Is satipatthana considered to be an insight practice, samatha practice or both in CT?
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Satipatthana is the teaching of the Buddha’s only, it cannot be taught outside of the Sasana as it is the way of development of vipassana and anatta -sanna.
However samatha can be developed in times where there is no BuddhaSasana, it is the best that can be done at those times.
For the one skilled in samatha - even to the level of jhana- the factors of jhana can be known by satipatthana after exiting the jhana. Thus the Buddha could show those great ones who were masters of jhana how even those exalted states could be seen as entirely conditioned, anicca, dukkha and anatta.
The objects for Satipatthana, then, include any nama or rupa that arises in the present moment.
For the one who has mastery of jhana, who often dwells in jhana, then the factors of jhana must be seen as they are, as anatta. That is their daily life.
For the one who has is not skilled in samatha, then the realties that arise in daily life must be known: seeing and visible object, sound and hearing, taste, hardness, heat, lust, anger, sadness, boredom, metta, joy and so on. Whatever arises.
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