English
10. Connected Discourses on Mindfulness of Breathing 1. Chapter on the One Quality 1. Discourse on the One Quality 977. At Sāvatthī. There… (etc.)… he said this: ‘‘One quality, bhikkhus, developed and cultivated, is of great fruit, of great benefit. Which one quality? Mindfulness of breathing. And how, bhikkhus, is mindfulness of breathing developed, how is it cultivated, so that it is of great fruit, of great benefit? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu gone to the forest, or gone to the root of a tree, or gone to an empty dwelling, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, having set his body erect, having established mindfulness in front of him. Mindful, he breathes in; mindful, he breathes out. Breathing in long, he discerns: ‘I breathe in long’; breathing out long, he discerns: ‘I breathe out long’. Breathing in short, he discerns: ‘I breathe in short’; breathing out short, he discerns: ‘I breathe out short’. 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 tranquilizing the bodily formation’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out tranquilizing the bodily formation’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing rapture’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing rapture’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing pleasure’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing pleasure’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing the mental formation’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the mental formation’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in tranquilizing the mental formation’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out tranquilizing the mental formation’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing the mind’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the mind’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in gladdening the mind’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out gladdening the mind’. He trains himself: ‘I shall breathe in concentrating the mind’; he trains himself: ‘I shall breathe out concentrating the mind’. 'I shall breathe out' he trains himself. 'Releasing the mind' he trains himself to breathe in. 'Releasing the mind' he trains himself to breathe out. 'Contemplating impermanence' he trains himself to breathe in. 'Contemplating impermanence' he trains himself to breathe out. 'Contemplating dispassion' he trains himself to breathe in. 'Contemplating dispassion' he trains himself to breathe out. 'Contemplating cessation' he trains himself to breathe in. 'Contemplating cessation' he trains himself to breathe out. 'Contemplating relinquishment' he trains himself to breathe in. 'Contemplating relinquishment' he trains himself to breathe out. Thus developed, bhikkhus, and thus often practiced, mindfulness of breathing is of great fruit, of great benefit." The First. 2. The Discourse on the Factors of Awakening 978. "Mindfulness of breathing, bhikkhus, when developed and often practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit. And how, bhikkhus, is mindfulness of breathing developed and often practiced so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the factor of awakening of mindfulness, accompanied by mindfulness of breathing, based on seclusion, based on dispassion, based on cessation, culminating in relinquishment. He develops the factor of awakening of investigation of states, accompanied by mindfulness of breathing... ...he develops the factor of awakening of equanimity, accompanied by mindfulness of breathing, based on seclusion, based on dispassion, based on cessation, culminating in relinquishment. Thus developed, bhikkhus, and thus often practiced, mindfulness of breathing is of great fruit, of great benefit." The Second. 3. The Pure Discourse 979. "Mindfulness of breathing, bhikkhus, when developed and often practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit. And how, bhikkhus, is mindfulness of breathing developed and often practiced so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, having gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. Mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out... 'Contemplating relinquishment' he trains himself to breathe in, 'contemplating relinquishment' he trains He trains himself, 'I will breathe out observing relinquishment.' Thus developed, bhikkhus, thus often practiced, mindfulness of breathing is of great fruit, of great benefit." The Third. 4. The First Fruit Discourse 980. "Mindfulness of breathing, bhikkhus, developed and often practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit. And how, bhikkhus, is mindfulness of breathing developed, how is it often practiced, so that it is of great fruit, of great benefit? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. Mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out... He trains himself, 'I will breathe in observing relinquishment,' he trains himself, 'I will breathe out observing relinquishment.' Thus developed, bhikkhus, thus often practiced, mindfulness of breathing is of great fruit, of great benefit. When mindfulness of breathing is thus developed, bhikkhus, thus often practiced, one of two fruits is to be expected: either final knowledge in this very life, or, if there is a remainder of clinging, non-returning." The Fourth. 5. The Second Fruit Discourse 981. "Mindfulness of breathing, bhikkhus, developed and often practiced, is of great fruit, of great benefit. And how, bhikkhus, is mindfulness of breathing developed, how is it often practiced, so that it is of great fruit, of great benefit? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. Mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out... He trains himself, 'I will breathe in observing relinquishment,' he trains himself, 'I will breathe out observing relinquishment.' Thus developed, bhikkhus, thus often practiced, mindfulness of breathing is of great fruit, of great benefit. When mindfulness of breathing is thus developed, bhikkhus, thus often practiced, seven fruits, seven benefits are to be expected. Which are the seven fruits, the seven benefits? In this very life... he attains distinction in this very Dhamma; if he does not attain distinction in this very Dhamma, then at the time of death he attains distinction; if he does not attain distinction in this very Dhamma, and does not attain distinction at the time of death, then with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he is an antarāparinibbāyī… he is an upahaccaparinibbāyī… he is an asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī… he is a sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī… he is an uddhaṃsoto, an akaniṭṭhagāmī. Thus, monks, when mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated in this way, these seven fruits, seven benefits, are to be expected.” The Fifth. 6. The Ariṭṭha Sutta 982. At Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One… said this: “Do you, monks, cultivate mindfulness of breathing?” When this was said, Venerable Ariṭṭha said to the Blessed One: “I, venerable sir, cultivate mindfulness of breathing.” “And how, Ariṭṭha, do you cultivate mindfulness of breathing?” “My desire for past sensual pleasures, venerable sir, is abandoned; my desire for future sensual pleasures is gone; and my perception of aversion towards internal and external phenomena is well subdued. So I breathe in mindfully, I breathe out mindfully. That is how, venerable sir, I cultivate mindfulness of breathing.” “There is, Ariṭṭha, this mindfulness of breathing; I do not say it is not. But, Ariṭṭha, listen to how mindfulness of breathing becomes fully complete in detail, pay careful attention; I will speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” Venerable Ariṭṭha replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “And how, Ariṭṭha, does mindfulness of breathing become fully complete in detail? Here, Ariṭṭha, a monk, having gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, having set his body upright, and having established mindfulness in front of him. Mindfully he breathes in, mindfully he breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, breathing in, he discerns 'I breathe in long.' ... He trains thus: 'I shall breathe in contemplating relinquishment.' He trains thus: 'I shall breathe out contemplating relinquishment.' Thus, indeed, Ariṭṭha, mindfulness of breathing is fully developed in detail. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on Mahākappina 983. Occasion at Sāvatthī. Now at that time, the Venerable Mahākappina was sitting not far from the Blessed One, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body upright, and established mindfulness in front of him. The Blessed One saw the Venerable Mahākappina sitting not far off, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body upright, and established mindfulness in front of him. Having seen him, he addressed the bhikkhus: "Do you see, bhikkhus, any wavering or trembling of this bhikkhu's body?" "Even when we, venerable sir, see that venerable one sitting in the midst of the Sangha or sitting alone in seclusion, we do not see any wavering or trembling of that venerable one's body." "That bhikkhu, bhikkhus, by the development and cultivation of which concentration, there is no wavering or trembling of the body, nor any wavering or trembling of the mind, that bhikkhu is one who obtains that concentration at will, without difficulty, without trouble. And what concentration, bhikkhus, by its development and cultivation, is there no wavering or trembling of the body,