Definitions
The Abhidhammattha Sangaha, a key Abhidharma text from the Theravada tradition, defines sati as follows:
The word sati derives from a root meaning 'to remember,' but as a mental factor it signifies presence of mind, attentiveness to the present, rather than the faculty of memory regarding the past. It has the characteristic of not wobbling, i.e. not floating away from the object. Its function is absence of confusion or non-forgetfulness. It is manifested as guardianship, or as the state of confronting an objective field. Its proximate cause is strong perception (thirasanna) or the four foundations of mindfulness.The Abhidharma-samuccaya, a key Abhidharma text from the Mahayana tradition, defines smṛti as follows:
What is smṛti? It is not to let what one knows slip away from one's mind. Its function is not to be distracted.Read more about this topic: Mindfulness
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