What four? A mendicant would meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings … or mind … or principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.’

That is what the divinity Sahampati said. Then he went on to say:

‘The compassionate one, <j>who sees the ending of rebirth, understands the path to convergence. By this path people crossed over before, will cross over, and are crossing over.’”

Linked Discourses 47.44 5. Freedom From Death Mindful

“Mendicants, a mendicant should live mindfully. This is my instruction to you. And how is a mendicant mindful? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. That’s how a mendicant is mindful. A mendicant should live mindfully. This is my instruction to you.”

Linked Discourses 47.45 5. Freedom From Death A Heap of the Skillful

“Rightly speaking, mendicants, you’d call these four kinds of mindfulness meditation a ‘heap of the skillful’. For these four kinds of mindfulness meditation are entirely a heap of the skillful.