Mindfulness of the In-and-Out-Breath, Ānāpānasati, was the favourite meditation object of the Buddha himself. He has given us very comprehensive and detailed instructions how to develop this form of meditation.
However, many meditators, often even those practising regularly for many years, are not fully aware, or at least do not really apply, the instructions as provided by the Buddha.
To encourage everyone to receive the full results of their Breath Meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha goes through all 16 steps of Mindfulness of Breathing, as expounded by the Buddha; e.g. in Ānāpānasati Sutta, Majjhima Nikāya/Middle Length Discourses, No. 118
Each of the four Tetrads develops one of the Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna)
(i) BODY (KĀYA)
(ii) FEELINGS (VEDANĀ)
(iii) CITTA (MIND)
(iv) DHAMMA (TRUTH)
[i]
1.
He breathes in mindfully, and he breathes out mindfully
2.
Breathing in long, he knows: ‘I'm breathing in long’; or breathing out long, he knows: ‘I' breathing out long.’
Or breathing in short, he knows: ‘I'm breathing in short’; or breathing out short, he knows: ‘I am breathing out short.’
3.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in feeling the whole body.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out feeling the whole body.’
4.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in calming all bodily activity’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out calming all bodily activity.’
[ii]
5.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in experiencing rapture.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out experiencing rapture.’
6.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in experiencing bliss.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in experiencing bliss.’
7.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in experiencing mental activity.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out experiencing mental activity.’
8.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in calming mental activity.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out calming mental activity.’
(iii)
9.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in experiencing the mind.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out experiencing the mind.’
10.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in gladdening the mind.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out gladdening the mind.’
11.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in unifying the mind.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out unifying the mind.’
12.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in releasing the mind.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out releasing the mind.’
(iv)
13.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in focussing on impermanence.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out focussing on inconstancy.’
14.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in focussing on dispassion / fading away.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out focussing on dispassion / fading away.’
15.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in focussing on cessation.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out focussing on cessation.’
16.
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe in focussing on letting go.’
He trains himself: ‘I will breathe out focussing on letting go.’
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