-mindfulness.ocr.pdf#page=109&search=%22parimukha%22)*:
> In the gradual training, *sati* and *upatthana* occur together in the
> common idiom *parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti*. Here the term *parimukha* is
> one of those simple words that is so hard to interpret. It modern
> renderings usually use something vague like 'in front'. However the
> phrase frequently occurs in contexts outside of *anapanasati*, making
> the interpretation 'at the nose-tip', or any literal spatial
> interpretation, unlikely. The *Sanskrit* has a different reading,
> *pratimukha*. This has many meanings, among which are 'reflection' and
> 'presence'. Both of these would be appropriate in meditative context.
> But the word usually, as here, occurs in close conjunction with
> *upatthana*, which also means 'presence'. I think here we have another
> example of that common feature of *Pali* or *Sanskrit*, a conjunction of
> synonyms for emphasis: literally, 'one makes present a presence of
> presence of mind', or more happily, 'one establishes presence of
> mindfulness'.

---

> [*S. N. Goenka*](http://www.vridhamma.org/Discourses-on-Satipatthana-Sutta): The awareness is established around the mouth,
> the entrance to the nostrils: *parimukhaṃ*. Certain traditions
> translate this as "in the front," as if the awareness is imagined to
> be in front of the person, but this sets up a duality. Actually you
> have to feel the breath coming and going around the mouth, above the
> upper lip, which is parimukhaṃ.

---

**Additional References:**

* [*Parimukhaṁ* article](http://www.4nt.org/anapana/parimukham) with *Āgama* references
* [Footnote 55](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/12.21-Kayagatasati-S-m119-piya.pdf#page=10&search=%22Parimukha%EF%83%97%22) of *Piya Tan's* Study of *Kāyagatāsati Sutta*
* [Dictionary entries](http://palidictionary.appspot.com/browse/p/parimukha)


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-10-11. Score: 0

I think it is used idiomatically, but as one contributor stated pratimukha in Sanskrit could mean , "reflection" or "presence". If we look back to Ajhan Geoff's statement, that supports his idea. But the reason I started typing, is we can put aside the definition and see how we naturally start to relax in accord with the basic instruction. If you mediate like me, you will find great benefit from allowing the awareness of the breath through out the entire body, to develop the first foundation well. Well, how about if it could mean all three or four of the meanings, from the most limited to the most expansive...?  
Excerpt from the Anapanasati Sutta
"[1] Breathing in long, he discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or breathing out long, he discerns, 'I am breathing out long.' [2] Or breathing in short, he discerns, 'I am breathing in short'; or breathing out short, he discerns, 'I am breathing out short.' [3] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.'[2] He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.' [4] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.'[3] He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.' So, My brief conclusion is, If we follow the instructions, to calm bodily fabrications, then we probably will not want to have our main focus on the the tip of the nose. Otherwise we would have to work our attention too hard, attending to the breath and the nose, in a focused way and also calming bodily fabrications. I think we need to see the bigger picture, and relax deeply.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-04-24. Score: 0

Mindfulness means to 'remember' or 'keep in mind'. To quote from the Suttas:

> Whenever, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwelling thus withdrawn **recollects** that Dhamma and thinks it over, on that occasion the enlightenment factor of mindfulness is aroused by the bhikkhu
>
> [SN 46.3](https://suttacentral.net/sn46.3/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false)

> What is the faculty of mindfulness? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, **remembering** & able to **call to mind** even things that were done & said long ago.
>
> [SN 48.10](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn48/sn48.010.than.html)

To also quote from the Abhidhamma:

> Therein what is controlling faculty of mindfulness? That which is mindfulness, constant mindfulness, **recollection**, mindfulness, act of **remembering**, **bearing in mind**, non-superficiality, **non-forgetfulness**, mindfulness, controlling faculty of mindfulness, power of mindfulness, right mindfulness. This is called controlling faculty of mindfulness.
>
> [Vb 5](https://suttacentral.net/vb5/en/thittila?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false)

What is kept in mind is 'right view' or 'abandonment'. To quote again from the Suttas:

> One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to **enter & remain** in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.
>
> One is mindful to abandon wrong resolve & to **enter & remain** in right resolve: This is one's right mindfulness.
>
> [MN 117](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html)

Keeping the mind empty is all that is required. Sujato has the best answer, in my opinion.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Hello. Please desist from commenting on my posts.  
> **username_2**: Hello. I updated my post with quotes from the scriptures. Also, the word 'sati' does not mean 'attentiveness' ('manasikara'). Sati means 'remembrance' always. It means to remember Dhamma Principles. This forum is not a debate forum. I will ask you for the last time to desist from commenting on my posts. Thank you  
> **username_3**: @DhammaAnatta IMO "you're not allowed to comment" would be one extreme, and "endless argument" would be another. I once tried to explain my own view of this topic [in this answer](https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2414/254) -- it's long but in summary, if you disagree with something, try to say so clearly and politely in **one** comment -- to suggest an improvement to the answer for the author, or to mention your view to other readers -- and maybe let the author of the answer have the last word, to avoid "extended discussion".  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-07-14. Score: 0

This is a second answer I will provide for this question from an [article on Anapanasati](https://www.academia.edu/102322604/Anapanasati_from_the_Pali_Suttas_Salient_Points) I recently published.

