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)与大智慧(supreme-wisdom)： 念(sati，为了行文的流畅，本书中有时译作“念住”)是觉知领域内能敏锐专注于任何生起的能力。智慧(paññā)是直观的能力，念专注于现象时，智慧则探索、观察并分析现象的本质。当念和智慧两种能力发 展到高深的阶段，能高度警觉、迅速和敏锐，凭直觉分别思维时，便是大念住和大智慧。两者合作无间，没有一刻不在定中，它们有能力自动跟踪和渗透一切法生起与灭去的真相。作为出世间道最后阶段(阿罗汉道，arahattamagga)，只有这两个心理功能可以持续不断深入观察更微细的烦恼。要达到这修行的最后阶段，以证入终极目标——涅槃，修成大念住与大智慧是先决条件。