Right Here and Out There: A Phenomenological Interpretation of Ajjhattaṃ and Bahiddhā in the Context of Mindfulness of the Body

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.