Mahasi Sayadaw
The understanding of mindfulness changed significantly in the late 1800's influenced by British colonization of historic Burma. The British eliminated the royalty that served an important function of supporting Buddhism. With the loss of state patronage there was a concern about the sustainability of Buddhism. In response to this the Burmese monks such as Ledi Sayadaw, Mingun Sayadaw and Mahasi Sayadaw made significant changes to Buddhism in order to make it more inclusive of the lay community. There was less emphasis on monasticism and the Abhidhamma or scholastic analysis of Buddhist philosophy. There was also the creation of meditation centers and the starting of meditation retreats for the non-monastic community.
In historic Buddhism sustained concentration leading to deep absorption states or Jhana was an important precursor to experiencing insight. The Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw suggested that momentary concentration on the awareness of whatever arises moment to moment was all that was necessary without the prerequisite of fixed concentration to develop insight. This was described as Dry Vipassana.
This was actualized through a process called noting or labeling all experienced phenomena that one was aware of.
This momentary concentration was well suited to the lay community who were not monastics who devoted their time to concentration meditation practice. Sayadaw was trying to cultivate a sustained awareness of the constantly changing and empty nature of experience that leads to insight. This became known as the Mahasi method.
Mahasi Sayadaw's teachings significantly influenced Westerners and their understanding and practice of Vipassana meditation.
Monier Monier-Williams
Monier Monier-Williams was a British scholar who in 1872 had used the term "call to mind" to describe Smrti in his Sanskrit dictionary. For the verb smarti he defined it as "be mindful of." This may have been the basis for the word mindfulness.
Rhys Davids
The word mindfulness came into existence in 1881 when the British Pali scholar Rhys Davids created this word as a translation for the Pali word SATI or the Sanskrit form SMRTI.
Mindfulness as a translation of sati meant memory, recollect, to remember or call to mind.
Nyanaponika Thera
Nyanaponika Thera was a German monk and a student of Mahasi Sayadaw. He coined the term "bare attention" as a way of describing the momentary concentration aspect described by Mahasi Sayadaw.
The following are statements made by Nyanaponika Thera.
Wheel Publication No. 121. The Power of Mindfulness by Naronaponika Thera
Page 5-6
By bare attention we understand the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us, at the successive moments of perception. It is called "bare" because it attends to the bare facts of a perception without reacting to them by deed, speech or mental comment
Bare attention is the initial awareness of just the core sensory experience without superimposed mental formations. It is holding what is known as it is so that it can be directly and intimately experienced.
What is important and not mentioned in contemporary mindfulness is Nyanaponika's further understanding of bare attention.
Page 6
Bare attention then becomes the key to the meditative practice of Satipaṭṭhāna, opening the door to mind's mastery and final liberation.
Bare attention is the initial aspect of the mindfulness process. This allows for Satipatthana or a way of establishing mindfulness. One is continuously observing and examining the four foundations of body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena to ultimately lead to final liberation or awakening.
Page 69
The three characteristics—impermanence, suffering and voidness of self—inherent in the process observed, will stand out more and more clearly.
Bare attention leads to greater recognition of the three marks of existence (impermanence, suffering and no true nature of self) in order to understand the true nature of reality.
Bikkhu Bodhi studied with Nyanaponika for 10 years. Consider his comments on bare attention.
I believe that it does accurately represent one aspect of sati. I should add that Ven. Nyanaponika himself did not regard "bare attention" as capturing the complete significance of satipaṭṭhāna, but as representing only one phase, the initial phase, in the meditative development of right mindfulness. He held that in the proper practice of right mindfulness, sati has to be integrated with sampajañña, clear comprehension, and it is only when these two work together that right mindfulness can fulfill its intended purpose
The Nature of Mindfulness and its Role in Buddhist Meditation. A Correspondence between B. Alan Wallace and the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. Winter, 2006. Page 4
The important observation by Bikku Bodhi is that mindfulness as focused and sustained awareness is supported by the co-arising of clear comprehension or insight into the true nature of self and reality.
Joseph Goldstein
The non-conceptualization aspect of bare attention as being non-judgmental was interpreted by contemporary Western practitioners as defining mindfulness.
Josesph Goldstein was one of the original American Buddhist teachers who defined mindfulness the following way.
J. Goldstein (1976). The Experience of Insight: A Natural Unfolding. Santa Cruz: Unity Press.
There is one quality of mind which is the basis and foundation of spiritual discovery, and that quality of mind is called "bare attention." Bare attention means observing things as they are, without choosing, without comparing, without evaluating, without laying our projections and expectations on to what is happening; cultivating instead a choiceless and non-interfering awareness.
Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein were contemporaries. In 1977 he defined mindfulness as:
The most direct way to understand our life situation, who we are and how we operate, is to observe with a mind that simply notices all events equally. This attitude of non-judgmental, direct observation allows all events to occur in a natural way. By keeping attention in the present moment, we can see more and more clearly the true characteristics of our mind and body process. (Kornfield, J. 1977, 13 Living Buddhist masters. Santa Cruz: University Press.)
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn created the MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) program in 1979. He was adopting mindfulness as a secularized form of Buddhism as an approach for patients who had chronic pain and stress. The goal was to improve physical and mental health outcomes with decreased pain, anxiety and depression.
Deliberately there was no reference to any religious connection with Buddhism in an attempt not to scare people away. He did not call his new program SBSR or Sati Based Stress Reduction. However, paradoxically in his writings he clearly states the importance of the "dharma" or Buddhist teachings as the foundation for his MBSR program.
He defined mindfulness as:
Paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally
His definition and MBSR program was pivotal in bringing mindfulness to our modern Western society. It was the foundation for the establishment of contemporary mindfulness. He deserves tremendous credit for his vision and courage to create MBSR and bring the "dharma essence" into mainstream life for the benefit of all.
Summary
When we think of contemporary mindfulness what immediately comes to mind is Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition that includes present moment awareness and being non-judgmental.
by Dr. Phil Blustein
September 4, 2026