Supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom: Mindfulness (sati) is the faculty of being keenly attentive to whatever arises within one”s field of awareness. Wisdom (paññã) is the faculty of intuitive insight that probes, examines, and analyzes the nature of phenomena as mindfulness becomes aware of them. Supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom are these two faculties developed to an advanced level of proficiency characterized by height­ened alertness, quickness, and agility, combined with incisive powers of reasoning. Constantly working in unison, without a moment”s lapse in concentration, supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom are said to be capable of automatically tracking and penetrating to the truth of all phe­nomena as they arise and cease. Being the only mental faculties capable of investigating the increasingly more subtle defilements at the highest stage of the Transcendent Path (arahattamagga), their development is a prerequisite for reaching this level of practice and thus for attaining the ultimate goal, Nibbãna.

　　大念住(supreme-mindfulness)與大智慧(supreme-wisdom)： 念(sati，爲了行文的流暢，本書中有時譯作“念住”)是覺知領域內能敏銳專注于任何生起的能力。智慧(paññā)是直觀的能力，念專注于現象時，智慧則探索、觀察並分析現象的本質。當念和智慧兩種能力發 展到高深的階段，能高度警覺、迅速和敏銳，憑直覺分別思維時，便是大念住和大智慧。兩者合作無間，沒有一刻不在定中，它們有能力自動跟蹤和滲透一切法生起與滅去的真相。作爲出世間道最後階段(阿羅漢道，arahattamagga)，只有這兩個心理功能可以持續不斷深入觀察更微細的煩惱。要達到這修行的最後階段，以證入終極目標——涅槃，修成大念住與大智慧是先決條件。