4👑☸ Cattāri Ariya-saccaṃ 四聖諦

Pari-mukha

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detailed pali+english audit of all 57 occurrences of parimukha in Pali EBT: 🔗lucid24.org blog entry 2019/7 It’s important to translate parimukha correctly in meditative context, and not leave any doubts about the ambiguity of literal (spatial) versus idiomatic figurative interpretation. For example, translating from pali or Chinese EBT “in front” or “before”, leaves it ambiguous and unclear whether spatial, or figurative, or both meanings are intended. https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2019/07/what-does-pari-mukha-mean-exactly-in-16.html So at the conclusion of the study, here is what I settled on, going with B.Bodhi and other translators of “in front”, and using square bracket comments [as main priority] to emphasize the correct interpretation is figurative and not literal (spatial location).

STED



STED sitting meditation, remove 5niv

vivittaṃ senāsanaṃ bhajati	(a) secluded lodging (they) frequent -
araññaṃ rukkha-mūlaṃ	(the) wilderness, (a) tree-root,
pabbataṃ kandaraṃ	(a) hill, (a) ravine,
giri-guhaṃ susānaṃ	(a) mountain-cave, (a) cemetary,
vanapatthaṃ abbhokāsaṃ	(a) forest, (the) open-air,
palāla-puñjaṃ.	(a) straw-heap.
So pacchā-bhattaṃ	** After-(the)-meal,
piṇḍapāta-paṭikkanto	(from) alms-round -- (they)-return,
nisīdati pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā	sit down, (into) cross-legged-posture (they) bend,
ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya	straightened body (they) aspire (to),
pari-mukhaṃ	In-front [, making this the main priority],
satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā.	[☸Dharma]-remembrance (they) establish.
So abhijjhaṃ loke pahāya	(1) ** avarice (for the) world (they) remove,
vigat'-ābhijjhena cetasā viharati,	rid-(of)-avarice (in the) mind (they) dwell,
abhijjhāya cittaṃ parisodheti.	avarice (in the) mind (they) cleanse.
Byāpādapa-dosaṃ pahāya	(2) ill-will-&-hatred (they) remove,
a-byāpanna-citto viharati	(with a) non-ill-will-mind (they) dwell,
sabba-pāṇa-bhūtahit-ānukampī,	(for) all-living-beings-(they have)-compassion,
byāpādapa-dosā cittaṃ parisodheti.	ill-will-&-hatred (from) mind (they) cleanse.
Thina-middhaṃ pahāya	(3) sloth-&-torpor (they) remove,
vigata-thina-middho viharati	rid-of-sloth-&-torpor (they) dwell,
āloka-saññī,	luminosity-(they are)-perceiving,
sato sampajāno,	rememberful (and) lucidly-discerning,
thina-middhā cittaṃ parisodheti.	sloth-&-torpor (from the) mind (they) cleanse.
Uddhacca-kukkuccaṃ pahāya	(4) restlessness-&-remorse (they) remove,
an-uddhato viharati,	without-restlessness (they) dwell,
ajjhattaṃ vūpasanta-citto,	internally (with) peaceful-mind,
Uddhacca-kukkuccā cittaṃ parisodheti.	restlessness-&-remorse (from the) mind (they) cleanse.
Vicikicchaṃ pahāya	(5) Doubt (they) remove,
tiṇṇa-vicikiccho viharati,	gone-beyond-doubt, (they) dwell,
a-kathaṅkathī kusalesu dhammesu,	not-undecided (about what is) skillful ☸Dharma,
vicikicchāya cittaṃ parisodheti.	doubt (from the) mind (they) cleanse.

STED 16APS prelude

[0.1] 🏞️ arañña-gato vā	[0.1] 🏞️ (to the) wilderness-(he)-went, or
🌲 rukkha-mūla-gato vā	🌲 (to the) tree-root-(he)-went, or
🏕️ suññā-(a)gāra-gato vā	🏕️ (to the) empty-dwelling-(he)-went, **
[0.2] nisīdati	[0.2] sits down
[0.3] 🧘 pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā	[0.3] 🧘 (into)-cross-leg-posture (he)-bends,
[0.4] 🏃📐 ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya	[0.4] 🏃📐 straightened body (he)-aspires (to),
[0.5] 🌬️😤 pari-mukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā.	[0.5] 🌬️😤 in-front [, as main priority], remembrance he-establishes.
[0.6] 🐘 So sato-va assasati,	[0.6] 🐘 He, Always-a-rememberer, breathes in;
Sato-va passasati	Always-a-rememberer, breathes out.

