Mindfulness of Breathing

Mindfulness of BreathingAccording Early Buddhist Texts and Practice

A presentation byBrother Joe

(Dhammadāsa Bhikkhu, 比丘法使)Scholar-Practitioner

22nd Jan 2015

How Important Is It?

It’s recorded that the Buddha praised Mindfulness ofBreathing, as the practice he developed most often, on his pathto enlightenment (SN 54.8, PTS: S v 316).

There he says that by this practice one can attain the Four

Jhānas (禅 - Chán, Zen) of everyday life and one can stopclinging, that is, experience Nibbāna.

Buddhist commentators seem to down-play the Teaching ofMindfulness of Breathing, by saying it is ONLY Calm practice,but by looking closely at the early text, we can see it would coverboth Calm and Insight.

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A Step-by-step Training

• There are sixteen steps in the Teaching of Mindfulness of Breathing.

• A person focusses on easier things first, then progresses to more subtle things.

• Like any training, it requires time and patience.

• Expecting to not have wandering mind at the start, is being impatient.

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Looking More Closely at the Steps

According to the text, before detailing the 16 steps, theBuddha gives the following preparatory advice:

1. seek a secluded space (in a forest, at the foot of a tree). It’s aplace we would not be disturbed by others, an empty roomwould do. Doing so indicates the restraint of the senses;willingness to give up entertainments which draw attentionoutside.

2. sit down (on a chair, if one has a medical condition)

3. cross your legs (unless on a chair)

4. keep your body upright, but relaxed3

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The Four

Foundations of

Mindfulness

1. Mindful s/he breathes in; mindful s/he breathes out

2. Breathing in/out long/short, s/he discerns that s/he

is breathing in/out long/short

3. sensitive to the whole body

4. relaxing the body*

5. sensitive to zest

6. sensitive to happiness

7. sensitive to tension*

8. relaxing tension*

9. sensitive to thought

10. gladdening thought

11. concentrating thought [samādhi]

12. releasing thought [ceto-vimutti]

13. contemplating change

14. contemplating fading

15. contemplating cessation

16. contemplating relinquishment (of clinging)

Mindfulness of Breathing - the 16 Steps in Sitting

Meditation

Knowing the

breathing s/he

breathes in/out

Body

S/he trains

him/herself to

breathe in/out:

Sensation

Thought

Emotion*

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Possible

Experiences

The Four

Foundations

of

Mindfulness

1. Mindful s/he breathes in; mindful s/he

breathes out

2. Breathing in/out long/short, s/he

discerns that s/he is breathing in/out

long/short3. sensitive to the whole body feeling like a statue,

heavy, solid

4. relaxing the body slower heatbeat, fine

breath

Mindfulness of Breathing - the 16 Steps in

Sitting Meditation

Knowing the

breathing s/he

breathes in/out

Body

S/he trains

him/herself to

breathe in/out:

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Possible

Experiences

The Four

Foundations

of

Mindfulness

5. sensitive to zest goosebumps,

energised, fresh

6. sensitive to happiness relaxed and energised

7. sensitive to tension

8. relaxing tension


Sitting Meditation

Sensation

S/he trains

him/herself to

breathe in/out:

Citta - The Third Foundation

I find “mind” a very vague term. This is one possible meaning ofthe Indian word “citta”. I use another possible meaning “thought”, asthis makes the Teaching more practical. Some evidence to supportthis from the texts and the tradition is:

1. In the Teaching on the Benefits of Friendliness (AN 11.15, A v342): “friendliness” (mettā) is said to be the practice for liberationof “citta” (ceto-vimuttiyā), which is our step #12.

2. The practice of friendliness (mettā) is traditionally taught asdeveloping friendly thought, or kind wishes towards differenttypes of beings.

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8

Possible

Experiences

The Four

Foundations

of

Mindfulness

9. sensitive to thought knowing the components

of thought


11. concentrating thought [samādhi] inner light

12. releasing thought [ceto-vimutti] happiness


Sitting Meditation

Thought

S/he trains

him/herself to

breathe in/out:

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Possible

Experiences

The Four

Foundations

of

Mindfulness




16. contemplating relinquishment (of

clinging)

peace


Sitting Meditation

Emotion*

S/he trains

him/herself to

breathe in/out:

Calm and Insight

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are traditionally taught asonly for Insight. It’s recorded that the Buddha said fulfilment ofMindfulness of Breathing fulfils the Four Foundations ofMindfulness. If so, this is more support for understanding that theMindfulness of Breathing Teaching includes Insight practice.

I have shown that Calm is covered in the first three Foundationsof Mindfulness (up to step 12) and Insight is covered in the Fourth.

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11

The Four

Foundations of

Mindfulness

Calm and Insight

Development

1. Mindful s/he breathes in; mindful s/he

breathes out

2. Breathing in/out long/short, s/he

discerns that s/he is breathing in/out

long/short3. sensitive to the whole body

4. relaxing the body

5. sensitive to zest

6. sensitive to happiness

7. sensitive to tension

8. relaxing tension

9. sensitive to thought


11. concentrating thought [samādhi]

12. releasing thought [ceto-vimutti]




16. contemplating relinquishment (of

clinging)

Calm body, clear

mind (Samatha)

Insight into inter-

related processes

(Vipassanā)


Sitting Meditation

Knowing the

breathing s/he

breathes in/out

Body

S/he trains

him/herself to

breathe in/out:

Sensation

Thought

Emotion

The 16 Steps and theFour Foundations of Mindfulness

“Foundations” are not given up to move on to the next, theyare laid down and built on. Awareness expands.

