English
concentrating the mind.'" "Liberating the mind" means, with the first jhāna, releasing, liberating the mind from the hindrances, with the second, from initial and sustained application, with the third, from rapture, with the fourth, releasing, liberating the mind from pleasure and pain. Or again, having entered those jhānas and emerged, he comprehends the mind associated with jhāna as perishing and vanishing. At the moment of insight, by the contemplation of impermanence, he releases the mind from the perception of permanence, by the contemplation of suffering, from the perception of pleasure, by the contemplation of non-self, from the perception of self, by the contemplation of disenchantment, from delight, by the contemplation of dispassion, from passion, by the contemplation of cessation, from origination, by the contemplation of relinquishment, releasing the mind from grasping, he breathes in and breathes out. Therefore, it is said, "He trains, 'I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out, liberating the mind.'" Thus, it should be understood that this tetrad is spoken by way of contemplation of the mind. 236. Now, in the fourth tetrad, first, impermanence should be understood here in "contemplating impermanence." Impermanence (the characteristic) should be understood. Contemplating impermanence... should be understood. One who contemplates impermanence should be understood. Therein, "impermanence" means the five aggregates. Why? Because of their arising, passing away, and change of state. "Impermanence" is the arising, passing away, and change of state of these very things, or their non-existence after having been, or their not enduring in the same way after being produced, but breaking up in a moment, this is the meaning. "Contemplation of impermanence" is the contemplation of "impermanent" in forms and so on, by way of that impermanence. "One who contemplates impermanence" is one endowed with that contemplation. Therefore, it should be understood that such a one, breathing in and breathing out, here "trains, 'I will breathe in contemplating impermanence; I will breathe out contemplating impermanence.'" As for "one who contemplates dispassion," here there are two kinds of dispassion: dispassion through destruction and absolute dispassion. Therein, "dispassion through destruction" is the momentary breaking up of formations. "Absolute dispassion" is Nibbāna. "Contemplation of dispassion" is insight and the path that proceed by way of seeing both of these. It should be understood that one, endowed with both kinds of contemplation, breathing in and breathing out, "trains, 'I will breathe in contemplating dispassion; I will breathe out contemplating dispassion.'" The same method applies to the term "one who contemplates cessation." As for "one who contemplates relinquishment," here too there are two kinds of relinquishment: relinquishment by abandonment and relinquishment by plunging. Relinquishment itself is contemplation, "contemplation of relinquishment." This is a designation for insight and the paths. For insight, by way of its components, abandons defilements along with the aggregates and formations; and by seeing the fault in the conditioned, it plunges into Nibbāna, which is contrary to that, being inclined towards it; thus it is called both relinquishment by abandonment and relinquishment by plunging. The path, by way of eradication, abandons defilements along with the aggregates and formations; and by making Nibbāna its object, it plunges into it; thus it is called both relinquishment by abandonment and relinquishment by plunging. Both, however, are called "contemplation" because they are successive contemplations of previous knowledges. It should be understood that one, endowed with both kinds of contemplation of relinquishment, breathing in and breathing out, "trains, 'I will breathe in contemplating relinquishment; I will breathe out contemplating relinquishment.'" He trains himself: 'I shall breathe in, contemplating relinquishment; I shall breathe out, contemplating relinquishment' – thus it is to be understood. This fourth tetrad is taught solely in the way of pure insight. But the former three are in the way of tranquility and insight. Thus, the development of mindfulness of breathing, having sixteen bases, by means of the four tetrads, is to be understood. And thus, by means of these sixteen bases, this mindfulness of breathing is of great fruit and great benefit. 237. In this regard, its great benefit is to be understood also by way of its peacefulness, etc., from the saying: "This concentration through mindfulness of breathing, monks, developed and frequently practiced, is peaceful and sublime," and also by its ability to cut off thoughts. For this, being a peaceful, sublime, and refreshing pleasant abiding, cuts off the wandering of the mind here and there by means of thoughts that obstruct concentration, and makes the mind face only the object of mindfulness of breathing. Therefore it was said: "Mindfulness of breathing should be developed for the cutting off of thoughts." (A.N. 9.1) Its great benefit is also to be understood by its being the root cause for the perfection of knowledge and liberation. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Mindfulness of breathing, monks, developed and frequently practiced, perfects the four foundations of mindfulness. The four foundations of mindfulness, developed and frequently practiced, perfect the seven factors of awakening. The seven factors of awakening, developed and frequently practiced, perfect knowledge and liberation." (M.N. 3.147) Furthermore, its great benefit is to be understood from its making the last in-breaths and out-breaths known. For this was said by the Blessed One: "When mindfulness of breathing, Rahula, is thus developed and thus frequently practiced, even those last in-breaths and out-breaths cease known, not unknown." (M.N. 2.121) 238. In this regard, there are three kinds of 'last' in terms of cessation: the last of existence, the last of jhana, and the last of decease. For in existences, in the sense-sphere existence, in-breaths and out-breaths occur; in the form and formless existences, they do not occur. Therefore, these are the last of existence. In the jhanas, they occur in the first three jhanas; in the fourth, they do not occur, ta they are not those whose jhāna is the last. But those that arise with the sixteenth thought before the death-thought and cease with the death-thought, these are called "death-last." These are here intended as "the last." It is said that for a monk devoted to this meditation, because the meditation object of in-and-out breathing is well-grasped, at the moment of the arising of the sixteenth thought before the death-thought, when he attends to the arising, their arising becomes manifest. When he attends to the standing, their standing becomes manifest. And when he attends to the ceasing, their ceasing becomes manifest. For a monk who has developed another meditation and attained Arahantship, the remaining lifespan may be determined or undetermined. But for one who has developed this sixteen-based mindfulness of in-and-out breathing and attained Arahantship, the remaining lifespan is indeed determined. Knowing, "My life-formations will now continue for this much, not beyond this," he, by his own nature, performs all duties such as attending to the body, wearing robes, and covering himself, and then closes his eyes, like Tissa Thera, resident of Koṭapabbata Vihāra, like Mahātissa Thera, resident of Mahākarañjiya Vihāra, like Piṇḍapātika Tissa Thera in Devaputta Mahāraṭṭha, and like the two Bhātiya Theras, residents of Cittala Vihāra. Here is an illustration of one case. It is said that on a full moon Uposatha day, one of the two Bhātiya Theras, after reciting the Pātimokkha, went to his dwelling place surrounded by the community of monks, and standing on the walking path, looked at the moonlight, reflected on his life-formations, and said to the community of monks, "How have you seen monks attain final Nibbāna before?" Some replied, "We have seen them attain final Nibbāna while seated." Some said, "We have seen them seated cross-legged in the air." The Elder said, "I will now show you myself attaining final Nibbāna while walking." Then, making a mark on the walking path, he said, "I, going from this end of the walking path to the other end and returning, "Having reached this line, I shall attain final Nibbāna," saying this, he descended from the walking path, went to the far end, and as he was returning, at the very moment he stepped on the line with one foot, he attained final Nibbāna. Therefore, indeed, diligent, should the wise one practice; Thus, with many benefits, mindfulness of breathing always. This is the introduction to the detailed discourse on mindfulness of breathing. Discourse on the Recollection of Peace 239. One who wishes to develop the recollection of peace, which was taught after mindfulness of breathing, having gone to a secluded place, being withdrawn, should recollect the qualities of Nibbāna, which is called the appeasement of all suffering, in this way: "Whatever phenomena, monks, whether conditioned or unconditioned, dispassion is declared to be the foremost of those phenomena, namely, the subduing of intoxication, the removal of thirst, the uprooting of attachment, the cutting off of the round of existence, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna." (A.N. 4.34; Itiv. 90) Therein, 'whatever' means 'as many as'. 'Phenomena' means 'natures'. 'Conditioned or unconditioned' means 'made by conditions, having come together, or not made'. 'Dispassion is declared to be the foremost of those phenomena' means 'dispassion is declared to be the foremost, the best, the supreme of those conditioned and unconditioned phenomena'. Therein, 'dispassion' is not merely the absence of passion, but rather, that unconditioned phenomenon