B. Sujato on Sanskrit EBT perspective and prati-mukha

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(look for his comments in this discussion thread, excerpt below) https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/preparing-for-meditation-parimukha/2823/4 In the standard formula in which the meditator sits down, before the Jhanas, we have: nisīdati... paṇidhāya parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā which literally means 'he sits down and aspires to create memory around his mouth' I know - sati is supposed to be 'mindfulness', parimukha 'in front of him' etc. I try and see if there is a legitimate literal interpretation. So my question - is it possible that this passage means that he sits down and recites a portion of the teaching concerning his meditation? To me at least 'mindfulness in front of him' isn't helpful, yet it seems to indicate something very specific. In Bh. Anālayo's 'A Comparative Study of the Majjhima-nikāya Volume 1', p.350 we find for parimukham - putting mindfulness in front (+30 times in EĀ) - keeping the mind at the tip of the nose (1 time in all Āgamas) - establishing unification of the mind (1 time?) The text contains the idea that parimukham would basically refer to ānāpānassati I'm still not content with parimukham as 'in front' etc. because we only have this very narrow textual environment for it. If it really was an adverb of place we would find it in other different contexts, objects, variations, everyday descriptions etc. Like this it hardly signifies anything, simply because we don't have the material for it to work as a metaphor, and literally ('around the mouth') it makes not much sense, unless we understand it as 'tip of the nose' for ānāpānassati. But then why not parināsām or parināsāpuṭam? For me at least this represents a corruption in the transmission. It also appears as a stock phrase in quite a number of Mahāyāna sūtras, including most versions of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā, although not in the earliest and most popular translation (Kumārajīva). Some common forms: 正念現前 - Paramārtha and Bodhiruci - correct mindfulness at the fore 住對面念 - Xuanzang - abide with mindfulness at the fore 正念而住 - Yijing - correctly mindful, abiding All of these would be interpretations from around the 6th to 7th century. Notably, none of them interprets the expression as anything related to the body. There are some explanations given by the Sarvāstivādins, by Asaṅga, and others, but they don't look especially interesting or informative. The "fore" is usually interpreted as basically meaning the mind, as in looking out into the mind. That is at least how I understand Bh. Anālayo's treatment of the text... Here are the quotes: "Regarding the subject of mindfulness of breathing, the two versions [MN 62 and EĀ 17.1] exhibit some interesting differences in their detailed exposition of this topic... The Majjhima-nikāya account at this point recommends establishing mindfulness “in front” (parimukha), an expression that according to the explanation given in the Vibhaga and the Paisambhidāmagga refers to the nostril area as the proper location for being mindful of the breath. This explanation is reflected in the Ekottarika-āgama discourse, which explicitly instructs that one should be “keeping the mind at the tip of the nose”. The standard pericope description of sitting down for meditation in other Ekottarikaāgama discourses, however, does not mention the nose tip, but speaks just of putting mindfulness “in front”. This leaves open the possibility that the instruction to keep the mind at the tip of the nose in the Ekottarika-āgama parallel to the Mahārāhulovāda-sutta could have been an explanatory gloss on the practice of mindfulness of breathing that, either during the period of transmission or at the time of translation, became part of the discourse itself." The footnote here quotes: "Vibh 252,12: “mindfulness is established, well established, at the nose tip or the upper lip, therefore it is said: ‘having established mindfulness in front’”, sati upahitā hoti supahitā nāsikagga vā mukhanimitte vā, tena vuccati parimukha, sati, upahapetvā ti" So I used the SuttaCentral search engine to browse through all parimukha references. They are found equally in AN, SN and MN - less in DN and KN. Most references don't mention any meditation method, they just generally describe going into the forest... entering the jhāna. In about another 30% we have parimukha --> hindrances --> jhāna. In the MN this is mostly in the context of describing the gradual training. And then there are a few suttas with more interesting content relating to our question - and they mostly have parimukha (in the following 'p') indeed in connection with ānāpānassati. Most of these are connecting not defining but by sequence, with three exceptions describing ānāpānassati with p. In detail: AN 3.63 is THE exception. Here we have p --> jhāna, p--> brāmavihāra, p--> understanding I cut off greed, hatred delusion. No mention of ānāpānassati or kayagata sati at all AN 10.60 is as one of the main meditation suttas of interest. Here we have the 10 saññā, but only ānāpānassati (which is not litereally a saññā) in defining connection with parimukha: "And what, Ānanda, is mindfulness of breathing? Here, a bhikkhu, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree..." SN 54 as the ānāpānasamyutta has in each of the 20 suttas p in connection with ānāpānassati MN 10 has the many meditations, but again p only before ānāpānassati MN 119 is the same, p only before ānāpānassati MN 118 obviously too MN 62 as another main meditation sutta is peculiar. Rahula sits with parimukha, Sariputta sees him and THEN tells him to do ānāpānassati . Further on more meditations are described, but again, only in connection with ānāpānassati we have p. DN doesn't provide interesting details, just DN 22 is as MN 10 KN has a few instances... Iti 85 is interesting. It has a) ānāpānassati, b) sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassanā and c) asubhānupassanā. p again only in connection with ānāpānassati with the sentence: "ānāpānassati vo ajjhattaṃ parimukhaṃ sūpaṭṭhitā hotu" "When mindfulness of breathing is inwardly well established parimukham (before one? at the tip of the nose?)" - is the rest an exact translation? I count this is as a defining connection of p and ānāpānassati too. Ud 7.8 has p with kayagata sati in general, with no mention of ānāpānassati. So that is the second kind-of-exception. Ps 1.3 again p with ānāpānassati Finally in the Vinaya we have another direct link of p. and ānāpānassati Pi Tv Bu Vb Pj 3: "And how is samādhi by mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated in this way? “A monk sits down in the wilderness, at the foot of a tree, or in an empty hut. He crosses his legs, straightens his body, and establishes mindfulness in front of him" Conclusion: If parimukha appears in connection with a specific meditation it is in overwhelming majority with ānāpānassati. Sometimes we have other meditations in the same sutta but only ānāpānassati with parimukha (AN 10.60, MN 10, MN 62, MN 119, Iti 85), and two-three times even explaining ānāpānassati with the parimukha passage (AN 10.60, Iti 85, Pi Tv Bu Vb Pj 3). I didn't expect this clear connection, but now I think that ānāpānassati actually from the beginning (and not just in Abdhidhamma and commentaries) is described as watching the breath literally 'around the mouth' or 'around the face' or 'at the tip of the nose'. If this is the case, and parimukha would always hint ānāpānassati, then the passages with parimukha that are directly followed by the first jhāna would mean that it was achieved by ānāpānassati. Open question: has someone already collected the meditations that explicitly lead to the first jhāna other than by ānāpānassati and/or the parimukha passage? (except maybe AN 1.395-574 where almost every dhamma aspect seems to be suitable to develop jhāna...) That's an interesting argument, thanks Gabriel. there certainly does seem to be an association, but I am still not clear why. It seems to me we have two approaches:     Spatial interpretation: As you argue, anapanassati is directly connected with parimukha. In this case the other contexts would be secondary, in some cases clumsily, eg the Rahula Sutta.     