SV: sati meditation

Dear Jim,

<In addition to the above interpretation of 'paarimukhika', there is another
one given that is quite the opposite: "a servant who always avoids the face
of his master". It depends on whether one interprets the prefix 'pari' as
avoidance or all around.

In the context of upa.t.thap- "pari-" could hardly imply avoidance.

<In addition to 'face' and 'mouth' for 'mukha', there is also 'head' which
can be taken metaphorically as the meditation-subject and we can come up
with: "having established mindfulness around the meditation-subject" (one of
the 21) or "having caused mindfulness to attend to the meditation-subject".
This seems to agree with the commentarial "kamma.t.thaanaabhimukha.m sati.m
.thapayitvaa" (having caused sati to stand in the presence of the
meditation-subject).

The concept of kamma.t.thaana is only attested in post-canonical lit.
beginning with Vimuttimagga. The commentarial explanation appears to
construe parimukha.m as an adjective qualifying sati.m, an interpretation
that at least Pa.tis seems to presuppose. It must have been a widespread
understanding of the passage because in Buddhist Sanskrit lit. like the
Vajrachedikaa we find praatimukhii.m sm.rtim. This, I believe, is
impossible.

With best wishes,

Ole Pind