In the following quotation from the Sedaka Sutta, the Buddha’s words describing the value of sati bring out well the closeness, in practical terms, of its nature and value to that of appamda. The passage helps to further clarify our understanding of both of these dhammas, and, at the same time, to demonstrate the Buddhist attitude towards life in its social dimension. It testifies that Buddhadhamma sees the internal life of the individual as intimately related to the external life of society and holds that values in the two realms are inseparably connected, that they correspond, and are, in fact, identical:       

“O Bhikkhus, Once upon a time, a bamboo-acrobat set up his pole and called to his pupil, saying, ‘Come, my lad, climb the pole and stand on my shoulders’, and the pupil did as he was bidden. Then the bamboo-acrobat said to his pupil, ‘Now, my lad, you look after me well and I’ll look after you. By watching and protecting each other in this way, we will show off our skills, get a good fee and come down safe from the bamboo pole.’

“At these words, the pupil said to the acrobat, ‘Master, it can’t be done like that. You look after yourself, Master, and I will look after myself. If we both watch and protect ourselves then we will be able to show off our skills, get a good fee, and come down safe from the bamboo pole.’

“The Blessed One said, ‘That was the correct way of practice in that case. In the same way as the pupil spoke to his master, Bhikkhus, when thinking, ‘I will protect myself’ you must practise satipatthna (be mindful) and when thinking, ‘I will protect others’ you must also practice satipatthna

“O Bhikkhus, protecting oneself, one protects others; protecting others, one protects oneself. And how does one, in protecting oneself, protect others? By earnest practice, cultivation and development (of satipatthna ). In this way, by protecting oneself, one protects others. And how does one, in protecting others, protect oneself? By forbearance, by non- violence, by possessing a heart of mett and compassion. In this way, by protecting others, one protects oneself.

“‘I shall protect myself,’ with this intention, Bhikkhus,

satipatthna should be practised.

“‘I shall protect others,’ with this intention, Bhikkhus,

“‘I shall protect others,’ with this intention, Bhikkhus,

satipatthna should be practised.

“Protecting oneself, one protects others; protecting others, one protects oneself.”