Non-spatial interpretation: Anapanassati is not directly connected with parimukha. The reason for the prevalence is because anapanassati was the prime example of meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, and its association with parimukha is secondary. How are we to say which hypothesis is right? Well, one test would be to look at the parallels in Chinese and Sanskrit, etc. Not so much the actual translation of the term as the patterns of usage. If we find that contexts that suggest anapanassati is not connected with parimukha are similar in the parallels this tends to confirm the non-spatial hypothesis. If they are different it supports the spatial hypothesis. As you'd expect, it's complicated! EA 17.1 is the parallel for MN 62, and the opening narrative is very similar. However it seems to use an unconventional phrase to describe the sitting in meditation, and it's not clear if it's a translation of parimukha. 專精一心，念色無常，念痛、想、行、識無常     He focussed with all his heart, mindful that form, feeling, perception, activities, and consciousness are impermanent. in the Sanskrit texts, we regularly find pratimukha rather than parimukha2, something that further complicates the issue. Parimukha is not attested at all in the Sanskrit texts on SC. (In most cases we can expect the Chinese to have translated from something like this as well.) Note that pratimukha is attested across multiple schools, including Mahasanghika (Mahavastu) and Sarvastivada, and early and late texts. In the 19 hits I get for these on SC, none of them, from a cursory examination, appear to deal with anapanassati at all. But like I said, this is just a quick skim. In the Sanskrit dictionaries, the dominant sense of pratimukha seems to be "presence". This sense is quite widely attested, so it would be interesting to check these passages. In Manusmriti 8.291 it's used in the context of a chariot accident, meaning tiryakpratimukhāgate, meaning that the chariot is turned aside or backwards (or something like that!). In a commentary to the Bhagavadgita it's used as a gloss on abhimukha, in the sense of rivers "facing" the sea. Parimukha in the Sanskrit dictionaries is only referenced in Panini, which seems to confirm that it is not used in a doctrinal sense by the Sanskritic Buddhists at all. The strong prevalence of pratimukha is very noteworthy, and it suggests we should be cautious about interpreting solely based on the Pali meaning of parimukha, which might not even be the original term. If it is indeed the case that the Sanskritic texts don't associate it with anapanassati, perhaps that association is an accident arising from editorial choices in the Pali. Just to throw out a few examples of later uses of the phrase, here are a few I thought might be accessible. T 275, Sarvavaidalyasaṃgrahasūtra, Vinītaruci 爾時世尊 At that time, the Bhagavān 正念現前     with correct mindfulness before him, 從三昧起 arose from samādhi, 遍觀大眾     and observed the entire assembly [of humans and non-humans]. T 279, Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra, Śikṣānanda 念念明達     illuminating and penetrating each thought, 一切佛法     all buddha-dharmas, 正念現前     with correct mindfulness at the fore, 無所取著     without grasping or attachment. In the 600-fascicle Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T 220), it appears four times, always in the form: 端身正願住對面念     Adjust body, correct intention, abide with mindfulness at the fore. In later Chinese Buddhist literature, the phrase also continued to be used. T 1972, Questions on the Pure Land, is one example. At the time of death, with a fearless mind, and “with mindfulness at the fore” (正念現前), one is able to see Amitābha Buddha and his noble saṃgha, and experience rebirth there, pulled from a golden lotus flower. Gabriel May '16 1 Thanks for bringing the Sanskrit and Chinese parallels into the picture. I tend towards an editorial artefact in Pali as well. If originally there really was a connection between parimukha and ānāpānassati, what would have been easier than "paṇidhāya parimukhaṃ ānāpānassatiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā"? The passage in Sanskrit is indeed revealing, and I wonder if the following reasoning holds up to a literal translation of the Chinese as well... The expression in Sanskrit goes: pratimukhāṃ sṃrtim upasthāpya Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I read upasthāpya as a gerund of the causative of upastā with a meaning of "to be made stood near" and with upasthāpana having the connotation of "causing to remember", upasthiti "the faculty of memory". So it might turn out that the passage goes "causing the to-be brought about remembering" of... pratimukhāṃ sṃrtim. pratimukhā = pratimukha = towards / near / facing / in front sṃrti = memory / the meditation subject So my interpretation of the Sanskrit version is that this preparatory meditation passage describes the location (root of a tree etc.), posture (bent at the lap) and mental direction (recollecting what I want to do in the upcoming meditation session) of the meditation. The Sanskrit doesn't hint at anapanassati at all, neither by proximity nor by explaining parimukha. Obviously (some) Pali editors had something else in mind (as seen in AN 10.60, Iti 85, Pi Tv Bu Vb Pj 3 and the Vibhanga). Now my question to the Chinese text would be if it goes along with the gerund/future-passive-participle interpretation of the Sanskrit. Meaning:     does the passage have the bhikkhu active in a form of 'mindfulness', already meditating?     or is he busy mentally preparing, "facing" the future/upcoming meditation? Unfortunately Bh. Anālayo's commentary doesn't mention how literal his translation "establishing mindfulness" is. for the 16 steps of anapana and its prelude, where parimukha appears, i translated it literally as "near the mouth". it makes sense, with anapanasati being a kinaesthetic experience, and as one tries to stay continuously with the breath, the movement of wind and bodily tissue near the mouth, rise and fall of the front of the body. it's precisely because of the cool soothing kinaesthetic experience of in and out breathing that it works so effectively in its advertised benefit of cutting off thinking. By initiating the wholesome physical pleasure of breathing, described in SN 54.9 as peaceful, sublime, an ambrosial dwelling, how easy it is then to mindfully stay with that instead of running off with akusala thinking. of course parimukham works metaphorically as well too, and we should consider the possibility that both the literal and metaphorical meanings may have been intended. i don't know why people are always so quick to make things into an either-or situation, where you have to choose one or the other. the literal interpretation works very well as an entry level advise for beginners. just as the 3rd tetrad of 16 APS, vimutti can represent liberation (temporary) of 5 hindrances to enter first jhana, liberation from rupa to enter formless attainments, liberation from piiti to enter 3rd jhana, etc. So just as vimutti in step 12 can apply to many stages of samadhi, parimukham could be intended to capture a wide range of possibilities as well. unfortunately by translating parimukha as "near the mouth" in english would deprive us of the metaphorical dimension. Ven. Thanissaro's translation of "placing mindfulness to the fore" I'm guessing was intended to try to capture both.

