An Analytical Study of An Influence of Vipassana Meditation Accordind to the Four Foundation of Mindfulness of Phra Sobhanamahathera (Mahasi Sayadaw)

Abstract

This research article aims to: (1) study the practice of Vipassanā meditation based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna) in Theravāda Buddhism; (2) examine the Satipaṭṭhāna-based Vipassanā meditation method of Venerable Sobhana Mahathera (Mahasi Sayadaw); and (3) investigate the influence of his meditation tradition on the development and dissemination of Vipassanā practice in Thailand. This study is based on documentary research, drawing on the Pāli Canon, commentaries, books, academic publications, and related research. The findings show that, in Theravāda Buddhism, the practice of Vipassanā meditation according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is regarded as the direct path to liberation. Its practice is grounded in three essential qualities: ātāpī (ardent effort), the persistent effort to overcome mental defilements; satimā (mindfulness), the continuous awareness of mind and body in the present moment; and sampajāno (clear comprehension), the clear understanding of bodily phenomena, feelings, states of mind, and mental objects as they arise. The study also found that the Satipaṭṭhāna-based meditation tradition of Venerable Sobhana Mahathera (Mahasi Sayadaw) has received wide international recognition as an authentic approach to Vipassanā meditation based on the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta in the Pāli Canon. Widely known as the "Rising–Falling" method, this tradition has been transmitted through a continuous lineage of meditation teachers since the Third Buddhist Council and the mission of Venerables Soṇa and Uttara to Suvaṇṇabhūmi. The study further revealed that the principles and teachings of Venerable Sobhana Mahathera (Mahasi Sayadaw) have had a profound influence on the spread of Vipassanā meditation in Thailand from the past to the present.