Anapanassati

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Ānāpānassati

— Awareness of the Breath —
[ānāpāna+sati]

The practice of ānāpānassati is highly recommended by the Buddha for all kinds of wholesome purposes. At AN 6.115 it is prescribed as a remedy to 'cetasa vikkhepa' (mental confusion/disorder). At SN 54.8, it is prescribed for various purposes, among which mastering the 8 jhānas and attaining saññā-vedayita-nirodhaṃ (cessation of saññā and vedanā, taken as meaning Nirodha-samāpatti, a form of Nibbāna). At SN 54.13, it is stated that ānāpānassati brings the four satipaṭṭhānas to their completion (paripūreti) and that Kāyānupassanā is practiced through the stages 2 and 3, Vedanānupassanā through stage 4, Cittānupassanā through stage 5 and Dhammānupassanā through stage 6.

Note: info·bubbles on all words

(1)

Bhikkhu arañña·gato vā rukkha·mūla·gato vā suññ·āgāra·gato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā.

A bhikkhu, having gone to the forest or having gone at the root of a tree or having gone to an empty room, sits down folding the legs crosswise, setting kāya upright, and setting sati parimukhaṃ.

Bhikkhu arañña·gato vā	A bhikkhu, having gone to the forest
rukkha·mūla·gato vā	or having gone at the root of a tree
suññ·āgāra·gato vā	or having gone to an empty room,
nisīdati pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā	sits down folding the legs crosswise,
ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya	setting kāya upright,
parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā.	and setting sati parimukhaṃ.

(2)

So sato·va assasati, sato·va passasati. Dīghaṃ vā assasanto 'dīghaṃ assasāmī' ti pajānāti. Dīghaṃ vā passasanto 'dīghaṃ passasāmī' ti pajānāti. Rassaṃ vā assasanto 'rassaṃ assasāmī' ti pajānāti. Rassaṃ vā passasanto 'rassaṃ passasāmī' ti pajānāti.

Thus sato he breathes in, thus sato he breathes out. Breathing in long he understands: 'I am breathing in long'. Breathing out long he understands: 'I am breathing out long'. Breathing in short he understands: 'I am breathing in short'. Breathing out short he understands: 'I am breathing out short'.

So sato·va assasati, sato·va passasati.	Thus sato he breathes in, thus sato he breathes out.
Dīghaṃ vā assasanto 'dīghaṃ assasāmī' ti pajānāti.	Breathing in long he understands: 'I am breathing in long'.
Dīghaṃ vā passasanto 'dīghaṃ passasāmī' ti pajānāti.	Breathing out long he understands: 'I am breathing out long'.
Rassaṃ vā assasanto 'rassaṃ assasāmī' ti pajānāti.	Breathing in short he understands: 'I am breathing in short'.
Rassaṃ vā passasanto 'rassaṃ passasāmī' ti pajānāti.	Breathing out short he understands: 'I am breathing out short'.

(3)

'Sabba·kāya·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Sabba·kāya·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Passambhayaṃ kāya·saṅkhāraṃ {1} assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Passambhayaṃ kāya·saṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.

He trains himself: 'feeling the whole kāya, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'feeling the whole kāya, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'calming down the kāya·saṅkhāras {1}, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'calming down the kāya·saṅkhāras, I will breathe out'.

'Sabba·kāya·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'feeling the whole kāya, I will breathe in'.
'Sabba·kāya·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'feeling the whole kāya, I will breathe out'.
'Passambhayaṃ kāya·saṅkhāraṃ {1} assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'calming down the kāya·saṅkhāras {1}, I will breathe in'.
'Passambhayaṃ kāya·saṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'calming down the kāya·saṅkhāras, I will breathe out'.

(4)

'Pīti·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Pīti·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Sukha·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Sukha·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Citta·saṅkhāra·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Citta·saṅkhāra·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Passambhayaṃ citta·saṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Passambhayaṃ citta·saṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.

He trains himself: 'experiencing pīti, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'experiencing pīti, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'experiencing sukha, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'experiencing sukha, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'perceiving citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'perceiving citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'calming down citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'calming down citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe out'.

'Pīti·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'experiencing pīti, I will breathe in'.
'Pīti·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'experiencing pīti, I will breathe out'.
'Sukha·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'experiencing sukha, I will breathe in'.
'Sukha·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'experiencing sukha, I will breathe out'.
'Citta·saṅkhāra·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'perceiving citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe in'.
'Citta·saṅkhāra·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'perceiving citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe out'.
'Passambhayaṃ citta·saṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'calming down citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe in'.
'Passambhayaṃ citta·saṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'calming down citta·saṅkhāras, I will breathe out'.

(5)

'Citta·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Citta·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Samādahaṃ cittaṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Samādahaṃ cittaṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Vimocayaṃ cittaṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Vimocayaṃ cittaṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.

He trains himself: 'perceiving citta, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'perceiving citta, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'gladdening citta, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'gladdening citta, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'concentrating citta, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'concentrating citta, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'releasing citta, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'releasing citta, I will breathe out'.

'Citta·paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'perceiving citta, I will breathe in'.
'Citta·paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'perceiving citta, I will breathe out'.
'Abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'gladdening citta, I will breathe in'.
'Abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'gladdening citta, I will breathe out'.
'Samādahaṃ cittaṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'concentrating citta, I will breathe in'.
'Samādahaṃ cittaṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'concentrating citta, I will breathe out'.
'Vimocayaṃ cittaṃ assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'releasing citta, I will breathe in'.
'Vimocayaṃ cittaṃ passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'releasing citta, I will breathe out'.

(6)

'Anicc·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Anicc·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Virāg·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Virāg·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Nirodh·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Nirodh·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Paṭinissagg·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati. 'Paṭinissagg·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.

He trains himself: 'contemplating aniccā, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'contemplating aniccā, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'contemplating virāga, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'contemplating virāga, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'contemplating nirodha, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'contemplating nirodha, I will breathe out'. He trains himself: 'contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe in'. He trains himself: 'contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe out'.

'Anicc·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating aniccā, I will breathe in'.
'Anicc·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating aniccā, I will breathe out'.
'Virāg·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating virāga, I will breathe in'.
'Virāg·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating virāga, I will breathe out'.
'Nirodh·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating nirodha, I will breathe in'.
'Nirodh·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating nirodha, I will breathe out'.
'Paṭinissagg·ānupassī assasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe in'.
'Paṭinissagg·ānupassī passasissāmī' ti sikkhati.	He trains himself: 'contemplating relinquishment, I will breathe out'.

Note

1. kāya-saṅkhāra: is generally interpreted as all the metabolic activity in the body, for example the breath.