William Chu from Chinese Agama EBT perspective

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Premodern Chinese translators’ take: The way the corresponding expression is rendered into Chinese in non-Agama texts; some examples: 正念現前 (Paramārtha and Bodhiruci)--“Right Mindfulness is brought to the fore/present” 住對面念 (Xuanzang)—“Abiding in the mindfulness [that is like tackling something] face-on” 正念而住 (Yijing)—“Abiding in/establishing Right Mindfulness” Virtually all these monks were familiar with the Indian ways of meditating -- Modern EBT experts’ take: Thorsten Fessel contrasts the expression with the Sanskrit expression “bahir mukha—averting one’s face,” and suggests that parimukham means “presence of mind as directed to the immediate environment” T.W. Rhys Davids has a similar idea: “to surround oneself with watchfulness of mind” Sujato Bhikkhu: “In the gradual training, sati and upatthana occur together in the common idiom parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti…[Its] modern renderings usually use something vague like ‘in front’. However the phrase frequently occurs in contexts outside of anapanasati, making the interpretation ‘at the nose-tip’, or any literal spatial interpretation, unlikely. The Sanskrit has a different reading, pratimukha. This has many meanings, among which are ‘reflection’ and ‘presence’. Both of these would be appropriate in meditative context…I think here we have another example of that common feature of Pali or Sanskrit, a conjunction of synonyms for emphasis: literally, 'one makes present a presence of presence of mind', or more happily, 'one establishes presence of mindfulness’.” -- Scriptural evidence; all of the practices below cannot be undertaken when mindfulness is affixed at mouth-nose: EA17.1, the practice of contemplating on the inconstancy of the five aggregates is described, prefaced by the parimukham expression: “專精一心，念色無常，念痛、想、行、識無常”; “He diligently collects his mind, and contemplates on/brings to his mind that form, feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness are inconstant.” DN25 (iii49), MN39, AN9.40, speaks of the expression “parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti” as in “overcoming hindrances” AN3.63, as in the “divine abodes” AN3.63, as in realizing that one’s defilements have been eradicated MN91, as in setting the mind on the welfare of oneself and others. SN54.7: Mahā-kappina was practicing anapanasati, with “parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti.” He experienced the quaking, or spontaneous tremor of the body as a disturbance. The Buddha instructed him to practice “anapanasati: the contemplation on abandoning, with parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti” Ud5.10: “And on that occasion Ven. Cūḷa Panthaka was sitting not far from the Blessed One, his legs crossed, his body held erect, with mindfulness established to the fore…With steady body, steady awareness—whether standing, sitting, or lying down—a monk determined on mindfulness gains one distinction after another. ” None of the above can be undertaken when attention is affixed at nose-mouth. Another interesting point: the “early of the early” seem to not include this “parimukha” instruction in the standard meditation formula altogether (Ud21, 42, 43, 46, 60, 71, 77) Mindfulness is not attention. Mindfulness is remembrance of one’s purpose, directionality, task…: AN7.63: “Just as the royal frontier fortress has a gate-keeper — wise, experienced, intelligent — to keep out those he doesn't know and to let in those he does, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without…In the same way a disciple of the noble ones is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. With mindfulness as his gate-keeper, the disciple of the ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity. With this sixth true quality is he endowed.” To say that one should direct one’s mindfulness to a spatial location simply doesn’t make sense. Practitioners have to put the Teaching in front (mukha), i.e. invoke it in mind; It is akin to “gatekeeping” because the act of remembering the Dhamma is both to preserve it and to be preserved by it (śrutidharā). When one does mindfulness of the body, what one does is really not simply directing attention and affixing it to the body, but rather being mindful of body-related issues within the context of appropriate attention (e.g. practicing it with the purpose of preserving bodily ease, preventing bodily fever, and of inducing disenchantment…).

