From a breath to the Nibbāna

[praneeth.pj]

You may remember that you learnt about Satipatthāna previously. You learned that consciousness can only be developed into Sammā Sati by cultivating Satipatthāna with Sammā Ditthi. We also learned that the realization of the Four Noble Truths is the Sammā Ditthi. This implies that the Satipatthāna has to be cultivated with an aim of realizing life.


Value of consciousness…






The Supreme Buddha is the most compassionate being in the entire world. When He was describing the Satipatthāna Dhamma sermon, He clearly showed that the Satipatthāna Dhamma results in cleansing minds of living beings/human-deities, in freeing from crying and mourning, in excluding oneself from physical and mental sufferings, in realizing life, and in attaining Nibbāna.
Since the Supreme Buddha stated the results of practicing the Satipatthāna at the very beginning of the sermon, we should not have any doubts about the Satipatthāna or its outcomes. It is perfectly clear that we will be able to gain tremendous amount of benefit if we are to cultivate this Dhamma and cultivate our minds. Kāyānupassanā (being mindful about the true nature of the body) is the first type of Satipatthāna meditation we can practice.


A breath…

The breathing meditation (Aanāpānasati) is the first type of meditation that is categorized under the Kāyānupassanā meditation. It (Aanāpānasati) means being mindful about the inhalation (breathing in) and exhalation (breathing out). You know that you inhale and exhale since the day you were born. Even though breathing is something that you do since your birthday, you may not aware of the fact that you could cleanse your mind by developing your consciousness based on that breath.
But about 2600 years ago, the Supreme Buddha disclosed that special method of cleansing your mind through focusing on the breath to the world . Billions of wise people took advantage of that Dhamma. They could pluck the fruit of that tree of Dhamma. Therefore, the Dhamma preached by the Supreme Buddha is not a futile doctrine that could not be practiced or used to attain results. There were billions of people who acquired results by practicing this Dhamma.


The Order of the Buddha consists of Nibbāna…

The Order of the Buddha is not something departed from the Four Noble Truths. Therefore, we need to keep that information in our minds well. In this breathing meditation, the Buddha had preached that the meditator should first go to a secluded place such as a temple, under a tree, or a vacant place. This means that you need to be alone, and you could do it in your room too.
Let’s say that there are three people meditating in your room. When each of you sit at three different places and get ready for meditation with suitable posture and closed eyes, then you have become alone. You can have seclusion in that manner. You could also prepare a place in a compound of Bōdhi Tree suitable for your meditation. It is really helpful to have such a place free of any disturbance.


Pre-activities…

The Buddha next preached that the person would sit down in a posture with his legs bent on top of each other (cross-legged: nisiidati pallankan aabhujitwā). Then, he has to straighten his back (ujun kāyan panhidhāya) while sitting in that posture.
Most people find it difficult to bend their legs and sit down in a way we described above. It is a problem for most people in our country. For some, it is difficult to straighten their backs even if they sit with their legs bent. How can we solve this problem? Our aim is to develop our minds, concentration, and wisdom. So, what other alternatives we have to fix our problem of sitting-down posture to support that goal? Here, it will be especially beneficial to be mindful about the seat we are sitting while meditating.


Finding it difficult to sit down…?

So, the difficulty for you is that you can’t sit down with bent legs and straightened back. There is a small solution to this problem; you could make a small mattress made out of coir (not a rubber mattress; it is difficult to use rubber mattresses) with a height of 3 to 4 inches. You could also use a small bench of similar height.
You can sit on that and place your legs straight down on to the ground. In this way, you can straighten your back. But be mindful not to lean on the bench and instead practice to keep your back straightened while sitting. Some people can sit down on the ground, bend their legs and place them on top of each other, and have straightened backs. But, you shouldn’t be reluctant because of that. You could also get prepared to practice the meditation using a seat as mentioned above.


Start the meditation…

Next step is to meditate by focusing your mind (parimukhan satin upatthapetvā) to the object of the meditation. You now have an object for the meditation; it is the Aanāpānasati (being mindful about your breathing). Except on this Aanāpānasati, don’t try to focus on other objects. What exactly is this object of Aanāpānasati? The Supreme Buddha preached that he (meditator) would breathe in mindfully (sō satōva assasati) and breathe out mindfully (satōva passasati). This is what you should also do; inhale mindfully and exhale mindfully.
Keep in mind that you are focusing your mind on your breath. You breathe in and breathe out mindfully. As an initial step for that, you have sit and straightened your back/body.


