ANAPANASATI BHAVANA
Forgetting the Ox
CULTIVATION OF MINDFULNESS USING
THE IN-BREATH AND OUT-BREATH
This method of meditation was used by the Buddha to achieve his enlightenment. Of the forty traditional meditation subjects used in Theravadin Buddhist practice, it is the only one that can be used to cultivate both tranquility and insight. Tranquility (samatha) practices lead to refined states of serenity known as jhana or absorption that occurs when the negative energies of the mind subside. This was the practice the Buddha recommended for “happy living in the world.” Insight or vipassana practice develops understanding about the nature of the mind and the relationships that exist between its various functions as well as the nature of our interaction with the physical world and its characteristics. A Tibetan saying goes, ‘’Insight meditation is for attaining wisdom and tranquility meditation is for having the peace of mind to use it.” Insight meditation is viewed as the special contribution of the Buddha to the world’s collection of spiritual practices.
Anapanasati bhavana is suitable for most people and is especially recommended for imaginative types or those who are particularly disturbed by the emotions related to sensory perception. Although one of the simplest types of meditation, it comprises a complete path to enlightenment and the extinction of the causative mental factors which perpetuate self-created suffering. In the Patisambhida-magga sutta we read, “To him who practices anapanasati samadhi, which consists of sixteen bases or divisions, there arise two hundred kinds of wisdom and more.” Meditation is an act of directed attention. In the practice of breathing attention is directed to the sensation of breathing. This is the first step of practice. The purpose is to develop mindfulness. Mindfulness or sati, is the quality of attention we need in order to develop a high degree of concentration. Concentration in turn leads to bliss as a result of the subsidence of negative influences of mind.
The practice of mindfulness of breathing is divided into four sections with four stages in each section making a total of sixteen stages. For the purpose of cultivating tranquility states only the first four stages need to be developed. Generally, we begin by first using the breath in the state it happens to be in when we begin our meditation session. As we become more concentrated we can begin to lengthen the breath. There is a counting method that can be used for this purpose. This is described in the section on counting. Study the qualities of the breath, its length, texture and influence on the body and mind. Is it light or course, natural or forced, deep or shallow? How does the body move or respond to the breath? The breath is like a secret key for dealing with emotions. Emotions all have a characteristic breath and can be regulated to some degree by deliberate manipulation of the breath. This knowledge is of great value for dealing with difficult emotional states. Breath can also induce altered states and this knowledge can be useful for a variety of healing applications.
KAYANUPASSANA – MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND BREATH BODIES
Practice begins with mindfulness of the body. For the attainment of the tranquility absorptions this stage remains the principle practice. After attainment of the fourth absorption, development of insight should begin. The aim of this stage is to know the different breaths, their type and effect on the body and mind. Begin using the natural breath. This is the breath in whatever condition it happens to be in when we begin our session. The body, breath and mind are all referred to as bodies (kaya).
BREATHING IN AND OUT – THE LONG BREATH
Use the counting method to lengthen the breath. Study the qualities of the long breath. What type of calm and happiness does it bring? Is it pleasant, strained or natural? Find its qualities, properties, influence and flavor. Investigate how it affects the body, mind and feelings. What parts of the body move in conjunction with the breath?
BREATHING IN AND OUT – THE SHORT BREATH
This is the same as the long breath practice. The short breath leads to agitation where the long breath will calm the body and mind. See this with your own experience.
THOROUGHLY EXPERIENCING ALL BODIES
Understand more clearly the three bodies: the physical body, breath and mind, and the manner in which they interact. Each kaya is a conditioner for the other two. They are constantly interacting with one another. A sudden sharp pain in the leg will condition the operation of the mind creating thoughts and emotions, and the breath, possibly initiating a quick gasp of air and a different quality to breathing. The kayas are the cause that is the conditioner, the result of the action of conditioning, and the process or activity of conditioning. Contemplate the physical body as the thing conditioned by the breath, the breath as conditioner and the activity of conditioning which always exists between them.
CALMING THE BODY-CONDITIONER (BREATH)
There are five methods for calming the breath. Following the breath from the nose or mouth to the chest and then to the abdomen is sometimes called three-point practice. Guarding the breath at just the tip of the nose or feeling the rise and fall of the abdomen means fixing attention to one specific spot and holding it there. This is like a guard checking people as they walk through a gate. See them at the gate but do not follow them. Feel the breath at the tip of the nose and forget where it comes from or where it goes. Using an imaginary image, a nimitta, at the guarding point (nose or abdomen) and manipulating these images to learn to control them are two more methods. Selecting one of the images and contemplating it until you reach one-pointedness of mind is the fifth technique.
VEDANANUPASSANA – THE FEELING TONE
THOROUGHLY EXPERIENCING JOY
(EXCITED RAPTURE OR HAPPINESS)
When the body-conditioner (the breath) is calmed, joy and contentment arise. If the body-conditioner is calmed to absorption, joy and contentment will be full and complete. Joy arises as a result of attaining a particular type of concentration in previous stages of practice. This type of concentration is known as samadhi. Observe that joy is not peaceful and has different levels of feeling, contentment, satisfaction and rapture. There is an excitement or disturbance to the feeling of joy. Study the flavor of joy. How does it make you feel? Is it coarse, heavy or fine? Know it completely. Most important is to know the power of joy upon the mind. Joy causes the mind to tremble.
