Awareness by Breathing is a Unique Thing!
Once in
Savatthi
the Blessed
Buddha said this:
"Bhikkhus, there is one unique thing, which when trained and cultivated,
is of great fruit and great advantage. What is that one unique thing?
It is
Awareness by Breathing (Ānāpānasati)! And how, Bhikkhus, is
this
Awareness by Breathing trained, developed, cultivated
and refined
so that it is of really great fruit and of immense long-term advantage?
Bhikkhus, when a Bhikkhu, who has gone to the forest, or to the root of
a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down cross-legged, having straightened
his body and back,
and set up awareness around the nostrils, then just
plain aware of only that itself, he breathes in, and then just solely aware of
only that breathing itself, he breathes out...
1: Breathing in long, he knows, notes
and understands: I inhale long!
Breathing out long, he knows, notes and understands: I exhale long!
2: Breathing in short, he knows, notes and understands: I inhale short!
Breathing out short, he knows, notes and understands: I exhale short!
3: He trains thus: Experiencing the entire body, I will breathe
in-&-out!
4: Calming all bodily activity, I will breathe in-&-out!
5: Experiencing enraptured joy, I will breathe in-&-out!
6:
Experiencing a happy pleasure, I will breathe in-&-out!
7:
Experiencing all mental activity, I will breathe in-&-out!
8: Calming
all mental activity, I will breathe in-&-out!
9: Experiencing the
present mood, I will breathe in-&-out!
10: Elating and satisfying
the mind, I will breathe in-&-out!
11: Concentrating and focusing
mind, I will breathe in-&-out!
12: Releasing, and liberating the
mind, I will breathe in-&-out!
13: Contemplating impermanence, I will
breathe in-&-out!
14: Contemplating disillusion, I will breathe
in-&-out!
15: Contemplating ceasing, I will breathe in-&-out!
16:
He trains thus: Contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe in-&-out!
It is, Bhikkhus, when
Awareness by Breathing is trained, developed
and refined in exactly this way, that it is of great fruit and advantage!"
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
Comments:
These 16 steps should be memorized fully. Print
it out & bring to the pillow!
Breath meditation produces both calm
(Samatha)
and insight (Vipassanā)
by stilling the bursts of distractions, which obstruct all plans of
thinking.
It is capable of inducing all the four levels of mental absorption
(Jhāna).
Continuous awareness can be established by this technique, which has no
adverse side-effects, is simple yet profound, and especially well suited
for those plagued by stress, agitation, restlessness, worries, speculation,
anxiety, fear, hesitation, doubts, uncertainty and confusion. Nobody!,
who has trained in this technique, have ever regretted it! Most just
smile
silently... ;-), not without reason, like the Buddha image illustrated below!
The
Ānāpāna-sati meditation technique is used by all Buddhas at Awakening:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Awareness_by_Breathing.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_the_Breath.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/a/anapana_sati.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/Manual/Meditation.Manual.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Magnificent_Meditation.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/anapanasati.pdf
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_LAMP_IV.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_LAMP_II.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_LAMP_I.htm
Source
(edited extract):
The
Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta
Nikāya. [V:311]
section 54: Ānāpānasamyutta.
Thread 1: A Unique Thing!
Unique is Awareness by Breathing!
