The Satipa__h_na Sutta is the most influential scripture in Buddhist meditation. It is the foundation text for the modern schools of Ôvipassan_Õ or ÔinsightÕ meditation. The well-known Pali discourse is, however, only one of many early Buddhist texts that deal with mindfulness. This is the first full-scale study to encompass all extant versions of the Satipa__h_na Sutta, taking into account the dynamic evolution of the Buddhist scriptures and the broader Indian meditative culture. A new vision emerges from this groundbreaking study: mindfulness is not a system of Ôdry insightÕ but is the Ôway to convergenceÕ leading the mind to deep states of peace.