Mark Lippmann:
Can someone help explain to me the difference between 3. mind/consciousness and 4. mental objects? Is there a better translation of both? It seems like there's overlap amongst all four, but what are the major distinctions that the Buddha was trying to tease out by creating these four categories?
For the best discussion of this practice of
satipatthana I would recommend the book by Ven. Analayo titled: [url=http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/0861714911/thomelio-20" title="Satipatthana, The Direct Path to Realization"]Satipattana, The Direct Path to Realization.
In fact, the translation of
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness is, in my opinion, somewhat confusing and not quite what the Buddha meant when he used the pali word "satipatthana." In Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of the
Samyutta Nikaya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, in the Introduction to the last book of the Samyutta, the
Mahavagga, he covers the translation of this word in some detail starting at page 1504. I have found that his translation of this word as the
Four Establishments of Mindfulness to have been more informative and practical to my practice, as have others who have used this translation. Because one is practicing to "establish" or "apply" these states of mindfulness in a rather subjective way rather than using them as a "foundation." When put this way, I suppose it may be semantic; I just prefer "establishment" rather than "foundation" when thinking about this practice.
As Dark Yogi has correctly explained,
the third establishment of mindfulness (scroll down to number 3:
III. The Contemplation of Consciousness) is as regards the
state of mind as in the description given in the Satipatthana Suttas:
"Herein, monks, a monk knows the consciousness with lust, as with lust; the consciousness without lust, as without lust; the consciousness with hate, as with hate; the consciousness without hate, as without hate; the consciousness with ignorance, as with ignorance; the consciousness without ignorance, as without ignorance..."
One observes whatever state his mind is in (whether with lust, with anger, with confusion, with ignorance or whatever) in order to know the mind in that instant and to watch that mind state's arising and passing.
As for the fourth establishment of mindfulness, one focuses on any mental object that one wishes to focus on (or whichever one arises and passes, if one is observing the arising and passing away):
"And how, monks, does a monk live contemplating mental objects in mental objects? Herein, monks, a monk lives contemplating mental objects in the mental objects of the five hindrances.
How, monks, does a monk live contemplating mental objects in the mental objects of the five hindrances?
Herein, monks, when sense-desire is present, a monk knows, "There is sense-desire in me," or when sense-desire is not present, he knows, "There is no sense-desire in me." He knows how the arising of the non-arisen sense-desire comes to be; he knows how the abandoning of the arisen sense-desire comes to be; and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned sense-desire comes to be."
Focusing on these four establishments of mindfulness (on the body, feeling, mind states, and mind objects) is where, traditionally, the Buddha recommended that practitioners will find the same awakening that he experienced. As I say, it is expained in more detail in Analayo's book if you are interested to learn more about this practice.