The Aanaapaanasati Sutta (Paali) or Ānāpānasmṛti Sūtra (Sanskrit), "Breath-Mindfulness Discourse," is a discourse that details the Buddha's instruction on using awareness of the breath (anapana) as an initial focus for meditation.
Exercises of mindful breathing from the Anapanasati Sutta: the first four are identify your breath, follow your breath, aware, and release.
From here we move to the feelings. They are generate joy, generate happiness, aware of painful feelings, and embrace the painful feeling.
We then recognize joy, gladdening the mind, concentrating the mind, liberate the mind.
FOUR ESTABLISHMENT OF MINDFULNESS IN THE BODY, THE FEELING, THE MIND AND THE OBJECT OF THE MIND
The practice of Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously, will lead to perfect accomplishment of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness and then take us to the plane of awareness which is the doorway to enlightenment.
“When the practitioner breathes in or out a long or a short breath, aware of his breath or his whole body, or aware that he is making his whole body calm and at peace, he abides peacefully in the observation of the body in the body, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the First Establishment of Mindfulness, the body.
“When the practitioner breathes in or out aware of joy or happiness, of the mental formations, or to make the mental formations peaceful, he abides peacefully in the observation of the feelings in the feelings, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the Second Establishment of Mindfulness, the feelings.
“When the practitioner breathes in or out with the awareness of the mind, or to make the mind happy, to collect the mind in concentration, or to free and liberate the mind, he abides peacefully in the observation of the mind in the mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the Third Establishment of Mindfulness, the mind. Without Full Awareness of Breathing, there can be no development of meditative stability and understanding.
“When the practitioner breathes in or breathes out and contemplates the essential impermanence or the essential disappearance of desire or the no-birth, no-death nature of all phenomena or letting go, he abides peacefully in the observations of the objects of mind in the objects of mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the Fourth Establishment of Mindfulness, the objects of mind.
MEDITATION FROM THE AANAAPAANASATI SUTTA
If possible goes into the forest or to the foot of a tree, or to any deserted place, or sacred and silent area in your home, sits stably in the lotus position, holding the body quite straight, and practices like this: ‘Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.’
Close your eyes if possible. Gently focus your attention on your breathing. Don’t worry about deepening or controlling it in any way…just notice.
1-Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
2-Breathing in a long breath, I know I am breathing in a long breath.
Breathing out a long breath, I know I am breathing out a long breath.
3-Breathing in a short breath, I know I am breathing in a short breath.
Breathing out a short breath, I know I am breathing out a short breath.
4- Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out I am aware of my whole body.
We should practice like this.
5- Breathing in, I calm my whole body. Breathing out, I calm my whole body.
6-Breathing in, I feel joyful.
Breathing out, I feel joyful.
7-Breathing in, I feel happy.
Breathing out, I feel happy.
We should practice like this.
8- Breathing in, I am aware of my mental formations.
Breathing out, I am aware of my mental formations.
9- Breathing in, I calm my mental formations. Breathing out, I calm my mental formations.
10-Breathing in, I am aware of my mind. Breathing out, I am aware of my mind.
11-Breathing in, I make my mind happy. Breathing out, I make my mind happy.
12- Breathing in, I concentrate my mind. Breathing out, I concentrate my mind.
13-Breathing in, I liberate my mind.
Breathing out, I liberate my mind.
14-Breathing in, I observe the impermanent nature of all dharmas.
Breathing out, I observe the impermanent nature of all dharmas.
15-Breathing in, I observe the disappearance of desire.
Breathing out, I observe the disappearance of desire.
16-Breathing in, I observe cessation.
Breathing out, I observe cessation.
17-Breathing in, I observe letting go.
Breathing out, I observe letting go.
The Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously according to these instructions, will be rewarding and of great benefit.”
(Note- Practice this simple meditation for minimum 27 minutes daily and see the results within seven days)
May 16, 2024 11:30 AM to May 19, 2024
