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Presents

The Anapanasati Sutra

MINDFULNESS OF BREATHING

“Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing, when developed and pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit. Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing, when developed and pursued, brings the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to perfection. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, when developed and pursued, bring the seven factors of awakening to their culmination. The seven factors of awakening, when developed and pursued, perfect clear insight and liberation.”

MINDFULNESS OF IN-AND-OUT BREATHING

“Now how is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing developed and pursued so as to bring the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to their culmination? “The meditator, having gone to the forest, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down with legs folded crosswise, body held erect, and setting mindfulness to the fore. Always mindful, one breathes in; mindful, one breathes out.”

THE SIXTEEN CONTEMPLATIONS

First Tetrad (Body Group)

1.While breathing in long, one knows: “I breathe in long.” While breathing out long, one knows: “I breathe out long.”

2.While breathing in short, one knows: “I breathe in short.” While breathing out short, one knows: “I breathe out short.”

3.One trains oneself: “Sensitive to the whole body, I breathe in. Sensitive to the whole body, I breathe out.”

4.One trains oneself: “Calming the whole body, I breathe in. Calming the whole body, I breathe out.”

Second Tetrad (Feelings Group)

5.One trains oneself: “Sensitive to rapture, I breathe in. Sensitive to rapture, I breathe out.”

6.One trains oneself: “Sensitive to pleasure, I breathe in. Sensitive to pleasure, I breathe out.”

7.One trains oneself: “Sensitive to mental processes, I breathe in. Sensitive to mental processes, I breathe out.”

8.One trains oneself: “Calming mental processes, I breathe in. Calming mental processes, I breathe out.”

Third Tetrad (Mind Group)

9.One trains oneself: “Sensitive to mental processes, I breathe in. Sensitive to mental processes, I breathe out.”One trains oneself: “Sensitive to the mind, I breathe in. Sensitive to the mind, I breathe out.”

10.One trains oneself: “Gladdening the mind, I breathe in. Gladdening the mind, I breathe out.”

11.One trains oneself: “Steadying the mind, I breathe in. Steadying the mind, I breathe out.”

12.One trains oneself: “Liberating the mind, I breathe in. Liberating the mind, I breathe out.”

Fourth Tetrad (Wisdom Group)

13.One trains oneself: “Focusing on impermanence, I breathe in. Focusing on impermanence, I breathe out.”

14.One trains oneself: “Focusing on fading away, I breathe in. Focusing on fading away, I breathe out.”

15.One trains oneself: “Focusing on cessation, I breathe in. Focusing on cessation, I breathe out.”

16.One trains oneself: “Focusing on relinquishment, I breathe in. Focusing on relinquishment, I breathe out.”

THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS

1.Now, on whatever occasion a meditator breathing in long discerns that he is breathing in long; or breathing out long, discerns he is breathing out long; or breathing in short, discerns that he is breathing in short; or breathing out short, discerns that he is breathing out short; trains himself to breathe in . . . and . . . out sensitive to the entire body; trains himself to breathe in . . . and . . . out calming the whole body: on that occasion the meditator remains focused on the body in and of itself—ardent, alert, and mindful—subduing greed and distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this—the in-and-out breath—is classed as a body among bodies, which is why the meditator on that occasion remains focused on the body in and of itself—ardent, alert, and mindful—putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world.

2.On whatever occasion a meditator trains himself to breathe in and out sensitive to rapture; trains himself to breathe in and out sensitive to happiness; trains himself to breathe in and out sensitive to mental processes; trains himself to breathe in and out calming mental processes: on that occasion the meditator remains focused on feelings in and of themselves—ardent, alert, and mindful—subduing greed and distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this—close attention to in- and out-breaths—is classed as a feeling among feelings, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on feelings in and of themselves—ardent, alert, and mindful—putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world.

3.On whatever occasion a meditator trains himself to breathe in and out sensitive to the mind; trains himself to breathe in and out gladdening the mind; trains himself to breathe in and out steadying the mind; trains himself to breathe in and out liberating the mind: on that occasion the meditator remains focused on the mind in and of itself—ardent, alert, and mindful—subduing greed and distress with reference to the world. I don’t say that there is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing in one of confused mindfulness and no alertness, which is why the meditator on that occasion remains focused on the mind in and of itself—ardent, alert, and mindful—putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world.

4.On whatever occasion a meditator trains himself to breathe in and out focusing on impermanence; trains himself to breathe in and out focusing on fading away; trains himself to breathe in and out focusing on cessation; trains himself to breathe in and out focusing on relinquishment: on that occasion the meditator remains focused on mental qualities in and of themselves—ardent, alert, and mindful—subduing greed and distress with reference to the world. He who sees clearly with discernment the abandoning of greed and distress is one who oversees with equanimity, which is why the meditator on that occasion remains focused on mental qualities in and of themselves—ardent, alert, and mindful—putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world. “This is how mindfulness of in-and-out breathing is developed and pursued so as to bring the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to their culmination.

THE SEVEN FACTORS OF AWAKENING

“And how are the Four Foundations of Mindfulness developed and pursued so as to bring the seven factors of awakening to their perfection?

1.“On whatever occasion the meditator remains focused on the body in and of itself—ardent, alert, and mindful—putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady and without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady and without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.”

2.“Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, and comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, and coming to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then investigation as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.”

3.“In one who examines, analyzes, and comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, unflagging persistence is aroused. When unflagging persistence is aroused in one who examines, analyzes, and comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then persistence as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.”

4.“In one whose persistence is aroused, a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises. When a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises in one whose persistence is aroused, then rapture as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.”

5.“For one who is enraptured, the body grows calm and the mind grows calm. When the body and mind of an enraptured meditator grow calm, then serenity as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.”

6.“For one who is at ease—his body calmed—the mind becomes concentrated. When the mind of one who is at ease—his body calmed—becomes concentrated, then concentration as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.”

7.“He oversees the mind thus concentrated with equanimity. When he oversees the mind thus concentrated with equanimity, equanimity as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.” [Similarly with the other three frames of reference, feelings, mind, and mental qualities.] “This is how the four foundations of mindfulness are developed and pursued so as to bring the seven factors of awakening to their culmination.”

CLEAR KNOWING AND RELEASE

“And how are the seven factors of awakening developed and pursued so as to bring clear knowing and release to their culmination? There is the case where a meditator develops mindfulness as a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion . . . , fading away . . . , cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor of awakening . . . , persistence as a factor of awakening . . . , rapture as a factor of awakening . . . , serenity as a factor of awakening . . . , concentration as a factor of awakening . . . , equanimity as a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion . . . , fading away . . . , cessation, resulting in relinquishment. “This is how the seven factors of awakening, when developed and pursued, bring clear knowing and release to their culmination.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Glad at heart, the monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

Buddha