Breathing in-&-out can produce
Absorption!
The blessed Buddha once explained:
Bhikkhus, the concentration gained by
Awareness by Breathing, when
trained,
is of great
fruit and advantage. And how, Bhikkhus, is this concentration by
Awareness by Breathing developed
and cultivated so that it is of great
fruit
and advantage? Bhikkhus, when one have gone to the forest, or to the
root of
a tree, or to an empty hut, there one sits down cross-legged, having
made one's
body and back straight, and set up awareness around the
nostrils, then just
plain aware of that breathing in itself one breathes in, and just solely aware
of only that breathing in itself one breathes out...
1:
Breathing in long, one knows, notes and understands: I inhale long!
Breathing
out long, one knows, notes and understands: I exhale long!
... ... ... (steps
2-15)
One trains thus: Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe in!
One trains thus: Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe out!
Therefore, Bhikkhus, if a
friend wishes: May I become secluded from all sense
desires, protected from any detrimental mental
state, and thereby enter and
dwell in the 1st jhāna, which is directed thought and sustained thinking joined
with
Joy
and
pleasure born of solitude, then this very same
concentration by
Awareness by Breathing should
be cultivated often & devoted much attention!
Furthermore if such friend should wish: By
the stilling
& fading
of all directed
and sustained thought, may I enter & dwell in the
2nd jhāna, which is a calmed
assurance fixed by solid mental unification and
joined with Joy & pleasure now
born of a
concentration devoid
of any active thinking, then this same method:
Awareness by Breathing
should be trained often & devoted sincere attention!
Even further; if one should
wish: With
the fading away of joy,
may I dwell in
composed equanimity, just open, aware and clearly
comprehending, still feeling
pleasure in this body, by entering upon and
remaining in the 3rd jhāna, about
which the Noble Ones
declare: "In aware
Equanimity one
dwells in pleasure!",
then this
very same exercise:
Awareness by Breathing
should be developed
regularly and dedicated much earnest consideration!
Finally if one should wish:
With
the leaving all behind of both
pleasure and
pain,
even as with the prior
disappearance of both
Joy
and
sorrow, may I enter
and dwell in the 4th jhāna,
which is an entirely silenced state of utter awareness, purified by
Equanimity
of
neither-pain-nor-pleasure, then this same praxis:
Awareness by Breathing
should be repeated daily & thus made a primary priority due to its importance!
Video on detailed explanation of
Ānāpānasati
breathing meditation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLud0Ue7LE
Ānāpānasati
breathing meditation guided and explained:
As streaming audio and mp3 download
https://soundcloud.com/bhikkhu-samahita/anapanasatibreathingmeditation
The
sublime Awareness by Breathing
(Ānāpāna-sati)
is used by all
Buddhas:
Ānāpānasati text and commentary,
1_Producing_4,
Four_Fulfilling_Seven,
Breathing_Calm_and_Insight,
The_LAMP_I,
Experiencing_the_Breath,
The_LAMP_IV,
Awareness_by_Breathing,
Peaceful_and_Sublime_on Spot,
The_LAMP_III,
Unique_Thing_Awareness_by_Breathing,
Magnificent_Meditation.
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha.
Samyutta Nikāya. [V:316-7]
section 54: Ānāpānasamyutta.
Thread 8: The simile of the Lamp!