Before starting the Aanāpānasati…

But, as an initiation step, contemplate the great qualities of the Supreme Buddha. Think about the Buddha’s great qualities in your own language for few minutes: why is it the Buddha is called ‘Arahan, Sammā Sambuddha, Vijjā Charanha Sampanna, Sugata, Lōkavidu, Anuttarō Purisadamma Sārathi, Satthā Dēvamanussānam, Buddha, and Bhagavā?’ Create a pleasant condition in your mind by thinking about the Buddha’s great qualities.
When you are contemplating the Buddha’s great qualities, your mind will become stable like in a way some dispersed water settles down. Mind will be eased. Happiness will be created. This state of mind will be a tremendous help for you to perform the Aanāpānasati meditation… What should be your next step? You would breathe in mindfully. You would breathe out mindfully. That’s all you have to do at the beginning of this Aanāpānasati meditation.
This is not a difficult process. See how easy approach it has. But after you started to focus your mind on the breathing, you will see how stubborn your daily consciousness is. You will realize that you cannot control it to your wish.


Common nature of the mind…

You will realize that your mind travels various places when you try to focus it to your breath. It follows various objects and thoughts. It runs to the past and creates the future. It accords with outside sounds. Then you will realize that you had a mind with such a consciousness. You would be able to achieve a clear picture about your consciousness.
Now that you find how stubborn your mind is, what would be the next step for you? You should have an effort to keep your mind focused on to your breath. In this effort, you should remember something that the Buddha preached; you need to first relinquish attachment and conflict.


Relinquishing attachment and conflict…

When an object that was subjected to an attachment comes to your mind, don’t welcome it. Also, don’t welcome the object that was subjected to a conflict. You need to relinquish both attachment and conflict. You must have three skills that you will be developing: you should develop the skill of relinquishing mental defects that built in your mind (Aātāpi); you should act mindfully (Sampajāna); you should be well focused and mindful (Satimā).
Thus, the Satipatthāna should be developed using these three skills: Aātāpi, Sampajānō, and Satimā; with an effort to suppress defilements, with a good wisdom, and mindfully.


Value of mindfulness…

You are no longer a person who tries to practice breathing meditation without a proper goal. You are practicing breathing meditation with an understanding. You know that you cannot practice the breathing meditation when your mind attaches to some sensual objects and accords with them. Also, you cannot practice breathing meditation when your mind is in conflict with something.
Therefore, a time in which your mind is free from both attachment and conflict is the moment that you could calm your mind. You create such a moment by the above mentioned silent background. After that, you could breathe in and breathe out mindfully. This is what we have as the first exercise in the Aanāpānasati meditation. You can now practice it well.
We will explain how to develop Aanāpānasati meditation more in the next session. What you need to do now is to cultivate breathing in and breathing out mindfully. But you need to keep your mind from being scattered out in finding other objects.
Remember that you need effort, wisdom, and mindfulness for that purpose. So, what is it that you need to do using effort, wisdom, and mindfulness? It is the breathing in and out mindfully. Moreover, you need to create an environment in which you would not become mentally sad, reluctant, or regretful. Don’t suffer from your mind. Don’t be sad if your mind doesn’t settle and get focused on your breath when you are trying to do it. What you need to do is, being mindful and keep focusing your mind on to your inhalation and exhalation; that is, on the Aanāpānasati. Then, you would be able to achieve a great human life by being mindful about your breath and developing your mind.


2.2 The way to cultivate the Kāyānupassanā in Aanāpānasati meditation


Moving forward in the Aanāpānasati meditation…

You are now being practicing the Aanāpānasati meditation step by step. We have taught you proper ways to sit, to straighten your back, and how to have mindfulness in the breath in practicing the Aanāpānasati meditation. Furthermore, we will teach you how to practice to keep your mindfulness in developing the Satara Satipatthāna with an effort of suppressing defilements and wisdom and without allowing attachment and conflict to overtake your mind.


