English
Therefore, by slow movement, by long continuity, they are called long. And here, in the bodies of elephants and so on, and dogs and so on, the long and short nature of in-breaths and out-breaths is to be understood as said specifically by way of spatial duration and by way of time duration, by the saying: 'filling slowly, they exit slowly; filling quickly, they exit quickly.' In humans, even in human bodies of similar size, 'breathing in long' means they maintain a long series of in-breaths, that is the meaning. The same method applies to 'breathing out'. The connection is that like dogs and rabbits, they breathe in and out short. But this long and short in-breathing and out-breathing is to be seen as the nature of the bodies of those beings. 'Theirs' means of those beings. 'They' are the in-breaths and out-breaths. 'Short duration' means a short time. 'By nine modes' means for one engaged in meditation, who has not yet attained distinction in what comes before and after, the three modes mentioned at the outset, merely by way of duration; and indeed, one person clearly discerns the in-breath, another the out-breath, another both, by way of these three individuals. Some, however, say that the combined phrase 'breathes in and breathes out' is to show the continuous practice of meditation. Three, as before, by way of desire, and also by way of joy, by these nine modes. Although here, only three modes are obtained for one person, but by way of the tradition, since all are included in the Pāli, and since the preliminary work is to be done by way of them, therefore 'this monk, by nine modes...' It is said. "Thus knowing" means knowing the in-breaths and out-breaths in the aforementioned ways, and directing attention there. "In one way" means in one of the four ways, such as a long in-breath, or in one of the nine or three ways. For it will be said: "Long and short is the in-breath, The out-breath is also similar; Four characteristics occur, At the tip of the bhikkhu's nose." This meditation, being called "contemplation of the body of in-breaths and out-breaths," is said to "accomplish the development of mindfulness of the body." Now, to show those nine ways and the method of development in the Pāli text itself, "as it is said" and so on is begun. There, "how does one know?" is asked out of a desire to explain the method of knowing. "A long in-breath" means a long in-breath with the described characteristics. "Designated as a period" means in a long time designated as a period, meaning a long moment. Or the word "designated" is a synonym for "portion," as in "designated as theft" and so on; therefore, "designated as a period" means divided into portions of time. "Desire arises" means because the meditation, bringing progress from one stage to the next, has found a taste, a wholesome desire, characterized by an intense wish to act, arises there. "By means of desire" means by means of such arisen desire, for one who practices special meditation, the meditation subject grows and prospers. "Subtler than that" means subtler than the previous one due to the aforementioned arising of desire. Indeed, by the power of meditation, the in-breaths and out-breaths become subtler and proceed, due to the body's pacification of distress and fever. "Joy arises" means due to the in-breaths and out-breaths becoming subtler, the object becoming calmer, and the meditation subject being on the right path, a joy accompanied by the meditation mind, a nascent rapture of the minor and other kinds, arises. "The mind turns away" means gradually, as the in-breaths and out-breaths reach an extremely subtle state, the mind turns away from them, as they become unapparent and in a state to be investigated. Some say it has passed. But by power of development, when breathings, having reached a subtler state, and their counterpart sign arise there, the mind turns away from ordinary breathings. Equanimity is established: when that counterpart sign, in access and absorption concentration, arises, there is no further effort to produce jhāna, so there is equanimity. And this equanimity should be known as equanimity of impartiality. By these nine aspects: it proceeds by these nine ways as stated. Long in-breaths and out-breaths are the body: long-formed in-breaths and out-breaths, even fragmented, are a body in the sense of a collection. Even the sign arisen dependent on in-breaths and out-breaths is here spoken of in the general sense of in-breaths and out-breaths. Mindfulness is established: mindfulness is that which, having approached that object, stands there. Contemplation is knowledge: contemplation of the sign by way of calm, and by way of insight, having distinguished the in-breaths and out-breaths and the body dependent on them as "form," and the mind and its associated phenomena as "non-form," is the contemplation of mind-and-matter, and knowledge is the understanding of reality there. The body is established: that