Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing

I

I heard these words of the Buddha one time when he was staying in ­Savatthi in the Eastern Park, with many well-known and accomplished disciples, including Sāriputta, Mahāmoggallāna, Mahākassapa, Mahākaccāyana, Mahākotthita, Mahākapphina, Mahācunda, Anuruddhā, Revata, and Ānanda. The senior bhikkhus in the community were diligently instructing bhikkhus who were new to the practice—some instructing ten bhikkhus, some twenty, some thirty, and some forty; and in this way the bhikkhus who were new to the practice gradually made great progress.

That night the moon was full, and the Pavarana Ceremony was held to mark the end of the rainy-season retreat. Lord Buddha, the Awakened One, was sitting in the open air, and his disciples were gathered around him. After looking over the assembly, he began to speak:

“O bhikkhus, our community is pure and good. At its heart, it is without useless and boastful talk, and therefore it deserves to receive offerings and be considered a field of merit and worthy of respect.

“O bhikkhus, there are bhikkhus in this assembly who have realized the fruit of arhatship, destroyed every root of affliction, laid aside every burden, and attained right understanding and emancipation. There are also bhikkhus who have cut off the first five internal knots and realized the fruit of never returning to the cycle of birth and death. 

“There are those who have thrown off the first three internal knots and realized the fruit of returning once more. They have cut off the roots of greed, hatred, and ignorance, and will only need to return to the cycle of birth and death one more time. There are those who have thrown off the three internal knots and attained the fruit of stream-enterer, coursing steadily to the awakened state. There are those who practice the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. There are those who practice the Four Right Efforts, and those who practice the Four Bases of Success. There are those who practice the Five Faculties, those who practice the Five Powers, those who practice the Seven Factors of Awakening, and those who practice the Noble Eightfold Path. There are those who practice loving kindness, those who practice compassion, those who practice joy, and those who practice equanimity. There are those who practice the Nine Contemplations, and those who practice the observation of impermanence. There are also bhikkhus who practice Full Awareness of Breathing.”

II

“O bhikkhus, Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously, will be rewarding and bring great advantages. It will lead to success in practicing the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. If the Four Establishments of Mindfulness are developed and practiced continuously, it will lead to success in the practice of the Seven Factors of Awaking. The Seven Factors of Awakening, if developed and practiced continuously, will give rise to understanding and liberation of the mind.

“What is the way to develop and practice continuously Full Awareness of Breathing so that the practice will be rewarding and offer great benefit?

“It is like this, bhikkhus: the practitioner goes into the forest or to the foot of a tree, or to any deserted place, sits stably in the lotus position, holding their body quite straight, and practices like this:

‘Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.’

‘Breathing in a long or short breath, I know I am breathing in a long or short breath. Breathing out a long or short breath, I know I am breathing out a long or short breath. They practice like this. 

‘Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I calm my whole body. Breathing out, I calm my whole body.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I feel joyful. Breathing out, I feel joyful.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I feel happy. Breathing out, I feel happy.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I am aware of the mental formation. Breathing out, I am aware of the mental formation.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I calm the mental formation. Breathing out, I calm the mental formation.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I am aware of my mind. Breathing out, I am aware of my mind.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I make my mind happy. Breathing out, I make my mind happy.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I concentrate my mind. Breathing out, I concentrate my mind.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I liberate my mind. Breathing out, I liberate my mind.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I observe the impermanent nature of all dharmas. Breathing out, I observe the impermanent nature of all dharmas.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I observe that no phenomenon is worthy of craving and attachment. Breathing out, I observe that no phenomenon is worthy of craving and attachment.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I observe the no-birth, no-death nature of all phenomena. Breathing out, I observe the no-birth, no-death nature of all phenomena.’ They practice like this.

‘Breathing in, I observe letting go. Breathing out, I observe letting go.’ They practice like this.

“Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously according to these instructions, will be rewarding and of great benefit.”

III

“In what way does one develop and continuously practice Full Awareness of Breathing, in order to succeed in the practice of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness?

“When the practitioner breathes in or out a long or a short breath, aware of their breath or whole body, or aware that they are making their whole body calm and at peace, they abide peacefully in the observation of the body in the body, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding their state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with full awareness belong to the First Establishment of Mindfulness, the body.

“When the practitioner breathes in or out, aware of joy or happiness, of the mental formations, or to make the mental formations peaceful, they abide peacefully in the observation of the feelings in the feelings, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding their state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the Second Establishment of Mindfulness, the feelings.

“When the practitioner breathes in or out with the awareness of the mind, or to make the mind happy, to collect the mind in concentration, or to free and liberate the mind, they abide peacefully in the observation of the mind in the mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding their state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the Third Establishment of Mindfulness, the mind. Without Full Awareness of Breathing, there can be no development of mindfulness and understanding.

“When the practitioner breathes in or breathes out and contemplates impermanence or that no phenomenon is worthy of craving and attachment, or the no-birth, no-death nature of all phenomena, or letting go, they abide peacefully in the observations of the objects of mind in the objects of mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding their state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the Fourth Establishment of Mindfulness, the objects of mind.

“The practice of Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously, will lead to perfect accomplishment of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.”

iv

“Moreover, if they are developed and continuously practiced, the Four Establishments of Mindfulness will lead to perfect accomplishment of the Seven Factors of Awakening. How is this so?

“When the practitioner abides in the practice of observing the body in the body, the feelings in the feelings, the mind in the mind, and the objects of mind in the objects of mind, diligent, fully awake, clearly understanding their state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life, at that point mindfulness is maintained in a sustained and steadfast way, and they will attain the First Factor of Awakening, namely mindfulness. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“When the practitioner abides in mindfulness and can contemplate and investigate objects of mind, then the Second Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of investigating objects of mind. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“When the practitioner abides in the contemplation and investigation of objects of mind in a sustained, diligent, and steadfast way, the Third Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of energy. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“When the practitioner abides in the practice of diligence in a sustained and steadfast way, the Fourth Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of spiritual joy. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“When the practitioner can abide in the state of spiritual joy, they will feel their body and mind light and at peace. At this point the Fifth Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of ease. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“When both body and mind are at ease, the practitioner can easily enter into concentration. At this point the Sixth Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of concentration. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“When the practitioner is abiding in concentration they will cease discriminating and comparing. At this point the Seventh Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of equanimity. With cultivation this factor will in time come to fulfilment.

“This is how the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, if developed and practiced continuously, will lead to perfect accomplishment of the Seven Factors of Awakening.”

V

“How will the Seven Factors of Awakening, if developed and practiced continuously, lead to the accomplishment of understanding and liberation?

“The practitioner cultivates the Seven Factors of Awakening, living in quiet seclusion, meditating diligently on the non-desirable and no-birth, no-death nature of all things in order to perfect the ability to let go. That is how the cultivation and development of the Seven Factors of Awakening will lead to the accomplishment of understanding and liberation.”

VI

This is what the Lord, the Awakened One, said; and everyone in the assembly felt delight at having heard his teachings.