Develop the Sammā Sati…

That’s when you will be able to develop the Sammā Sati within you. The Sammā Sati we taught you is what prepares you to the realization of life. If you are unable to develop Sammā Sati in you, then you will not be prepared for the realization of life. The Sammā Sati is also something very helpful for your life.


Recognize the Teacher…






There is another thing we need to remind you. There is a false view spread throughout the society today. It says that “you need to go to a special teacher and get a karmasthānayak (an objective) for your meditation by telling him about you; it is dangerous to meditate without such advice.” The Supreme Buddha hasn’t ever said something like this. The Supreme Buddha’s teachings do not tell us to keep a person as our teacher.
It is the Dhamma and discipline that the Buddha taught us must be kept as the teacher. When it was close to the Buddha’s passing away (Parinibbāna), the Buddha clearly mentioned to the Ananda Thero to consider the Dhamma He taught and the discipline He established as the teacher. Accordingly, we do not have any problem about a teacher. We clearly have the order of our teacher (Sāstru Shāsana).


Who is the real teacher?

The presence of a teacher is important whether or not he tells what the Buddha taught us. If he is telling the Buddha’s Dhamma, then the Buddha’s idea, standing, and aim will be emerged from what he’s saying. That’s because he is telling what the Buddha preached. Other than that, there is no Dhamma method described in the Order of the Buddha that says to gather a person secretly and privately, advise him secretly, and let him go secretly.


The exact point to be suspected…

If you see something like that, suspect it for sure. Because the Buddha has clearly showed us that “the Tathāgata Supreme Buddha’s Dhamma shines when it is disclosed and not when it is concealed (Tathāgatappavēditō Dhamma vinayō vivatō virōchati nō patichchannō),” no such thing should exist in the Order of the Buddha.


There is no secret-preaching in the Dhamma of Eehipassikō characteristic…

You could have another question: if we are to reveal our private thoughts and private development openly, isn’t that going to be an obstacle for others? If that is the case, the Supreme Buddha should have mentioned it first.
In the Dhamma, there are no incidents where the Buddha secretly advised a person for meditation and secretly sent him away. All the advices the Buddha preached are reported in the Dhamma, told to Ananda Thero, and all the Bhikkhus have heard about them. Therefore, there is no secret-teaching in the Buddha’s Dhamma. This quality of absence of any secret teachings in the Dhamma is known as the Eehipassikō (come and see). There are no secret advices in a teaching (Dhamma) that says ‘come and see.’ If secret advices for meditation are given at some place, you should indeed suspect it. There are no secrets in the Supreme Buddha’s Dhamma. It is open to talk about any Dhamma material in public. In fact, the Buddha’s Dhamma shines when it is disclosed. It does not shine when it is concealed. Thus, this path of Dhamma starts to shine when it is revealed. It will then become famous among others and will be practiced by people.


For the Order of the Buddha to be preserved for a long time…

One day, Ananda Thero asked the Buddha, ‘what are the factors that would help this Order of the Buddha to be preserved for a long time?’ Practicing the Satara Satipatthāna for a long time, talk about the Satara Satipatthāna, and following the Satara Satipatthāna are the factors that help preserving the Order of the Buddha for a long time. The Supreme Buddha preached that the Order of the Buddha will be vanished if these things are ignored to follow… We are in fact talking about the Satara Satipatthāna right now.


The first step of the Aanāpānasati…

We taught you to be mindful about the breathing in and breathing out. Next, your mindfulness will be focused in the breath gradually when you are practicing to see breathing in and breathing out mindfully. It means that you will be able to be mindful about your breathing in when you breathe in and about your breathing out when you breathe out. It is the first step of Aanāpānasati meditation.


Differences in your breath…

As the next step in Aanāpānasati meditation, you will be able to distinguish changes in your breath. Sometimes, you will feel a long inhaling, which means, you are having a stretched breathing in. Since you were mindful about your breath, you realize that you are taking a lengthy breath in. Next, there will be lengthy exhales. You will recognize those lengthy exhales since you are mindful of your breath. Suddenly, breath could be short. Since you are aware of your breath, you will realize that your inhale is short. When you are breathing out short exhales, you will realize them since you are mindful of your breathing outs.


Fable of wood plane…

Dear devotees, the Supreme Buddha showed us a beautiful fable here. There is a skilled wood planing carpenter. He takes the wood plane and planes lengthily. When he is planing the wood lengthily, he knows that he is planing lengthily. Sometimes, he takes the wood plane and makes short planings. Then, he will also know that he is planing in short turns. The Buddha preached that it is similar in the Aanāpānasati. When a long inhalation is made, it will be realized as a long inhalation like the way that wood planing person knows when a long planing is made. Also, like the way he knows when the wood plane is reversed to the other direction, a long exhalation is realized as a long exhalation. Like the way he knows when a short planing is made, short inhalation and exhalation will be realized as short inhalation and exhalation, respectively.

 

[praneeth.pj]

Your attempt depends on your wisdom

See how marvelous the above fable that the Buddha used to explain this matter to us. When you discern inhaling and exhaling in this manner properly, your mindfulness is established on the breath with respect to meditation. You will now be able to keep your mind focused on your breath without letting it scatter to outside objects. But, you could do it only based on your effort, your wisdom, and your mindfulness.
This implies that you will get declined to your former status if you lessen your effort. What you should do is keep your focus to your breath continuously. When you are retaining your mindfulness on to your inhale and exhale and when the long breathing in, long breathing out, short breathing in, and short breathing out are well realized, you will be able to focus your mind on to complete inhalation and also to realize it. That is, you will be able to completely know the inhalation when it is entering into the body and when it is ending entering into the body. You will also know completely that the exhalation is end when the exhalation is end.


Inhale-exhale is also a body…

Because every breath (sabbakāya patisanvēdi) or the inhale-exhale is correlated with body, it is described as a kind of body in the Dhamma. It is also called as Kāya Sankhāra.
When you start to establish your mindfulness only on to the inhale and exhale (passanbhayan kāya sankhāran) with a complete attention on breathing in and breathing out and by realizing the breathing in and breathing out, your mind starts to concentrate; then breathing in and breathing out start to become lightened (in weight). When breathing in and breathing out become lightened, you will keep your mind’s focus on the breathing in and breathing out by understanding it. That is, inhaled breath will become lightened when you are breathing in. You will breathe in by understanding it. When you are breathing out, you will breathe out by understanding it.
You would now capable of cultivating Aanāpānasati by understanding how to breathe in, breathe out, inhale deeply, exhale deeply, and how the complete breath become lightened.

2.3 The way to cultivate the Vēdanānupassanā and Chittānupassanā in Aanāpānasati meditation


Breathe in and breathe out by understanding it…

You have the opportunity to develop Aanāpānasati furthermore. You have learnt about it to the point where breathing in and breathing out are allayed. When breathing in and breathing out are being allayed, you will feel happiness bit by bit. What should you do when you feel happiness? Yes, don’t stare at the happiness fondly by stopping the meditation. If you do that, your concentration will get destroyed, and you will lose your chance to develop the meditation. What you should do is continuing breathing in and breathing out while understanding the happiness.




You are not changing the process of being mindful about your breathing in and breathing out. Let’s say a concentration (Samādhi) was developed while meditating. Most people think that development of a concentration happens automatically. It is a problem that they face. Concentration was formed because of appropriate causes. Concentration was developed because an effort was established and wisdom was developed for that. Concentration will disappear when you wake up from it. One who doesn’t have this knowledge thinks that the concentration has to be formed in him as soon as he starts Aanāpānasati like before. He further thinks about the concentration he had paying less attention to the Aanāpānasati. Because of this reason, concentration will not be formed since Aanāpānasati is not well practiced.


Don’t be sad because you lost your concentration (Samādhi)…

Consequently, the concentration will be lost, and he will be sad. “Oh! I could develop concentration very well in the past. I had a good concentration at that time. But, concentration is not developed in me anymore.” Then he becomes mentally unhappy about it. As soon as he generates sadness, he will have to face an obstacle. That is, his mind will start to scatter. A mind with such a scattered status would not be allayed. When the mind cannot be calmed, it will be unable to be mindful about the objective of the breathing meditation. When one is unable to focus his mind on the objective of breathing in and breathing out, he loses his mindfulness. When mindfulness is lost, the mind will not consent to the object of the meditation. When the mind is not focused well, concentration will fade away further. He will then be more distressed. Therefore, it (thinking about happiness and losing the focus on the Aanāpānasati) is not a correct of practicing the Aanāpānasati.


