Right Here and Out There: A Phenomenological Interpretation of Ajjhattaṃ and Bahiddhā in the Context of Mindfulness of the Body
Bhikkhu Akiñcano
Philosophy East and West 2025 DOI: 10.1353/pew.2025.a949586 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta's threefold bodily mindfulness—ajjhattaṃ, bahiddhā, and ajjhattabahiddhā—can be understood through Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology as a distinction between 'right here' and 'out there,' two mutually dependent domains experienced as 'chiasm' or 'intertwining.' The author contends this reading differs from standard Abhidhamma, commentarial, Visuddhimagga, and contemporary teacher interpretations, and aligns with a phenomenological movement in Theravāda Buddhism initiated by Ñāṇavīra Thera. |
Abstract
Abstract: According to the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta , mindfulness of the body involves seeing the body in a threefold way: ajjhattaṃ , bahiddhā , and ajjhattabahiddhā . This article attempts to show how an investigation of bodily perception, following the approach adopted by the phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty, can serve as the basis for a philosophically grounded understanding of the Pāli words ajjhattaṃ and bahiddhā . The interpretation that emerges is the distinction between “right here” and “out there”: two mutually dependent, internally related domains that are experienced as what Merleau-Ponty called the “chiasm” or the “intertwining.” This is different from the standard interpretations found in the Abhidhamma , the Pāli commentaries, the Visuddhimagga , and the instructions of most contemporary meditation teachers. It is hoped that the interpretation offered here can give some exposure to a movement within Theravāda Buddhism, initiated by Ñāṇavīra Thera but slowly gaining traction, characterized by a phenomenological reading of the Pāli sutta s.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |