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  • The Buddha

Mindfulness of Breathing

There is the case where a bhikkhu, having gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down folding his legs crosswise, holds his body erect, and sets mindfulness to the fore. Mindful, he breathes in; mindful, he breathes out.


One: Body Formations

Breathing in long, one directly knows: ‘breathing in long’; or breathing out long, one directly knows: ‘breathing out long.’


Breathing in short, one directly knows: ‘breathing in short’; or breathing out short, one directly knows: ‘breathing out short.’


One trains: ‘breathe in fully and completely sensitive to the entire body’; one trains: ‘breathe out fully and completely sensitive to the entire body.’


One trains: ‘breathe in calming bodily formation’; one trains: ‘breathe out calming bodily formation.’


Two: Mental Formations

One trains: ‘breathe in fully and completely sensitive to rapture’; one trains: ‘breathe out fully and completely sensitive to rapture.’


One trains: ‘breathe in fully and completely sensitive to ease’; one trains: ‘breathe out fully and completely sensitive to ease.’


One trains: ‘breathe in fully and completely sensitive to mental formation’; one trains: ‘breathe out fully and completely sensitive to mental formation.’


One trains: ‘breathe in calming mental formation’; one trains: ‘breathe out calming mental formation.’


Three: Mind/Heart

One trains: ‘breathe in fully and completely sensitive to mind/heart’; one trains: ‘breathe out fully and completely sensitive to mind/heart.’


One trains ‘breathe in deeply gladdening mind/heart’; one trains: ‘breathe out deeply gladdening mind/heart.’


One trains: ‘breathe in steadying mind/heart’; one trains: ‘breathe out steadying mind/heart.’


One trains: ‘breathe in releasing mind/heart’; one trains: ‘breathe out releasing mind/heart.’


Four: Insight

One trains: ‘breathe in witnessing changeability’; one trains: ‘breathe out witnessing changeability.’


One trains: ‘breathe in witnessing dispassion’; one trains: ‘breathe out witnessing dispassion.’


One trains: ‘breathe in witnessing cessation’; one trains: ‘breathe out witnessing cessation.’


One trains: ‘breathe in witnessing relinquishment’; one trains: ‘breathe out witnessing relinquishment.’


This is how mindfulness of in- and out-breathing is developed and made much of so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit.


Translation from Breathing Like a Buddha by Ajahn Sucitto (numbered categories added by Paul)


Mindfulness of Breathing

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