MN118 — ānāpānasati - Mindfulness of Breathing
Thus have I heard:
At one time, the Blessed One was residing at Sāvatthī, in the Eastern Park, at the Palace of Migāras Mother, along with a large number of well-known elder disciples, with the Venerable Sāriputta, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, the Venerable Mahākassapa, the Venerable Mahākaccāyana, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita, the Venerable Mahākappina, the Venerable Mahācunda, the Venerable Anuruddha, the Venerable Revata, the Venerable Ānanda, and with other well-known elder disciples.
At that time, the senior disciples were instructing and guiding new disciples. Some senior disciples instructed and guided ten disciples; some instructed and guided twenty disciples; some instructed and guided thirty disciples; some instructed and guided forty disciples. And these newly ordained disciples, being instructed and advised by the senior disciples, achieved great distinction in the beginning to the end (of their training).
At that time, the Blessed One, on the full-moon day, surrounded by the community of disciples, was sitting in the open air. Then the Blessed One, having surveyed the quiet and silent assembly of disciples, addressed them:
I am inspired, disciples, in this practice; I am satisfied with this practice, disciples. Therefore, disciples, strive with diligence to attain the unattained, to reach the unreached, to realize the unrealized. Here in Sāvatthī, I will stay through the rainy season, the four-month period.
The disciples from the countryside heard it said, It is said that the Blessed One will stay right there in Sāvatthī for the rainy season, the four-month period. These disciples from the countryside went to Sāvatthī to see the Blessed One. And the senior disciples then further instructed and guided new disciples. Some senior disciples instructed and guided ten disciples; some instructed and guided twenty disciples; some instructed and guided thirty disciples; some instructed and guided forty disciples.
The new disciples, being instructed and guided by the elder disciples, come to know a profound distinction between the beginning and the end (of their training).
Now, at that time, the Blessed One, surrounded by a congregation of disciples, was seated in the open air on the full-moon night of the fifteenth day, during the Komudi, the four-month observance.
Then the Blessed One, after surveying the silent assembly of disciples, addressed them:
This assembly, disciples, is without idle chatter; this assembly, disciples, is without idle chatter; it is established in pure substance. Such a sangha of disciples, and such an assembly:
They are assemblies that are worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.
Such a sangha of disciples, and such an assembly:
In which an offering made, though small, becomes something great; an offering given, though much, becomes something even greater.
Such a sangha of disciples, and such an assembly:
Such assemblies are rare to be seen in the world.
Such a sangha of disciples, and such an assembly:
They are such assemblies that people travel from afar just to see them, even if they must go many leagues.
There are, disciples, in this sangha of disciples, arahants, ones with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the highest good, destroyed the fetters of becoming, and are rightly liberated through perfect wisdom.
Even such disciples, also exist in this sangha.
There are, in this sangha of disciples, those who with the destruction of the five lower fetters, spontaneously arise, and there attain final Nibbāna, without ever returning from that world.
Even such disciples, also exist in this sangha.
There are in this sangha of disciples, those who with the destruction of three fetters and with the reduction of lust, hatred, and delusion, become once-returners, who, having returned once to this world, will make an end of suffering.
Even such disciples, also exist in this sangha.
There are, in this sangha of disciples, those who with the destruction of three fetters, are stream-enterers who are not liable to fall into states of woe, steadfast, with final awakening as their destination.
Even such disciples, also exist in this sangha.
There are in this sangha of disciples, those who are devotedly engaged in the development of the four foundations of mindfulness.
Even such disciples exist within this assembly.
There are disciples, in this assembly who are devoted to the practice of the four Right Efforts … who engage in developing the four Bases of Spiritual Power … the five Faculties … the five Powers … the seven Factors of awakening … and the Noble Eightfold Path.
Even such disciples exist within this assembly.
There are disciples, in this assembly who live devoted to the development of goodwill … compassion … sympathetic joy … equanimity … the contemplation of foulness … and the perception of impermanence.
Even such disciples exist within this assembly.
There are disciples, in this assembly who are devoted to the practice of mindfulness of breathing. Mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and great benefit. When developed and cultivated, it fulfills the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, when developed and cultivated, fulfill the Seven Factors of awakening. The Seven Factors of awakening, when developed and cultivated, fulfill knowing and liberation.
Mindfulness of Breathing
How, is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be of great fruit and great benefit? Herein, a disciple, having gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down, cross-legged, with his body erect, and establishes mindfulness in the body.
Mindful, he breathes in, mindful, he breathes out.
When breathing in deeply, he knows.
When breathing out deeply, he knows.
When breathing in subtly, he knows.
When breathing out subtly, he knows.
He trains himself: I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body; he trains himself: I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body. He trains himself: I shall breathe in calming the bodily formation; he trains himself: I shall breathe out calming the bodily formation.
He trains himself: I shall breathe in experiencing energetic joy; he trains himself: I shall breathe out experiencing energetic joy. He trains himself: I shall breathe in experiencing pleasure; he trains himself: I shall breathe out experiencing pleasure.
I will breathe in experiencing the mental formation, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out experiencing the mental formation, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in calming the mental formation, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out calming the mental formation, thus he trains himself.
I will breathe in experiencing the mind, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out experiencing the mind, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in gladdening the mind, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out gladdening the mind, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in collecting the mind, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out collecting the mind, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in freeing the mind, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out freeing the mind, thus he trains himself.
I will breathe in contemplating impermanence, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out contemplating impermanence, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in contemplating dispassion, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out contemplating dispassion, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in contemplating cessation, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out contemplating cessation, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in contemplating relinquishment, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out contemplating relinquishment, thus he trains himself.
Thus developed, disciples, mindfulness of breathing, when frequently practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit.
The Four Dwellings of Mindfulness
And how, disciples, is mindfulness of breathing developed and made much of, so that it fulfills the four dwellings of mindfulness?
When a disciple breathes in deeply, he knows; when he breathes out deeply, he knows. When he breathes in subtly, he knows; when he breathes out subtly, he knows. I will breathe in experiencing the whole body, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out experiencing the whole body, thus he trains himself. I will breathe in calming the bodily formation, thus he trains himself; I will breathe out calming the bodily formation, thus he trains himself.
At that time a disciple dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world. In the body, I say, disciples, there is just this, the in-breathing and out-breathing, which is a body among the bodies.
Therefore, disciples, at that time, a disciple dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
When a disciple trains, I will breathe in experiencing energetic joy, and trains I will breathe out experiencing energetic joy;
I will breathe in experiencing pleasure, he trains himself, I will breathe out experiencing pleasure, he trains himself;
I will breathe in experiencing the mental formation, he trains himself, I will breathe out experiencing the mental formation, he trains himself;
I will breathe in calming the mental formation, he trains himself, I will breathe out calming the mental formation, he trains himself;
At that time a disciple dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
Disciples, I say that careful application of attention to in-breaths and out-breaths is a certain kind of feeling among feelings.
Therefore, at that time, the disciple dwells contemplating feeling in feelings, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
At the time the disciple trains himself, I will breathe in experiencing the mind, I will breathe out experiencing the mind;
I will breathe in gladdening the mind, he trains himself, I will breathe out gladdening the mind, he trains himself;
I will breathe in collecting the mind, he trains himself, I will breathe out collecting the mind, he trains himself;
I will breathe in freeing the mind, he trains himself, I will breathe out freeing the mind, he trains himself;
At that time, the disciple dwells contemplating mind in the mind, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
Disciples, I do not say mindfulness of breathing is for one who is forgetful or lacks clear knowing.
Therefore, at that time, the disciple dwells contemplating mind in the mind, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
At the time, disciples, the disciple trains himself, I will breathe in contemplating impermanence, I will breathe out contemplating impermanence;
I will breathe in contemplating fading away, he trains himself, I will breathe out contemplating fading away, he trains himself;
I will breathe in contemplating cessation, he trains himself, I will breathe out contemplating cessation, he trains himself;
I will breathe in contemplating relinquishment, he trains himself, I will breathe out contemplating relinquishment, he trains himself;
At that time, the disciple dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
Having seen with wisdom the abandonment of craving and aversion, he abides reflecting wisely.
Therefore, at that time the disciple dwells contemplating the Dhamma in the Dhammas, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world.
Thus developed, disciples, and thus frequently practiced, mindfulness of breathing fulfills the four foundations of mindfulness.
The Seven Factors of Awakening
How are the four dwellings of mindfulness developed and practiced frequently so that they fulfill the seven factors of awakening? When a disciple, at that time, dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having subdued craving and aversion for the world, mindfulness is established, continuous, and unbroken.
When mindfulness is established in a disciple unbroken, the mindfulness awakening factor is aroused in him at that time. He cultivates the mindfulness awakening factor, and it reaches the culmination of its development.
Thus, dwelling mindful in this way, he investigates, examines, and thoroughly discerns that dhamma with wisdom. At that time, when a disciple dwells mindful in this way, investigating, examining, and thoroughly discerning that dhamma with wisdom, at that time the awakening factor of the investigation of phenomena is aroused in the disciple. At that time the disciple develops the awakening factor of the investigation of phenomena, and by development it comes to fulfillment.