The preliminary instruction in the Anapanasati Sutta is the following stock phrase found in many suttas:

> Here a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an
> empty hut, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body
> erect, and established mindfulness to the fore (**parimukhaṁ**), ever
> mindful he breathes in, ever mindful he breathes out.

While the above included term ‘parimuka’ is often the subject of debate, the preliminary instruction here in MN 118 in no place refers to intentionally directing mindfulness onto the breathing. As previously suggested, directing mindfulness onto the breathing appears not possible because mindfulness does not mean consciousness, observing, contemplation, attention or similar terms.

In tune with the meaning of ‘mindfulness’ in SN 35.245 as ‘the gatekeeper’, MN 38, while not mentioning Anapanasati but instead proceeding directly to jhana, provides the following instructional explanation of the above stock phrase:

> Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint over
> the sense faculties, this noble mindfulness & alertness, he seeks out
> a secluded dwelling: a wilderness, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a
> glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air,
> a heap of straw. After his meal, returning from his alms round, he
> sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and brings
> mindfulness to the fore.
>
> Abandoning covetousness with regard to the world, he dwells with an
> awareness devoid of covetousness. He cleanses his mind of
> covetousness. Abandoning ill will & anger, he dwells with an awareness
> devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all living beings.
> He cleanses his mind of ill will & anger. Abandoning sloth &
> drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth & drowsiness,
> mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth &
> drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness & anxiety, he dwells undisturbed,
> his mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness &
> anxiety. Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over
> uncertainty, with no perplexity with regard to skillful mental
> qualities. He cleanses his mind of uncertainty.
>
> MN 38 (Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

Similar to the MN 38 instruction above, when the word ‘mindfulness’ is actually used in a practical sense in MN 118, following the stock definition of Samma Sati found in many suttas, mindfulness is used in the
following way:

> ….on that occasion a bhikkhu abides…mindful, having abandoned longing
> and dejection in relation to the world.
>
> MN 118

It follows when MN 118 describes mindfulness as a factor of enlightenment, it appears to say much ‘noble’ mindfulness possesses/matures with the salient quality of ‘letting go’, ‘surrender’ or ‘relinquishment’ (namely,
‘vossagga’), as follows:

> Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the mindfulness enlightenment
> factor, which depends on seclusion, dispassion and cessation that
> matures as relinquishment/abandonment/surrender/letting go (vossagga).
>
> MN 118

Similarly, in respect to the development of concentration (samadhi), SN 48.9 & SN 48.10 unambiguously say concentration & jhana are developed by making ‘vossagga’ the object of the mind (aramana), as follows:

> And what is the faculty of concentration (samādhi)? It is when a noble
> disciple, making letting go the object (vossaggārammaṇaṁ), gains
> concentration, gains unification of mind. This is called the faculty
> of concentration.
>
> SN 48.9 & SN 48.10

Also, as previously mentioned, MN 117 & SN 46.3 say the role of mindfulness is to bring the Teachings to mind and remaining abiding in Right View. Naturally, ‘vossagga’ is a manifestation of Right View, namely, per the instruction about the 2nd Noble Truth in SN 56.11, the abandonment of craving. Thus the 3rd Noble Truth contains a Pali word similar to ‘vossagga’, having the same root, namely, ‘paṭinissagga’.

In conclusion, when the opening instruction say the practitioner “**brings mindfulness to the fore**” (**parimukhaṁ**) and is “**ever mindful**”, it appears this means to always maintain Right View (per MN 117), the wholesome (per MN 38),
the absence of longing & dejection (per MN 118) and/or vossagga (per MN 118, SN 48.9 & 10) in the mind.

To reiterate, in no place is an instruction to direct attention/consciousness towards/onto the breathing. In other words, since the nature of consciousness is to come into contact with the most salient sense object, a mind established in letting go (vossagga) will naturally be quiet and the in & out breathing will automatically become the object of consciousness. By being free from coarse willfulness to observe the in & out breathing, the experience or perception of the in & out breathing will be much more lucid, pervasive & long-lasting.


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