Late Theravada perspective

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https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5636 User avatar Assaji Posts: 1628 Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Assaji » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:39 am Hello Pali friends, The earliest explanation in Vibhanga clearly states that 'parimukhaṃ' means the area at the tip of the nose (nāsikagge) or at the lip of the mouth (mukhanimitte): "Parimukha.m sati.m upa.t.thapetvaa"ti tattha katamaa sati? Yaa sati anussati pa.tissati …pe… sammaasati - aya.m vuccati "sati". Aya.m sati upa.t.thitaa hoti supa.t.thitaa naasikagge vaa mukhanimitte vaa. Tena vuccati "parimukha.m sati.m upa.t.thapetvaa"ti. Vibhangapali .252 Patisambhidamagga and Atthakatha explains 'mukha' as 'niyyāna' - "way out, outlet" (of the breath). Parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvāti. Parīti pariggahaṭṭho. Mukhanti niyyānaṭṭho. Satīti upaṭṭhānaṭṭho. Tena vuccati – ‘‘parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā’’ti. Patisambhidamagga 1.176 Bhikkhu Sona quotes Patisambhidamagga-Atthakatha: "Has the sense of embracing" is in the sense of being embraced. What is embraced? The outlet. What outlet? Concentration based on mindfulness of breathing is itself the outlet, right up to the arahant path. Hence "has the sense of outlet" is said. The meaning of "outlet from the round of rebirths" is expressed by the meaning of the word mukha (mouth) as foremost (front). "Has the sense of establishing" is in the sense of individual essence. The meaning expressed by all these words is: Having made mindfulness an embraced outlet. But some say that "has the sense of embracing'" stands for "embracing as the meaning of mindfulness," and that "has the sense of outlet" stands for "door of entry and exit as the meaning of in-breaths and out-breaths." Then what is meant is: Having established mindfulness as the embraced outlet of the in-breaths and out-breaths.(Note 14, Engl. Ed.; PsA 350-1) http://www.arrowriver.ca/dhamma/nimitta.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; "parimukha.m sati.m upa.t.thapetvaati kamma.t.thaan'aabhimukha.m sati.m .thapayitvaa. mukhasamiipe vaa katvaati attho. teneva vibha'nge vutta.m - "aya.m sati upa.t.thitaa hoti sіpa.t.thitaa naasikagge vaa mukhanimitte vaa, tena vuccati parimukha.m sati.m upa.t.thapetvaa"ti (vibha. 537). athavaa pariiti pariggaha.t.tho. mukhanti niyyaana.t.tho. satiiti upa.t.thaana.t.tho. tena vuccati- "parimukha.m satin"ti. eva.m pa.tisambhidaaya.m vuttanayenapettha attho da.t.thabbo. tatraaya.m sa'nkhepo- "pariggahitaniyyaanasati.m katvaa"ti. Silakkhandhavagga-Atthakatha 1.211 However the article in Pali-English dictionary, referring to the same Patisambhidamagga passage states that: Parimukha (adj.) [pari+mukha] facing, in front; only as nt. adv. ˚ŋ in front, before, in phrase parimukhaŋ satiŋ upaṭṭhapeti "set up his memory in front" (i. e. of the object of thought), to set one's mindfulness alert Vin i.24; D ii.291; M i.56, 421; S i.170; A iii.92; It 80; Ps i.176 (expld); Pug 68; DA i.210. Also in phrase ˚ŋ kārāpeti (of hair) Vin ii.134 "to cut off (?) the hair in front" (i. e. on the breast) Vin. Texts iii.138, where is quoted Bdhgh's expln "ure loma -- saŋharaṇaŋ." Perhaps the error is due to explanation of Buddhaghosa, mentioned in the article: 'Parimukhanti ure lomasa.mhara.na.m' (Parimukhaṃ means cutting off the hair on the breast) Culavagga-Atthakatha 6.1211 This commentary refers to the passage: “Na, bhikkhave, massu kappaapetabba.m …pe… na massu va.d.dhaapetabba.m… na golomika.m kaaraapetabba.m… na caturassaka.m kaaraapetabba.m… na parimukha.m kaaraapetabba.m… na a.d.dhaduka.m kaaraapetabba.m… na daa.thikaa .thapetabbaa… na sambaadhe loma.m sa.mharaapetabba.m". (Bhikkhu, the beard should not be trimmed, the beard should not be enlarged, should not be cut into a ball- or cluster-shape, should not be cut into quadrangular shape, should not be cut around the _mouth_, should not be cut in 'half-dyad', should not be arranged in whiskers, the hair should not be made grown at pudendum.) Culavagga 2.134 5.Khuddakavatthuuni Thanissaro Bhikkhu writes in this regard: The beard is not to be dressed. The beard is not to grown long. It is not to be dressed as a goatee. It is not to be trimmed as a rectangle. The hair of the chest is not to be dressed. The hair of the stomach is not to be dressed. (The translation of these last two statements follows the Commentary. An alternative translation, not supported by the Commentary, reads them as prohibitions connected with facial hair, in which the first one (parimukhaṃ) could be read as "moustache" and the second (aḍḍharukaṃ or aḍḍhadukaṃ) as "a mutton-chop beard.") http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... .ch01.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Indeed what a phantasy it would take to dress the hair of the chest and stomach! So evidently the interpretation of 'parimukhaṃ' as 'in front' ignores the Vibhanga, and is based on the unrelated commentary. Metta, Dmytro Pali Terms Index Sādhu! Theravada Buddhism Web Directory Top lojong1 Posts: 580 Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 2:59 am Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by lojong1 » Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:44 am Pp.128-129 and notes 47 ff from Anaalayo's Direct Path offer some more sutta contexts for parimukham. http://books.google.ca/books?id=m8QdXyA ... am&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Top User avatar Assaji Posts: 1628 Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Assaji » Fri Oct 01, 2010 8:21 pm lojong1 wrote: Pp.128-129 and notes 47 ff from Anaalayo's Direct Path offer some more sutta contexts for parimukham. It's, e.g. - D III 49, M I 274, A IV 437 - overcoming the hindrances; - A I 183 - divine abodes. Analayo writes that: Both the Abhidhamma and the commentaries take "in front"(parimukhaṃ) to indicate a precise anatomical location. In the discourses, however, the specification "in front" occurs in a variety of contexts, such as, for example, in relation to overcoming the hindrances or to developing the divine abodes (brahmavihara). Although overcoming the hindrances can occur with the aid of mindfulness of breathing, this is not neccessarily the case. In fact, the standard instructions for overcoming the hindrances do not mention the breath. Similarly, the discourses do not relate the development of the divine abodes in any way to the awareness of breath. Sounds strange, - as if there can be only one 'standard' way of overcoming the hindrances. Patisambhidamagga describes in detail the overcoming of subtle hindrances in the Anapanasati chapter. Vimuttimagga and Visuddhimagga follow suit. Or take Buddha's instructions for overcoming drowsiness, or discoursive thoughts, - he gave multiple inventive ways to do it. In fact, the Sutta contexts Analayo gives can as well be taken as the evidence of connection between Anapanasati and overcoming the hindrances, or divine abodes. Too often this "early Buddhism" approach" becomes a kind of reductionism - if it isn't mentioned expressly in the suttas, it's untrue. Given the fact that the descriptions in the suttas are stylized for ease of oral transmission, it's no wonder that lots of things are not mentioned. This reductionism doesn't prevent Analayo to interpret 'parimukhaṃ' as 'in front' without any real justification. Last edited by Assaji on Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:29 am, edited 2 times in total. Pali Terms Index Sādhu! Theravada Buddhism Web Directory Top lojong1 Posts: 580 Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 2:59 am Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by lojong1 » Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:13 pm The remaining occurrences and absences of parimukham (from Analayo's note): M I 219 M II 139 A I 184 A III 320 Ud 21, 42, 43, 46, 60, 71 (absent) http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Ud 77 English p.93 http://books.google.ca/books?id=kIllG8k ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) Ud 77: (with mindfulness of the body) "Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṃ mahākaccānaṃ avidūre nisinnaṃ pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya kāyagatāya satiyā ajjhattaṃ parimukhaṃ sūpaṭṭhitāya." http://studies.worldtipitaka.org/tipitaka/18Ud/7/7.8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Top lojong1 Posts: 580 Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 2:59 am Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by lojong1 » Fri Oct 01, 2010 11:00 pm Itivuttaka (85), Tikanipata, asubhaanupassii sutta. (Ernst Windisch p.80 http://books.google.ca/books?id=57Q4AAA ... am&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) "...ajjhattaṃ parimukhaṃ sūpaṭṭhitāya... Asubhaanupassii sutta also contains baahiraa vitakka (not bahidhaa). P.166 http://books.google.ca/books?id=kIllG8k ... ss&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Top frank k Posts: 350 Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:55 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by frank k » Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:39 pm How then to best translate parimukham, in the context of aanaapaanaa and satipathaana? I find some of the existing english translations quite unsatisfying. Thanissaro's "setting mindfulness to the fore" (ignoring for the moment the debate between nostril area vs. a figurative "in front") still doesn't make sense to me, from the standpoint of a meditator who reads the 16 steps of the anapana and the prelude section with the instruction on parimukha. What am I actually supposed to do for that instruction? If I'm doing satipatthana and anapana, isn't it already obvious i'm giving sati a prominent emphasis, figuratively putting it in front? What additional meaning is intended by putting mindfulness in front? I assume the Buddha wouldn't be redundant so it seems there is something intended here. www.lucid24.org/sted : ☸Lucid24.org🐘 STED definitions www.audtip.org/audtip: 🎙️🔊Audio Tales in Pāli: ☸Dharma and Vinaya in many languages Top Sylvester Posts: 2205 Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:57 am Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Sylvester » Mon Mar 04, 2013 1:32 am Dmytro wrote: Perhaps the error is due to explanation of Buddhaghosa, mentioned in the article: 'Parimukhanti ure lomasa.mhara.na.m' (Parimukhaṃ means cutting off the hair on the breast) Culavagga-Atthakatha 6.1211 This commentary refers to the passage: “Na, bhikkhave, massu kappaapetabba.m …pe… na massu va.d.dhaapetabba.m… na golomika.m kaaraapetabba.m… na caturassaka.m kaaraapetabba.m… na parimukha.m kaaraapetabba.m… na a.d.dhaduka.m kaaraapetabba.m… na daa.thikaa .thapetabbaa… na sambaadhe loma.m sa.mharaapetabba.m". (Bhikkhu, the beard should not be trimmed, the beard should not be enlarged, should not be cut into a ball- or cluster-shape, should not be cut into quadrangular shape, should not be cut around the _mouth_, should not be cut in 'half-dyad', should not be arranged in whiskers, the hair should not be made grown at pudendum.) Culavagga 2.134 5.Khuddakavatthuuni Thanissaro Bhikkhu writes in this regard: "The beard is not to be dressed. The beard is not to grown long. It is not to be dressed as a goatee. It is not to be trimmed as a rectangle. The hair of the chest is not to be dressed. The hair of the stomach is not to be dressed. (The translation of these last two statements follows the Commentary. An alternative translation, not supported by the Commentary, reads them as prohibitions connected with facial hair, in which the first one (parimukhaṃ) could be read as "moustache" and the second (aḍḍharukaṃ or aḍḍhadukaṃ) as "a mutton-chop beard.")" http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... .ch01.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Indeed what a phantasy it would take to dress the hair of the chest and stomach! For good reason - Image Top User avatar Assaji Posts: 1628 Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Assaji » Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:35 am frank k wrote: How then to best translate parimukham, in the context of aanaapaanaa and satipathaana? Something like "upper lip" or "above the mouth"? With the footnote from Vibhanga as the earliest source: "the area at the tip of the nose (nāsikagge) or at the [upper] lip of the mouth (mukhanimitte)". Pali Terms Index Sādhu! Theravada Buddhism Web Directory Top frank k Posts: 350 Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:55 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by frank k » Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:43 pm Dmytro wrote: frank k wrote: How then to best translate parimukham, in the context of aanaapaanaa and satipathaana? Something like "upper lip" or "above the mouth"? With the footnote from Vibhanga as the earliest source: "the area at the tip of the nose (nāsikagge) or at the [upper] lip of the mouth (mukhanimitte)". doing a quick search on the web, vibhanga is a book in the abhidhamma? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibhanga" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; In thanissaro's mn 118 translation footnote, he says this about parimukham: 1. To the fore (parimukham): The Abhidhamma takes an etymological approach to this term, defining it as around (pari-) the mouth (mukham). In the Vinaya, however, it is used in a context (Cv.V.27.4) where it undoubtedly means the front of the chest. There is also the possibility that the term could be used idiomatically as "to the front," which is how I have translated it here. I haven't studied the Vinaya, but in general the Vinaya should be an earlier text than Vibhanga right? So would "in front of the chest" be the best choice if we go by earliest scripture? I believe the people who tend to translate parimukham idiomatically "in front of" do so to distance themselves as much as possible from the idea of anapana being a practice of immovable attention on a small fixed area around the nostril. Like those translators, I also subscribe to the view that step 3 of anapansati refers to experiencing the whole anatomical body, but I don't have a problem with translating parimukham as nostril or in front of chest. Since step 3 would clarify that one should expand one's attention to encompass the entire physical body. Just as one discards steps 1 and 2 later in the practice, one does not have to remain in the nostril area forever. Is there an English translation of Vibhanga available online somewhere? www.lucid24.org/sted : ☸Lucid24.org🐘 STED definitions www.audtip.org/audtip: 🎙️🔊Audio Tales in Pāli: ☸Dharma and Vinaya in many languages Top User avatar Assaji Posts: 1628 Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Assaji » Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:28 am frank k wrote: doing a quick search on the web, vibhanga is a book in the abhidhamma? Yes, Vibhanga belongs to Abhidhamma-pitaka. Yet inducing the chronology on the basis of Pitakas is a too сrude approach. More exact layering is necessary: "The results arrived at concerning the chronology of the Pali canonical listerature are preseented in the subjoined table. (1) The simple statements of Buddhist doctrines now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verses recurring in all the books. (2) Episodes found, in identical works, in two or more of the existing books. (3) The Silas, the Parayana group of sixteen poems without the prologue, the atthaka group of four or sixteen poems, the sikkhapadas. (4) The Digha, Vol. l, the Majjhima, the Samyutta, the Anguttara, and earlier Patimokkha code of 152 rules. (5) The Digha, Vols. II & III, the Thera-Theri-Gatha, the collection of 500 Jatakas, the Suttavibhanga, the Partisambhidamagga, the Puggala-pannatti and the Vibhanga. (6) The Mahavagga and the Cullavagga, the Patimokkha code completing 227 rules, the Vimanavatthu and Petavatthu, the Dhammapada and the Kathavatthu. (7) The Cullaniddesa, the Mahaniddesa, the Udana, the Itivuttaka, the Suttanipata, the Dhatukatha, the Yamaka and the Patthana. (8) The Buddhavamsa, the Cariyapitaka and the Apadana. (9) The Parivarapatha. (10) The Khuddakapatha." http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/bcl.