As he investigates, examines, and thoroughly scrutinizes the Dhamma with wisdom, unsluggish energy arises. When unsluggish energy arises in a disciple who investigates, examines, and scrutinizes the Dhamma with wisdom, the energy awakening factor is aroused in him at that time. He cultivates the energy awakening factor, and it reaches the culmination of its development.
For one whose energy is aroused, non-sensual energetic joy arises. When non-sensual energetic joy arises in a disciple whose energy is aroused, the joy awakening factor is aroused in him at that time. He cultivates the joy awakening factor, and it reaches the culmination of its development.
For one with an energetic and joyful mind, the body and mind both become tranquil.
At the time, when a disciples mind is filled with energetic joy, his body relaxes and his mind also becomes calm. At that time, the awakening factor of tranquility is present within the disciple, and the disciple develops the awakening factor of tranquility, which then reaches full development in him. When the body is relaxed and the disciple is happy, his mind becomes collected.
At the time, when a disciple whose body is relaxed and who is happy, attains a collected mind, the awakening factor of collectedness is present within the disciple. He develops the awakening factor of collectedness, which then reaches full development in him. With such a collectedness mind, he then cultivates equanimity with keen mindfulness.
At the time, when a disciple who carefully attends with complete equanimity and a collected mind, the awakening factor of equanimity is aroused in him. At that time the disciple develops the awakening factor of equanimity, and by development it
At that time, when a disciple is contemplating feelings, mind, and dhammas with ardent effort, clear knowing, and mindfulness, having subdued craving and aversion for the world, there arises established and unshaken mindfulness.
At the time, when unshaken mindfulness is present within a disciple, the awakening factor of mindfulness is present within the disciple. He develops the awakening factor of mindfulness, which then reaches full development in him. With such established mindfulness, he examines, investigates, and critically reviews that dhamma with wisdom.
At the time, when a disciple, endowed with such established mindfulness, examines, investigates, and critically reviews that dhamma with wisdom, the awakening factor of investigation of states is present within the disciple. He develops the awakening factor of investigation of states, which then reaches full development in him. As he examines, investigates, and critically reviews that dhamma with wisdom, energy is aroused in him, unflagging.
At the time, when a disciple examines, discerns, and reflects upon the teachings with wisdom, energy that is unflagging arises. At that time, the awakening factor of energy is aroused in the disciple. At that time, the disciple develops the awakening factor of energy; it reaches fulfillment through development.
For one with aroused energy, non-sensual energetic joy arises. At the time, disciples, when non-sensual energetic joy arises in a disciple with aroused energy, the awakening factor of energetic joy is aroused at that time in the disciple. At that time, the disciple develops the awakening factor of energetic joy; it reaches fulfillment through development.
For one with a joyful mind, the body also becomes tranquil, and the mind as well becomes tranquil. At the time, disciples, when the body and mind of a joyful disciple become tranquil, the awakening factor of tranquility is aroused at that time in the disciple. At that time, the disciple develops the awakening factor of tranquility; it reaches fulfillment through development.
For one with a tranquil body, the mind becomes collected. At the time, disciples, when for a disciple with a tranquil body, the mind becomes collected, the awakening factor of collectedness is aroused at that time in the disciple. At that time, the disciple develops the awakening factor of collectedness; it reaches fulfillment through development.
He attends closely with an equanimous mind that is well collected. At the time, disciples, when a disciple closely attends with an equanimous mind that is well collected, the awakening factor of equanimity is aroused at that time in the disciple. At that time, the disciple develops the awakening factor of equanimity; it reaches fulfillment through development.
Thus developed, disciples, the four dwellings of mindfulness, when cultivated, fulfill the seven factors of awakening.
Knowledge and Liberation
And how, disciples, when developed, do the seven factors of awakening, when cultivated, fulfill knowing and liberation?
Here, a disciple develops the awakening factor of mindfulness, based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and maturing in relinquishment. He develops the awakening factor of investigation of dhammas… develops the awakening factor of energy… develops the awakening factor of rapture… develops the awakening factor of tranquility…
He cultivates the awakening factor of concentration… he cultivates the awakening factor of equanimity, which is grounded in seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and matures in letting go.
Disciples, when the seven factors of awakening are thus developed and continuously practiced, they fulfill true knowing and liberation.
Thus spoke the Blessed One.
Pleased, the disciples delighted in the words of the Blessed One.
The Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing is concluded.