Caturārakkhā is an arrangement of four traditional practices that protect one’s mind and their practice. Often used as a preliminary to other forms of meditation, or a general practice on its own, this tradition of the four protective practices helps establish a foundation for their practice. By practicing in accordance with the oral instructions one won’t have to worry about their practice being mundane or inauthentic.
We do not know our karma from previous lives and we do not know what will occur at the time of our death. As a general rule, we need to refrain from doing harmful things for this life and future lives, as well as cultivating a strong practice. Even if we have success in these endeavors, it is still not guaranteed to be reborn in a higher realm. If one attains stream entry, that is considered aryāsangha, the noble sangha. With this kind of fruition and stability in one’s practice, we will not take rebirth in lower realms.
No matter our aspiration, we must be diligent in gaining stability in our practice – caturārakkhā can provide that. For nuns and monks practicing kammaṭṭhāna, the four protective practices are chanted as part of the daily practice. There is an aspect of purification of conduct, as well as, cultivation of virtue that is is taken care of within the caturārakkhā making it a complete practice.
buddhānussati mettā ca asubhaṁ maraṇassati
Recollection of the Buddha, kindness, impurity [of the body], and recollection of death -
iti imā caturārakkhā bhikkhu bhāveyya sīlavā
these are the four protective contemplations that a virtuous bhikkhu develops.
anantavitthāraguṇaṁ guṇatonussaraṁ muniṁ
Recollecting the Sage’s virtues, his infinite, extensive, good qualities,
bhāveyya buddhimā bhikkhu buddhānussatimādito
the wise bhikkhu develops the recollection of the Buddha at first.
— Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
What are the Four Protective Practices in Buddhadhamma?
buddhānussati
metta bhāvanā
asubhasañña
maraṇānussati
buddhānussati | recollection of the Buddha
“Buddhaghosa, in his magnus opus, the Visuddhimagga, explains the various qualities or virtues of the three jewels in great detail. The recollection of the Buddha is the first of six well known recollection exercises (anussati), said to be the streamwinner’s lifelong practice The importance of the six recollections are attested by the fact that Buddhaghosa presents a whole sizeable chapter in his Visuddhimagga on them.” — Piya Tan
The reknowned verses of itipi so bhagava are a rich and profound teaching and practice that bring to mind the nine virtues of the Buddha, known widely as buddhānussati. In Buddhism, this chant alone can be refuge, a confession of faith, and the means to joy or enlightenment itself.
“The verse for the recollection of the Buddha comprises the Buddha’s “the nine virtues beginning with arahaṁ” which we shall examine here. One who wishes to cultivate the recollection of the Buddha, says the Visuddhimagga, should develop the qualities of faith, and so on, roused by the power of the noble path. And he should go into solitary retreat and should recollect his own qualities of faith, and so on, invoking the deities as witnesses, by way of this Iti pi so gāthā…”— Piya Tan
metta bhāvana | recollection of lovingkindness
“What is loving-kindness? What is the practising of it? What are its salient characteristic, function and manifestation? What are its benefits? What is the procedure?
As parents, on seeing their dear and only child, arouse thoughts of loving-kindness and benevolence towards that child, so one arouses thoughts of loving-kindness and benevolence towards all beings. Thus is loving-kindness to be known. The undisturbed dwelling of the mind in this practice is called the practising of it. To cause the arising of benevolence is its salient characteristic. The thought of loving-kindness is its function. Non-hatred is its manifestation. If a man practises loving-kindness, he is benefitted in eleven ways thus: Happily he sleeps; happily he awakes; he does not see bad dreams; he is dear to humans; he is dear to non-humans; deities protect him; fire, poison, sword and stick come not near him; he concentrates his mind quickly; the colour of his face is pleasingly bright; at the time of death he is not bewildered; if he attains not the sublime state, he is reborn in the world of Brahma.” — THE PATH OF FREEDOM
Metta bhāvana may be one of the most widely known practices extracted from Buddhism in modern society, for the benefit of cultivating of lovingkindness is clear and delivers impact swiftly. The traditional methods for cultivating metta for oneself, and then expanding it incrementally to all sentient beings — regardless of race, identity, origin, sex, species, location, and other identifying factors — inspires many qualities and the stability needed in serious spiritual practice.
Bhāvanā, or mental cultivation, is the cultivation of the mind. This is accomplished through strategic practices to develop one’s single-pointed focus on particular qualities. Not only does the proper cultivation of metta benefit one’s view of other beings, it supports one’s practice toward meditation.
asubhasañña | recollection of the body
Asubha is a Pali adjective meaning impure, unpleasant, bad, ugly, nasty. Theravada Buddhism utilizes Ashubha as a meditation object to contemplate the unpleasant aspects of the physical body and foster detachment.
“Bhikkhus, when one thing is developed and repeatedly practiced, it leads to a supreme sense of urgency, to supreme benefit, to supreme surcease of bondage, to supreme mindfulness and full awareness, to acquisition of knowledge and vision, to a happy life here and now, to realization of the fruit of clear vision and deliverance. What is that one thing? It is mindfulness occupied with the body.” And thus: “Bhikkhus, they savour the deathless who savour mindfulness occupied with the body; they do not savour the deathless who do not savour mindfulness occupied with the body.” — PATH OF PURIFICATION
maraṇānussati | reflection on death
“The termination of the life force — this is called “death”. The undistracted dwelling [of the mind] in this recollection is its practice. [The manifestation of clear knowing of] the termination of one’s own life is its characteristic. Disenchantment is its essential function. Security is its footing.” — THE PATH OF FREEDOM
The cause of death is none other than birth. This truth is foundational to the view and practice of the Buddha’s teachings. Reflection on the nature of death, it’s certainty, its proximity, the unknown timing of its arrival, amongst other topics inspires practitioners to become more present, caring, kind, and thoughtful of the future.
Four Protective Practices in Buddhism
To learn in detail the methods which one can contemplate these four practices in the correct and proven way, one must first find a teacher. Simply perusing articles, like this one, are not enough to provide the insight of experience, the extracted wisdom from traditional texts, nor the oral knowledge that is passed verbally from teacher to student