Concentration is an effect of some causes…

Most of the time with regards to meditation, it is important for you to remember that concentration (Samādhi) forms only as a result of some causes. When those causes are dissipated, Samādhi will disappear. If someone is capable of focusing his mind to breathing in and breathing out continuously, he will be able to preserve the Samādhi within him for a long time without any interruptions.
When he focuses his mind by performing Aanāpānasati meditation in this manner, he will start to feel happiness. That joy he feels is not something we feel generally in other joyful moments. We know that we enjoy our lives by listening to a song, participating in a trip, eating a tasty food, or watching something entertaining. Happiness one gets by these things is rough, but the happiness one feels due to Samādhi is different. It is a happiness that makes your mind quenched, calmed, and lightened. That person will breathe in and breathe out without getting attached to that happiness.


Now, understand that happiness too…

What would happen to him when he is maintaining a mind focused on his breath? He will feel pleasure after that form of happiness, which delighted the mind, is being suppressed. When that pleasure is present, he will feel pleasure both physically and mentally. Now you know that the breathing in and breathing out are felt lightly. But this doesn’t mean that breathing in and breathing out will be vanished suddenly. If he doesn’t feel breathing in and breathing out, he will be unable to focus on breathing in and breathing out continuously.


Continue in your focused…

We know that there are some devotees who would stop being mindful about breathing in and breathing out when they are cultivating the breathing meditation and developing the Samādhi gradually. Then, they just get use to gaze at the breathing in and breathing out. Because of the practiced Samādhi, there are some people whose breath would become light so that they would not even feel it. If breathing in and breathing out cannot be felt anymore, what is the meditation he could do? He will unable to think about what he should do. Therefore, the best thing to do is to contemplate in the following way: “breathing in and breathing out will never be unknown to me. It is possible to think about breathing in and breathing out even for several hours. Contemplation on breath has to be done thinking, breathing in… breathing out… breathing in… breathing out… etc.” That’s how breathing in and breathing out has to be developed. Some people lose the mindfulness about the inhaling and exhaling breath after doing Aanāpānasati meditation for sometime. Those devotees should make a determination at the beginning of the meditation: ‘I will continue to contemplate on the breathing in and breathing out. I will not let it to be slide away from my consciousness.’ Then you can continue to keep on breathe in and breathe out. If it slides away from your consciousness when you are breathing in and breathing out in such a manner continuously, you should think that ‘even though I don’t feel my breath, breathing in and breathing out are not ceased to exist; there exists breathing in; there exists breathing out; therefore, I will contemplate it mindfully.’ Then start to inquire breathing in and breathing out wisely. You will then realize that the breathing in and breathing out are still in you. Thus, what you need to do in Aanāpānasati meditation is to keep practicing to continue the breathing in and breathing out mindfully.


Realize the Chitta Sankhāra as well…

What would happen when you practice the breathing meditation continuously and gain pleasure? You will well realize the perception of pleasure within the breathing in and breathing out. You will perceive breathing in and breathing out well. Breathing in will be well realized as a breathing in. Breathing out will be well realized as a breathing out. You will continue to breathe in and breathe out by feeling and recognizing it. It is called the Chitta Sankhāra (feeling and recognition). The words ‘Chitta Sankhāra’ is used because it is related to mind.


Recognition and practicing…

When you are breathing in and breathing out with the knowledge of feeling and recognition, which are attached to the mind, what is being felt and recognized will also start to become lightened. But it is not to the feeling of becoming lightened that your mindfulness should be focused. By understanding this, breathing in and breathing out will be carried out continuously. The specialty of the Supreme Buddha’s preaching is that He preached as ‘Pajānāthi’ when He started to preach the Aanāpānasati. Pajānāthi means ‘to understand well.’ He used the word Pajānāthi also to long breaths. Then He used the word ‘Sikkhati’ instead of Pajānāthi. Sikkhati means ‘to practice.’ In order to practice, one needs to be skilful enough to keep his mindfulness to the breathing in and breathing out without getting lost in other things of the mind. The above mentioned practice is achieved by that skill. So, you must practice to breathe in and breathe out by completely knowing the breathing in and breathing out. You must practice to focus your mindfulness on the breathing in and breathing out by knowing the alleviation of breathing in and breathing out.


