A single definition of "mindful," posed as a question and answered, framed as the Buddha's own personal instruction
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — brief, and worth comparing honestly to SN 47.35's own longer discourse of the same name
Why this discourse
This discourse shares its own title, Satisutta, with SN 47.35 earlier in this saṃyutta, and opens with the identical “this is my instruction to you” framing — but this project's own honest comparison confirms a genuine difference: this discourse defines ONLY “mindful” (sato), omitting SN 47.35's own separate definition of “aware” (sampajāno) as knowing feelings, thoughts, and perceptions arising and passing away.
Reading guide
A shorter variant of SN 47.35, not a repetition
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse and SN 47.35 share the SAME title (Satisutta), the SAME opening and closing frame (“this is my instruction to you”), and the SAME definition of “mindful” through the four kinds of mindfulness meditation — but this discourse is genuinely SHORTER, containing only that one definition.
What is honestly absent here, compared to SN 47.35
This project's own honest comparison confirms that SN 47.44 does NOT contain SN 47.35's own second half — the separate definition of “aware” (sampajāno) as knowing feelings, thoughts, and perceptions as they arise, remain, and pass away — a genuine textual difference between two discourses that otherwise share a name and an opening formula.
A single-term teaching, complete in itself
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own definition of “mindful” is presented as COMPLETE on its own terms — it does not read as an abridgement awaiting a second half, but as a self-contained instruction focused entirely on what “mindful” means.
Key terms
sato — “mindful” — this discourse's own sole title term, defined through the four kinds of mindfulness meditation
bhikkhu sato hoti — “how a mendicant is mindful” — the discourse's own guiding question, answered by the fourfold observation
anusāsanī — “instruction, counsel” — the term framing this discourse as the Buddha's own personal teaching, shared with SN 47.35's own opening
sampajāno — “aware, clearly comprehending” — the term defined separately in SN 47.35, but NOT present in this shorter discourse
cattāro satipaṭṭhānā — “the four kinds of mindfulness meditation” — observing body, feelings, mind, and principles, the sole content of this discourse's own definition
The text
The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, a mendicant should live mindfully. This is my instruction to you. And how is a mendicant mindful? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. That’s how a mendicant is mindful. A mendicant should live mindfully. This is my instruction to you.”
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Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 3
What does this discourse share with SN 47.35, and what does it genuinely lack?
Correct: A. A genuine textual difference this project's own honest comparison confirms — this discourse is shorter.
Question 2 of 3
How does this discourse define "mindful" (sato)?
Correct: A. The same fourfold observation used throughout this saṃyutta's own discourses.
Question 3 of 3
How does this discourse's own single definition read, on its own terms?
Correct: A. Focused entirely on what "mindful" means, without needing a further definition to feel complete.