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=12694" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; In thanissaro's mn 118 translation footnote, he says this about parimukham: 1. To the fore (parimukham): The Abhidhamma takes an etymological approach to this term, defining it as around (pari-) the mouth (mukham). In the Vinaya, however, it is used in a context (Cv.V.27.4) where it undoubtedly means the front of the chest. There is also the possibility that the term could be used idiomatically as "to the front," which is how I have translated it here. I haven't studied the Vinaya, but in general the Vinaya should be an earlier text than Vibhanga right? So would "in front of the chest" be the best choice if we go by earliest scripture? I have written about this Culavagga passage in the OP above. Actually Ven. Thanissaro here supports the commentarial interpretation. In another work (also referenced in the OP above) Ven. Thanissaro writes that: "An alternative translation, not supported by the Commentary, reads them as prohibitions connected with facial hair, in which the first one (parimukhaṃ) could be read as "moustache"". I believe the people who tend to translate parimukham idiomatically "in front of" do so to distance themselves as much as possible from the idea of anapana being a practice of immovable attention on a small fixed area around the nostril. I don't think there's a conscious intention. It's rather one of those errors which get repeated as hearsay from one translator to another until the initial reasons are forgotten. Is there an English translation of Vibhanga available online somewhere? Here's the Satipatthana section: http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/T ... avibhanga/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (the explanation of "parimukham" is in the Jhana section of Vibhanga). Pali Terms Index Sādhu! Theravada Buddhism Web Directory Top frank k Posts: 350 Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:55 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by frank k » Wed Mar 06, 2013 3:35 am thanks for the links and references Dmytro. Also on Ven. Ānandajoti's site, I quote here his footnote for parimukham: http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/T ... ana-02.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Parimukhaṁ means at the front, or perhaps, around the mouth, i.e. it is a vague area, not meant to be confined to one particular spot or place, which would have been easy to designate if that is what was meant (like specifying oṭṭha, the lip). It is of course the mindfulness that is important in the practice, not the breathing as such, which only provides a basis for the mindfulness. So my feeling is the translators such as Anālayo, Thanissaro, Ānandajoti, who deliberately choose "front of the body" for parimukham do so to distance themselves from any possibility of meditators interpreting that instruction to lock their spatial awareness into a small area around the nostril. I understand their position, but at the same time I'm even more baffled about what I am supposed to do (as a meditator trying to follow the anapanasati instructions) with the instruction to idiomatically place "mindfulness to the front". It's like the Federal gov't when they say something vague that sounds important and hope that it's so vague that it can escape scrutiny and criticism. There are times, I'd rather just state something that's definitely wrong and clearly understandable than something wishy washy. Stating parimukham as mouth/nostril area might be wrong, but at least it's clear and definite. And the step 3 instruction referring to entire anatomical body would clear things up. www.lucid24.org/sted : ☸Lucid24.org🐘 STED definitions www.audtip.org/audtip: 🎙️🔊Audio Tales in Pāli: ☸Dharma and Vinaya in many languages Top User avatar Assaji Posts: 1628 Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Assaji » Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:32 am frank k wrote: Parimukhaṁ means at the front, or perhaps, around the mouth, i.e. it is a vague area, not meant to be confined to one particular spot or place, which would have been easy to designate if that is what was meant (like specifying oṭṭha, the lip). It is of course the mindfulness that is important in the practice, not the breathing as such, which only provides a basis for the mindfulness. So my feeling is the translators such as Anālayo, Thanissaro, Ānandajoti, who deliberately choose "front of the body" for parimukham do so to distance themselves from any possibility of meditators interpreting that instruction to lock their spatial awareness into a small area around the nostril. Seems like this error is interlocked with the misinterpretation of 'sati' as some kind of present-time awareness of something physical. Patisambhidamagga-Atthakatha 2.509 explains: Pakatiassāsapakatipassāse nissāya uppannanimittampi assāsapassāsāti nāmaṃ labhati. Upaṭṭhānaṃ satīti taṃ ārammaṇaṃ upecca tiṭṭhatīti sati upaṭṭhānaṃ nāma. 'Sati upaṭṭhāna' means that 'sati', having approached, stays on that basis of concentration (ārammaṇa) (i.e. the perceptual image (nimitta) which has arisen due to natural in-and-out-breath). The upper lip or tip of the nose area is the proper place to get the perceptual image (nimitta) of air necessary for further development of jhana, since jhana in anapanasati is a subtype of air kasina practice: Kiṃ pana pathavīkasiṇaṃ ādiṃ katvā aṭṭhikasaññāpariyosānāvesā rūpāvacarappanā, udāhu aññāpi atthīti? Atthi; ānāpānajjhānañhi kāyagatāsatibhāvanā ca idha na kathitā. Kiñcāpi na kathitā vāyokasiṇe pana gahite ānāpānajjhānaṃ gahitameva; vaṇṇakasiṇesu ca gahitesu kesādīsu catukkapañcakajjhānavasena uppannā kāyagatāsati, dasasu asubhesu gahitesu dvattiṃsākāre paṭikūlamanasikārajjhānavasena ceva navasivathikāvaṇṇajjhānavasena ca pavattā kāyagatāsati gahitāvāti. Sabbāpi rūpāvacarappanā idha kathitāva hotīti. But is this all the absorption belonging to the consciousness of the sphere of refined form, beginning with the earth kasiṇa and ending in the perception of the skeleton? Or is there anything else? Yes, there is. There is ānāpāna jhāna and the development of kāyagatāsati, which have not been spoken of here. Why not? Because ānāpāna jhāna is included in the air kasiṇa; the development of kāyagatāsati arisen by virtue of the fourfold and fivefold jhānas with reference to the hair etc., is included in the colour kasiṇas; the kāyagatāsati produced by virtue of the jhānas attending to the unattractiveness in the thirty-two parts of the body, and that of the jhāna attending to the colours of the nine kinds of corpses in the charnel grounds is included in the ten repulsive things. Thus all the absorptions of consciousness connected with the sphere of refined form have been included here. Dhammasangani-Atthakatha 200 Ānāpānajjhānassāpi panettha vāyokasiṇe saṅgaho daṭṭhabboti. Anapanasati jhana belongs to the group of air kasina. Abhidhammatika Mya.40 When the representation (nimitta) of air is mastered, it can be gradually spread over the whole body, as described in Vimuttimagga (pages 158-159) and in the works of Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo. I understand their position, but at the same time I'm even more baffled about what I am supposed to do (as a meditator trying to follow the anapanasati instructions) with the instruction to idiomatically place "mindfulness to the front". It's like the Federal gov't when they say something vague that sounds important and hope that it's so vague that it can escape scrutiny and criticism. There are times, I'd rather just state something that's definitely wrong and clearly understandable than something wishy washy. Stating parimukham as mouth/nostril area might be wrong, but at least it's clear and definite. And the step 3 instruction referring to entire anatomical body would clear things up. Yes, the Buddha's words are precise like mathematical formulas, unlike the words of the government :D Pali Terms Index Sādhu! Theravada Buddhism Web Directory Top User avatar Kumara Posts: 698 Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:14 am Contact: Contact Kumara Re: Pali Term: Parimukhaṃ Post by Kumara » Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:39 am Let me share my point of view where the debate extends to the Vinaya. Attachments Parimukham Debate Extension (Jhana & Samadhi 7.2.5 DRAFT).pdf (64.26 KiB) Downloaded 63 times