So we can understand that, we develop awareness of thebody as a foundation. We see the body AS the body. Then we seesensations IN and related to the body. Then we see thoughtsaffecting both the body, sensations and emotions and vice versa.

Then we see how all four are inter-related, or inter-dependentand their causes. That would be insight or wisdom.

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The Body

The body is the basis of this practice. We stay aware of thebreath from step one to sixteen. We are not trying to have an“out of body experience” but a fully embodied one. One thatalso clearly understands and values the mind/heart/spirit/emotions.

The Buddha’s Teaching values the body, but some otherphilosophies, judgemental of the body, are influencing it. Haveyou ever heard the idea that the Buddha attained fullEnlightenment at the end of his life? The discourse about theending of his life, is called the “Great Discourse on the FullEnlightenment” by the tradition.

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Bad Body!

Some later interpretations of the Buddha’s Teaching blamethe body for suffering, when they say the Buddha attained thecomplete ending of suffering at the end of his life – not underthe Bodhi Tree 45 years earlier.

That earlier attainment is explained as only the partial endingof suffering, due to still having a body. They explain that onlywhen the body (life) ends, will total freedom be realised.

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Not Only Sitting

When the body and mind (thought) are working together(whatever we are doing) I’d like to suggest we feel happy.

There are only a few activities that I believe can only be donewith suffering, such as intentionally killing another person. Thatwould be why the major religions and civilised societies teachagainst it.

Apart from those few activities, we could do this practice withall other activities. Mindfully breathing we….

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live.live.

Not Only Sitting

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Thich Nhat Hanh introduces the idea of bringing mindfulnessof breath into everyday life, with the use of the Mindfulness Bellor the Mindfulness Clock. You can set it to ring at a regular timeperiod. You can set the bell to ring every 1-60 minutes.

This website: http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/mindfulness-

software/ has different versions e.g. for Android Mobile Phones,iPhones, Windows, Linux and Mac.

http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/mindfulness-software/

Not Only Sitting

Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, to stop what you’re doing whenyou hear the bell, but to me, that means mindfulness is not PARTof everyday activity. You have to stop everyday activity to bemindful.

When I hear the bell, I just notice if I have wandering mindand, if so, revert my attention to my posture and what I’m doing,without stopping that activity. That makes clear that the activityis not the problem, just the uncontrolled mind.

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Walking Mindfully

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We can apply this practice in walking (or other activities).

We just adjust the first two steps as above and follow the

rest as they appear.

1. We make a mental note of whatever major activity we

are going, for walking: “left” “right” or “step” “step”.

2. Then we notice how we are walking, heavily or lightly.

3. Then we try to be aware of our whole body while doing

it, the touch of feet, clothes, wind, sun etc. on one’s skin,

most obviously internally: the breath.

Walking Mindfully

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One would start to notice how long the in- and out-

breaths last in relation to walking, e.g. now I’m walking

and breathing in, now I’m walking and breathing out.

The Buddha saw that we can be aware of more

than one thing at a time, though we can think of only

one thing at a time. So we note the main activity and

be aware of other parts of experience, such as

sensations.

The Formless States

• From practising a lot of Mindfulness of Breathing, one can take the side track of experiencing the four deep meditative or formless (arūpa) states (see table to follow).

• To understand these one must understand how the Four

Jhānas (禅 - Chán, Zen) of everyday life, relate to the Five Aggregates.

• The Five Aggregates are the Buddha’s analysis of everyday experience.

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1 form - image, shape, boundary

2 sensation - bodily originated feeling

3 idea - concept, language

4 emotion - mentally originated feeling

5 consciousness - awareness, perception

The Five Aggregates

The Buddha's analysis of everyday experience

The Four Jhānas (禅 - Chán, Zen) of everyday life, would

incorporate all of these.

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Aggregates

Present4 with Form

1st jhāna - study, analysis, research, planning 5

2nd jhāna - testing in life 5

3rd jhāna - experience result of testing 5

4th jhāna - resting 5

4 without Form - taught as Enlightenment by Buddha's former teachers

conceiving limitless space 4

conceiving limitless consciousness 4

conceiving nothingness 4

neither conception nor non-conception 4

1 coma-like

ending of idea and sensation 2

Nine Meditative States

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Aggregates

Present

Qualities

of God4 with Form

1st jhāna - study, analysis, research, planning 5

2nd jhāna - testing in life 5

3rd jhāna - experience result of testing 5

4th jhāna - resting 5

4 without Form - taught as Enlightenment by Buddha's former teachers

conceiving limitless space 4 omni-present

conceiving limitless consciousness 4 omni-scient

conceiving nothingness 4 omni-potent

neither conception nor non-conception 4

1 coma-like

ending of idea and sensation 2

Nine Meditative States

Time for Practice

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When you hear the bell, note wandering mind,

smile and come back.

Your kind attention is much appreciated.

Action is the refuge.Kamma-paṭisaraṇo.

A copy of this presentation may be obtained from:https://mcu.academia.edu/BhikkhuDhammadasa

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Mindfulness of Breathing

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