The foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana) as a microcosm of the Theravada Buddhist world view

The following study is an attempt to illustrate the manner in which the prescribed method of Theravada Buddhist praxis; namely, mindfulness (sati, i.e., the seventh stage of the Eightfold Noble Path) represents the microcosmic image of the Theravada Buddhist world view. Implicit in this work is the fundamental notion that soteriological systems never exist in a vacuum. Rather, they necessarily presuppose a world and existential condition that one seeks to transcend. As per the Theravada tradition, its salvational schema emerges directly from its view of the cosmos (i.e., the three characteristics of existence: anicca, anatta, and dukkha), while its specific form of meditation manifests that view. In effect, then, this work is aimed towards establishing a more reciprocal relationship between theory and practice within Theravada Buddhism. The chosen method of research for the proposed problem is phenomenological in nature. Mircea Eliade's significant contributions to the phenomenology of religion have resulted in a more profound understanding of religious consciousness, particularly as expressed through the rich varieties of myth, ritual (i.e., meditation), and symbolism. As such, the phenomenological approach forces the outsider to become more sensitive to the needs and experiences of the insider as having liberating effects. Finally, the conclusion seeks to reestablish (by way of analogy) the basic underlying theme: namely, how the synthesizing of theory and practice yields a freedom experience.