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Bengali for parimukha is প্রমুখ(Pro-mukh)

The Bengali for parimukha is প্রমুখ(Pro-mukh) which has the meaning of foremost, most important.

references

https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2518/what-is-the-interpretation-of-parimukham-in-the-context-of-buddhist-meditation https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/34103/what-does-pari-mukha-mean-in-16-aps-anapana-sati https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5636'

A good summary of pari-mukha from forum

https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2518/what-is-the-interpretation-of-parimukham-in-the-context-of-buddhist-meditation Etymology: pari- is a prefix used with the connotation of around, about, all over, or that of completeness. Thus dhāvati means 'to run' and paridhāvati means 'to run about'; vajati - 'to go/ proceed' becomes paribbajati, 'to wander about', ie. 'to live the life of a religious mendicant'; carati - 'to walk' becomes paricarati - 'to walk around, ie. to serve, honour'; gaṇeti, 'to count' becomes parigaṇeti - 'to calculate'. mukhaṃ means primarily and literally 'mouth', by extension 'face' and figuratively 'entrance', 'opening', 'brim', then in a more abstract meaning 'the front', 'the foremost' and finally 'that which is an entrance into something', ie. 'a mean', 'a cause'. Strictly from the point of view of semantics (ie. neglecting contextual information), the following meanings could reasonably be derived from the juxtaposition of these two components: around the mouth, all over the mouth, completely on the mouth, around the face, all over the face, completely on the face, around the entrance, all over the entrance, completely on the entrance, around the front, all over the front, completely on the front Note: The above link also has references to commentaries & later Pāḷi literature. Thanissaro Bhikkhu: To the fore (parimukhaṃ): The Abhidhamma takes an etymological approach to this term, defining it as around (pari-) the mouth (mukhaṃ). In the Vinaya, however, it is used in a context (Cv.V.27.4) where it undoubtedly means the front of the chest. There is also the possibility that the term could be used idiomatically as "to the front," which is how I have translated it here. Ānandajoti Bhikkhu: Parimukhaṃ means at the front, or perhaps, around the mouth, i.e. it is a vague area, not meant to be confined to one particular spot or place, which would have been easy to designate if that is what was meant (like specifying oṭṭha, the lip). It is of course the mindfulness that is important in the practice, not the breathing as such, which only provides a basis for the mindfulness. Anālayo Bhikkhu: Once the posture is set up, mindfulness is to be established “in front”. The injunction “in front” (parimukhaṃ) can be understood literally or figuratively. Following the more literal understanding, “in front” indicates the nostril area as the most appropriate for attention to the in- and out-breaths. Alternatively, “in front” understood more figuratively suggests a firm establishment of sati, sati being mentally “in front” in the sense of meditative composure and attentiveness. Sujato Bhikkhu: In the gradual training, sati and upatthana occur together in the common idiom parimukhaṃ satim upatthapeti. Here the term parimukha is one of those simple words that is so hard to interpret. It modern renderings usually use something vague like 'in front'. However the phrase frequently occurs in contexts outside of anapanasati, making the interpretation 'at the nose-tip', or any literal spatial interpretation, unlikely. The Sanskrit has a different reading, pratimukha. This has many meanings, among which are 'reflection' and 'presence'. Both of these would be appropriate in meditative context. But the word usually, as here, occurs in close conjunction with upatthana, which also means 'presence'. I think here we have another example of that common feature of Pali or Sanskrit, a conjunction of synonyms for emphasis: literally, 'one makes present a presence of presence of mind', or more happily, 'one establishes presence of mindfulness'. S. N. Goenka: The awareness is established around the mouth, the entrance to the nostrils: parimukhaṃ. Certain traditions translate this as "in the front," as if the awareness is imagined to be in front of the person, but this sets up a duality. Actually you have to feel the breath coming and going around the mouth, above the upper lip, which is parimukhaṃ. Additional References: Parimukhaṁ article with Āgama references Footnote 55 of Piya Tan's Study of Kāyagatāsati Sutta Dictionary entries

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