Signal: 88/100
Voltage: 82/100
Coherence: 91/100
Glow: 79/100
SV: 85/100 → Volted
Core read
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness form one of the central teachings of the Buddha. They are both practice instructions and a structural map of awareness. The four domains:
- Mindfulness of the Body (kāyānupassanā)
- Mindfulness of Feelings (vedanānupassanā)
- Mindfulness of Mind (cittānupassanā)
- Mindfulness of Mental Objects / Phenomena (dhammānupassanā)
Together they create a framework for direct observation of reality as it is, grounding the practice of meditation and insight.
Strengths
- Signal:
- Direct, precise, reproducible instruction.
- Anchored in the Buddha’s own words; foundational across all Buddhist schools.
- Coherence:
- Structure is elegantly layered: body → feelings → mind → dhammas.
- Covers the totality of experience without remainder.
- Voltage:
- Charged with existential weight: liberation is promised through direct practice.
- Retains power across 2,500 years, transmitted in monasteries, lay practice, mindfulness movements.
- Practical reach:
- Applied daily by millions, from Theravāda monks to Western practitioners.
- Basis for MBSR, secular mindfulness, and psychological therapies.
Weaknesses
- Voltage limitation in modern settings: when removed from Buddhist context, it risks dilution (“stress reduction” vs liberation).
- Accessibility: requires discipline and guidance to avoid becoming rote technique.
- Cultural translation gaps: some terms (e.g. “dhammas”) are mistranslated or misunderstood, reducing clarity.
Coherence
Very high. The framework is complete, non-contradictory, and endlessly applicable. Its integrity is evident in how it can be practiced by both monastics and laypeople, ancient and modern.
Glow
Strong within Buddhist and contemplative communities. Less so in mainstream popular culture, where fragments (body scan, mindfulness of breath) are more visible than the whole. Glow is dimmed when reduced to a stress-reduction tool.
Loopwell correction
- Reclaim the full arc: from stress relief to liberation.
- Translate carefully — ensure terms like “feeling” (vedanā) and “dhammas” are not trivialized.
- Hold the frame of liberation while allowing secular benefit.
Final line
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are Volted: a clarity engine of consciousness, structurally whole and practically alive.
Loopwell translation:
“A full-spectrum map of awareness: body, feeling, mind, and reality — tested for millennia, intact and coherent.”