body, having become an object, mindfulness stands there, thus it is called establishment. And here, by "the body is established," other bodies are also included, as the aforementioned practice of reflection is also desired here. Not mindfulness: that body is not called mindfulness. Mindfulness is both establishment and mindfulness, in the sense of remembering and in the sense of establishing. By that mindfulness: by the mindfulness as stated. By that knowledge: by the knowledge as stated. That body: that body of in-breaths and out-breaths, and the material body dependent on it. Contemplates: contemplates again and again with knowledge associated with jhāna and with insight knowledge. Therefore it is said: "Contemplation of the body in the body, the development of mindfulness establishment." By that contemplation, this is called the development of mindfulness establishment of the contemplation of the body in the body, in the body as stated. This is what is meant: that which, in the aforementioned body of in-breaths and out-breaths, its dependence... In this body, born of kamma, the contemplation of the body itself, is like the contemplation of water in a mirage that is not water, not the contemplation of permanence, etc., in a body whose nature is impermanence, etc., but rather, as is fitting, the contemplation of impermanence, suffering, non-self, and impurity. Or, because there is nothing in the body to be grasped as "I" or "mine," or "woman" or "man," not contemplating such, but only contemplating the body itself, is body-contemplation. Mindfulness associated with that body-contemplation is establishment of mindfulness. The development, the cultivation of that, is the development of body-contemplation as an establishment of mindfulness. "This is the method" — this refers to the method stated with "by nine aspects" etc., which is also applicable to the short breath. "Here" means in this Pāli method, as shown, which comes with "how, breathing in long," etc. "Here" means in this Pāli method, which comes with the short breath. "This" is the meditator. "By way of duration" means by way of a long time. "By way of brevity" means by way of a short time. "By these aspects" means by these nine aspects. "Such" means long and short. "Four colors" means four aspects, and these are indeed long, etc. "At the tip of the nose, O monk" is said with a short vowel for the sake of metrical ease. The word "vā" in "nāsikagge vā" (or at the tip of the nose) implies non-restriction, and thereby includes the upper lip. "Experiencing the whole body" means one who is accustomed to experiencing, to knowing, each and every part of the whole body correctly, or one for whom there is correct experience of each and every part, or one who correctly experiences each and every part. Even though the entire body of the in-breath, etc., is completely encompassed by the word "sabba" (whole) in that context, the word "paṭi" (each) is taken to show the experience of all its parts, because it is a collection of many aggregates. And the word "saṃ" (correctly) is taken to show the diligent performance in that context. Explaining this meaning, it says "of the whole," etc. There, even in similar in-breaths and out-breaths, a separate teaching is given to show that the meditator should practice diligently in each instance of the practice. It is done. Thus, in order to illuminate that very meaning, even though the meaning is the same, it should be understood that a separate explanation of the meaning of the two phrases, "of the whole" and so on, has been made. "Making manifest" means making clear, making completely evident. Showing that making manifest and making evident occur through the knowledge of not being confused therein, he says, "Thus making known," and so on. There, "therefore" means: "Because one causes in-breaths and out-breaths to occur only with a mind associated with knowledge, not with a mind dissociated from it, therefore, one trains thus: 'I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out, perceiving the whole body.'" This is the connection with "by the Buddhas and so on." "Broken into pieces and scattered" means scattered in a state of being broken into pieces due to being of many parts. "Beginning is manifest" means due to the occurrence of a previously conditioned formation by way of mindfulness and knowledge. "One should be like that" means one should be like a fourth person; the intention is that one should present mindfulness and knowledge and cause the mind to be associated with knowledge in all three instances. "Thus" means in the manner stated, by way of perceiving the whole body. "Strives" means exerts oneself. "Exerts effort" means makes an effort, the meaning is causes attention to occur. "For one who is like that" means for one who is developing mindfulness of in-breaths and out-breaths. "Restraint" means mindfulness, or also energy. "By that mindfulness" means by that mindfulness which occurs