Chitta Sankhāra too gets allayed…

There will be happiness when all of those get completely allayed. One must practice to focus on breathing in and breathing out by understanding the happiness. Next, the tranquility (Passaddhi) of the body and mind will be occurred. That is when the pleasure will be formed. You need to practice to be mindful about the breathing in and breathing out while understanding the pleasure. Then you need to practice well to be mindful about the breathing in and breathing out, while understanding about the feeling and recognition of both breathing in and breathing out. Next, feeling and recognition within breathing in and breathing out will be allayed. You need to keep your focus on the breathing in and breathing out while understanding that (feeling and recognition) alleviation. You will next understand the mind well. You will practice to keep the mindfulness in breathing in and breathing out with allayed Kāya Sankhāra and Chitta Sankhāra.


Mind will reach the contemplated state (Dhyāna)…

Your mind will now become joyful. You need to keep your mindfulness focused to breathing in and breathing out also when your mind becomes joyful. Your mind will then become more agreeable. When it is becoming more and more agreeable also, you have to keep your mindfulness focused on to breathing in and breathing out. By that time, your mind will reach a contemplated (Dhyāna) state by suppressing all five hindrances (Pancha Nivaranha) in your mind. One can easily attain the first state of contemplation (Pathamajdhyāna) through Aanāpānasati. One who has become capable of cultivating first contemplated state for a long time can maintain only a concentration without a consideration (Manasikāra). You can then practice your mind in the second state of contemplation (Dutiyajdhyāna). One who cultivates mind in the second contemplated state for a long time can practice the third state of contemplation (Tatiyajdhyāna). One who cultivates mind in the third contemplated state for a long time can practice the fourth state of contemplation (Chatuthajdyāna).


Dhyāna for us in households too…?

Some can get startled when they just hear the word ‘Dhyāna’. They can get frightened thinking that ‘we are living household lives; how can we cultivate these Dhyānas?’ It happens not because there is a weakness in the Dhamma but because there are no people who talk about the real Dhamma around you, your confidence about the Dhamma has been abandoned, you don’t have faith towards the Dhamma, and you don’t know how to practically use the Dhamma in your lives. We also know that there are thousands of people who cultivate concentration and Dhyāna in this country. They do this in their daily household lives. It is something I practically know very well. Therefore, don’t create such doubts about it in your heart. What you must believe is the Buddha’s Dhamma. Therefore, when you are able to develop a concentration, you shall practice it frequently.
We are still teaching you how to develop the Samatha Bhāvana. If you develop meditation/mind in the way we described to this point, you will be able to develop the Samatha. But there are various methods to follow in this country when the concentration is not cultivated. Be careful not to get trapped in those ideas/methods. Some people may tell you that it is a simple thing for them and that they could put you into a concentration just within 10 minutes. Some would also say that if you can stay in concentration for 30 minutes, they would push you to first state of contemplation. They tell these things to see how bad you want it. But it just shows their state of lacking proper knowledge. In the concentration (Samādhi), the five hindrances need to be suppressed. Until these five hindrances are suppressed, concentration cannot be developed. Concentration will be formed when five hindrances are suppressed. Consequently, the mindfulness will be developed.

 

[praneeth.pj]

2.4 The way to cultivate the Dhammānupassanā in Aanāpānasati meditation


What is meant by the objective of meditation?

You have being learning the Sathipatthāna meditation step by step. To this point, you have learnt how to develop Aanāpānasati meditation completely up to concentration (Samādhi). You now know how to focus your mindfulness to your breathing in and breathing out objective in the Aanāpānasati meditation, by calmly sitting somewhere free of social contacts in a bent legs (one on top of the other) posture and with a straightened back. This breathing in and breathing out is the objective of meditation. The objective of meditation means ‘breathing in and breathing out’ on which the mindfulness is focused. You are now cultivating the mindfulness by focusing it on the breathing in and breathing out. That is why it is called the objective of meditation. Other than that, don’t expect another objective in breathing in and breathing out.


If you are willing to learn more…






You should practice meditation by keeping your mindfulness within the Aanāpānasati that is breathing in and breathing out. We now explained how the capability of developing the concentration by having your mindfulness in breathing in and breathing out can be achieved in that way. Other than the Satipatthāna Sutta, more details to learn Aanāpānasati are included in the Girimānanda Sutta in the 10th Nipāta of Anguttara Nikāya. One can learn about Anāpānasati completely using the Satipatthāna Sutta in 5th part of the Sanyukta Nikāya and as well as using the Anāpānasati Sanyukta in the Sanyukta Nikāya. Information one could find in these texts is not someone’s private ideas. It is the Supreme Buddha’s preaching.


There has to be a clear faith towards the Supreme Buddha…

Also, your complete faith has to be towards the Supreme Buddha in practicing these meditations. It is because the Buddha is the first to practice Aanāpānasati as a meditation and developed it to the state of Arahantship. It is after His attainment that He showed His disciples how to practice and develop this Dhamma. Therefore, the Supreme Buddha clearly showed us each and every way that would help a person to realize the Dhamma. Therefore, there is no way to find and follow other short methods that are being talked and spread by some people in the country by rejecting the Dhamma preached by the Buddha himself. That is because there is no one else in the world that has such a tremendous knowledge about this topic except the Supreme Buddha. There is no one else in the world that had complete realization about meditation, subject of meditation, and developing mind. If another person could be found with such knowledge, it will only be another Buddha.


No need of extra editing…

Therefore, we don’t need extra editing for this type of meditation. There’s no need for us to add extra things to modify the correct way of meditation that the Buddha showed us. If we add extra ways saying that the meditation can be done in these and these ways too, we are only showing the lack of our devotion to the Buddha and our absurd effort of trying to become better than the Buddha. If that is the case, someone would think that it is not suitable in following this Dhamma anymore; that is wrong. We are learning, practicing as disciples here. So, you remember that I taught you two types of meditations according to the Satipatthāna Sutta shown by the Supreme Buddha. Those are the Samatha and Vipassanā meditations. We have learnt about the Samatha meditation to this point. The Supreme Buddha preached further to comprehend the Samatha meditation in a deeper manner in the following way.


It is the same way in others…

(Iti ajjattan vā kāyē kāyānupassii viharati) Now, he (meditator) is mindful about his breathing in and breathing out. He understands his breathing in and breathing out process and the way to be mindful about it properly. (Bahiddhā vā kāyē kāyānupassii viharati) In a similar way you focused your mindfulness on yourself, you focus your mindfulness on to others by understanding the fact that others also have a similar nature in the breathing in and breathing out process. It means that the nature of any human who breathes in and breathes out and lives at any place, a country is similar to yours. You understand well that the nature of breathing in and breathing out within you and within others is the same.


Realization of formation and termination…

The Supreme Buddha next taught, “Samudaya dhammānupassii vā kāyasmin viharati.” This is where the meditation is transformed into Vidarshanā. See that the Buddha preached us as to explain both Samatha and Vidarshanā when describing one matter in the Satipatthāna. So, the Buddha preached: Being mindful about the breathing in and breathing out is the Kāyānupassanā, and that person lives while understanding how breathing in and breathing out are formed (Samudaya dhammānupassii vā) when it is being practiced. What is the meaning of living by understanding the formation of breathing in and breathing out? The Buddha preached that this body forms due to foods. So, this body needs some kind of feeding process. (As a matter of fact, the entire Samsara has a feeding process. If this feeding process is terminated, one will free from the Samsara.) Here, it talks about the body. Body is formed due to foods. Therefore, breathing in and breathing out are formed due to foods. Breathing in and breathing out are not eternal. Breathing in and breathing out are formed due to causes. That is what it means by ‘Samudaya dhammānupassii vā (something that has the characteristics of formation due to causes).’ (Vaya dhammānupassii vā kāyasmin viharati) The characteristic of that breathing in and breathing out is their nature of getting terminated. Thus, there is a birth (formation) in the breathing in and breathing out and as well as an ending (termination). (Samudaya vaya dhammānupassii vā kāyasmin viharati) He lives in the Kāyānupassanā meditation by understanding both birth and end of breathing in and breathing out well. By this time, it is the Vidarshanā that’s being described here. In order for one to practice Vidarshanā in this manner, one needs to have practiced Vidarshanā well. Vidarshanā means one’s ability to contemplate impermanent things as impermanent, things that are subjected to bring suffering as suffering, and soulless things as soulless.