THOROUGHLY EXPERIENCING CONTENTMENT (HAPPINESS)
Focus on contentment as a result arising out of joy. When joy loses the power to influence the mind it calms down and becomes contentment. Contentment does not stimulate or excite the mind or body; it calms and soothes. Note the effects on the breath, body and mind. With joy the breath is course, the body agitated and the mind is excited. With contentment the breath is fine and the body and mind are calm. Joy may interfere with contentment and is initially more powerful.
THOROUGHLY EXPERIENCING THE MIND-CONDITIONER (BREATH)
Understand that feelings condition the mind. If joy is strong one may feel the need to dance or shout. Learn the differences between joy and contentment. Subtle thought is impossible with joy. It is important to be able to control joy so contentment can arise. The two are dependent on each other. Joy opposes insight, contentment gives rise to it. They go together even though they oppose each other.
CALMING THE MIND-CONDITIONER
There are two ways to calm feeling. These are through concentration and wisdom or clear comprehension. By concentration is meant the third or fourth absorption.
CITTANUPASSANA – MIND
At this stage the practitioner clearly perceives and understands any state of mind that arises. Knowing it to be greedy or not, deluded or not, angry, distracted, developed or not, concentrated or not, and liberated or not. The four tasks to complete are:
THOROUGHLY EXPERIENCING MIND
Experience the mind in all its variety with complete clarity.
Practice making the mind happy and cheerful through concentration and insight. Through concentration, the two jhanas where happiness is present are cultivated. Insight knows the gladness of jhana to be impermanent and makes the happiness found in the absorption the object of meditation.
CONCENTRATING MIND
This means putting the mind on its object (of concentration) by means of the first jhana, etc. Having emerged from the jhana, comprehend with insight the consciousness associated with the jhana as being impermanent, empty, and non-satisfactory.
LIBERATING MIND
This means liberating the mind from the hindrances with the first jhana, from applied and sustained thought with the second, from happiness with the third, and from pleasure and pain with the fourth jhana.
DHAMMANUPASSANA – MIND-OBJECTS
Here the practitioner knows if any of the five hindrances are present and how they arise, are overcome, and how they can be prevented from arising in the future. This practice leads to insight knowledge.
CONTEMPLATING IMPERMANENCE
This is contemplation of materiality and the impermanence (rise, fall, and change) of the five aggregates.
CONTEMPLATING FADING AWAY
There are two kinds of fading away: fading away as destruction and absolute fading away. Fading away as destruction is the momentary dissolution of formations whereas absolute fading away is nibbana.
Contemplate the ending of things as in the contemplation of fading away.
CONTEMPLATING TOSSING BACK
There are two kinds of tossing back or relinquishment: giving up and entering into. Through the substitution of opposite qualities, insight gives up the defilements (and the karma they produce); by seeing the “wretchedness” of what is formed, mind enters into nibbana by being inclined towards it.
THE NATURAL BREATH
There are types of meditation which involve the manipulation of the breath in various ways. These may be to affect the internal organs, to observe the breath in a particular condition or to develop a certain type of energy such as the Chinese concept of chi or Indian prana. While all these types of practice may be beneficial, they need not be used in meditation on the breath for the purpose of developing insight into the fundamental characteristics of being: impermanence, dissatisfaction and the empty nature of self and other phenomena. Rather than engage in manipulation of the breath to achieve certain ends, the breath is viewed in a non-judgmental way, as it is, in whatever condition that is present.
Mindfulness of the breath can be used for both tranquility meditation and insight meditation. The difference is in the degree and manner of concentration. To enter into the absorptions, it is necessary to hold the mind to a single object to the exclusion of all else, becoming absorbed in the fixed awareness of the object (in this case the breath). This may take a great deal of practice. For the development of insight, a lighter, more fluid type of concentration is used. It not only perceives the breath but also takes note of other physical and mental events as they occur in the moment. Insight practice is a moment to moment awareness of the dynamic rise and fall of mental-physical phenomena leading to intuitive insight into the nature of impermanence, dissatisfaction, and the empty nature of self and phenomena.
Use the breath in its natural condition; in whatever state it happens to be in when beginning meditation. There is no need to control it in any way. Examine closely the way the body feels in conjunction with the breath. If your practice includes pranayama (yogic breathing) or breathing methods for chi kung (tai chi, kung-fu, etc.), do them separately from this practice unless they have become habitual and need not distract the mind from its object (the breath itself) or interfere as desire to attain a particular ability.
Follow the breath as it strikes the nostrils or upper lip, then as it enters the chest and moves down to the abdomen. Follow the breath completely feeling it strike the upper lip, feel the chest begin to tighten and then feel the lower abdomen as it expands. There will be a short pause at this point that may or may not be noticed but it will become clear as practice progresses. The process is then reversed so the abdomen is felt to fall, the chest loosens up and there is the pressure of the breath against the upper lip. This is ca