The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta: an Application of Buddhist Mindfulness for Counsellors

Abstract

In the field of counselling, an increasing number of counsellors are trying to incorporate Buddhist ideas and practices into their practice, but few pragmatic resources from the Buddhist framework are available. In response to this need, this paper focuses on the foundational Buddhist text on meditation, namely the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Original Buddhist scriptures are not easily understood without guidance; thus, this paper provides a commentary for counsellors by explaining the relevant Buddhist concepts and practices, proposing a note, know and choose model based on the sutta, and providing a case study to illustrate the application of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta for counselling.