How does one get wisdom?

Now you know that it is the wisdom (Paññā) that is nurtured by the Vidarshanā. Wisdom develops one’s ability to realize something. Vidarshanā is not something that is formed automatically. The Supreme Buddha explained how the wisdom forms. The Buddha was asked that ‘how does the wisdom form (Kathansu labhatē Paññā)?’ The Buddha preached that one who listens to the Dhamma well and contemplates it in wisdom with effort (Sussuta labhatē paññā appamattā vipassanā) by believing in that Arahants’ Dhamma (Saddhānan arahatō Nibbānapattiyā) will realize it (achieve Paññā). It is clear that Arahants’ Dhamma is necessary for developing wisdom. It is in fact the Buddha’s Dhamma. If there are things that are formed automatically, then we should have seen things automatically formed. Someone could tell you that “No… No… There’s nothing like that. Wisdom will automatically form at once when you are continuing to meditate.” If wisdom is formed in you when you are keep on meditating, there is no need for a Buddha to preach the Dhamma to another person. The Supreme Buddha said to Arahants that two monks should not go along in one road. He said it to the Arahants to point out clearly to reveal this Dhamma to anyone who meets them in their way. (Assavantō Dhamman parihāyanti) If the Dhamma is not heard, they will decline. (Bhavissanti Dhammassa aññātārō) There will be people who would realize the Dhamma if it is preached (for them). This clearly shows us that this Dhamma can be realized.


Vidarshanā has to be understood properly…

Therefore, you need to understand what is taught here well; to develop the wisdom. Vidarshanā means that when impermanence is contemplated as impermanent, you would realize the suffering. So, suffering is realized by a person who realizes the impermanence and not by someone else. Just keep on saying about the impermanence doesn’t result in realizing it. One needs to contemplate impermanence with a focused mindfulness about it. That is how you could focus your mindfulness on impermanence of impermanent things. The Buddha said that one who has practiced himself well to contemplate impermanence within the Aanāpānasati will not attach to anything in the world (Na cha kinchi lōke upādiyati). That means, he will not attach to a view of ‘me, mine, and my soul’ based on breathing in and breathing out. He will not attach to such an idea. He will stay in a free mind. That is how he will not attach to anything in the world (Na cha kinchi lōke upādiyati). Therefore, it will help him to develop his wisdom and mindfulness furthermore. Likewise, if a person acts upon the Buddha’s preaching in the Aanāpānasati, he will be able to attain the complete realization of life.


Keep a clear aim…

Dear devotees, there are no childish intentions such as talking about improving our health or memory in the Dhamma that the Buddha taught. Advices about doing meditations to improve your health and to improve your memory came to us from western countries because there is no incident of the presence of an Arahant in their entire history. Even the Buddhas do not come to existence in western countries; it is entirely a revolution occurred in the eastern countries. It is the philosophical revolution of the human beings. Therefore, you need to recognize the aim of the Supreme Buddha with regard to His Dhamma. That is why I told you that you need to first come to the idea of realizing life when you are listening to the Dhamma, practicing meditation. That is when an honest effort, an honest need that agreeable to your conscience, and an honest understanding about life will be formed in you.
So, the way to acquire a concentration based on Aanāpānasati meditation and develop wisdom based on Aanāpānasati meditation is described slightly up to this point. You need to understand that there is a contemplation of impermanence in the case of developing wisdom. Impermanence can be seen in breathing in and breathing out. Also, objects are impermanent; feeling is impermanent; cognition is impermanent. Sanskāra is formed by forming an intention in breathing in and breathing out; this is also impermanent. You recognize this breathing in and breathing out by Viññānaya; this is also impermanent. When you think about impermanence, everything about impermanence is there. So, when you contemplate impermanence again and again in this manner, you will gain the ability to see impermanent things as impermanence.


Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero