I would dispute it. First, sati isn't a verb. Second, in the definition, sati means 'remembrance', in the sense of 'bearing in mind' and 'ability to remember'.I don't think anyone disputes that the definition of sati is "to remember" or "remembering".
Katamañca, bhikkhave, satindriyaṃ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako satimā hoti paramena satinepakkena samannāgato, cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā.
"And what is the faculty of remembrance? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is endowed with memory, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago."
Indriya-Vibhanga sutta, (SN V 197-8 )
Definition of REMEMBRANCE
1 : the state of bearing in mind
2 a : the ability to remember
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remembrance
Billymac29 wrote:How would the definition of "remembrance" fit into the beginning of ananapanasati?
Here a monk, having gone into the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty room, sits down cross-legged, keeps his body upright and setting mindfulness to the fore...Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā, ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya, parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā
saying "..setting 'remembrance' to the fore.." makes no sense in english!!
"Setting mindfulness to the fore" doesn't make much sense as well.
However, when we take into account the original meaning of 'parimukham', the commentarial explanation makes perfect sense:
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 object-support (ārammaṇa) (i.e. the representation (nimitta) which has arisen due to natural in-and-out-breath).
Patisambhidamagga-Atthakatha 2.509
I have already given you this quote. If you don't understand it, please do ask questions, otherwise there's not much I can do.
Buddha's teaching is a non-trivial science, with some complicated notions.
Considering no one on here is a linguistics expert (and from the sight of some interpretations, not very skilled in reading comprehension [at least in english]), we shouldn't be making such outlandish statements saying certain people are right and others are wrong.
I agree that, since this forum is dedicated to Pali language, the claims should be substantiated by Pali glosses, and there should be no outlandish statements. And the posts should be read carefully.
As Mike wrote, "this area is intended to be for technical discussion of Pali, not discussion of meditative experience."
Surely 'remembering' (instead of 'remembrance') does not fit well, for example, in:So by using 'remembering' we are just using the closest meaning we have in english. He has said it doesn't give the word justice or it's truest meaning.
Atthi kāyo'ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti, yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya patissatimattāya.
"Or his remembrance that 'There is a body' is established to the extent of knowledge & bearing in mind.
Atthi vedanā ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya.
Or his remembrance that 'There are feelings' is established to the extent of knowledge & bearing in mind.
Atthi cittanti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti, yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya patissatimattāya.
Or his remembrance that 'There is a mind' is established to the extent of knowledge & bearing in mind.
Atthi dhammā'ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti. Yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya patissatimattāya.
Or his remembrance that 'There are mental qualities' is established to the extent of knowledge & bearing in mind."
Maha-satipatthana sutta, DN 22
Seyyathāpi bhikkhave gimhānaṃ pacchime māse sabbasassesu gāmantasambhatesu gopālako gāvo rakkheyya. Tassa rukkhamūlagatassa vā abbhokāsagatassa vā satikaraṇīyameva hoti: etaṃ gāvoti. Evameva kho bhikkhave satikaraṇīyameva ahosi: ete dhammāti.
"Just as in the last month of the hot season, when all the crops have been gathered into the village, a cowherd would look after his cows: While resting under the shade of a tree or out in the open, he simply maintains remembrance of 'those cows.' In the same way, I simply maintained remembrance of 'those mental qualities.'
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html