Concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing is of Great Fruit and Benefit

Monks, concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation), when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and benefit.

And how, Monks, is concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) developed and cultivated so that it is of great fruit and benefit?

Here, Monks, a Monk, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, sits down. Having folded his legs crosswise, straightened his body, and set up mindfulness in front of him, just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.

Breathing in long, he knows: I breathe in long; or breathing out long, he knows: I breathe out long. Breathing in short, he knows: I breathe in short; or breathing out short, he knows: I breathe out short. ...

He trains thus: Experiencing the whole body…. (Repeat as at Chapter 1)

He trains thus: Reflecting on letting go, I will breathe in;

he trains thus: Reflecting on letting go, I will breathe out.

It is in this way, Monks, that concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) is developed and cultivated so that it is of great fruit and benefit.

Mind Liberated from the Taints

I too, Monks, before my Enlightenment, while I was still unawakened but intent on awakening, not yet fully Enlightened, generally dwelt in this dwelling. While I generally dwelt in this dwelling, neither my body nor my eyes became fatigued, and my mind, by not clinging, was liberated from the taints (fetters).

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May neither my body nor my eyes become fatigued, and may my mind, by not clinging, be liberated from the taints, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Abandoning the Memories and Intention

Connected with the Household Life

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May the memories and intentions connected with the household life be abandoned by me, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Avoiding Both the Unrepulsive and the Repulsive:

Residing Equanimous, Mindful, and Clearly Comprehending

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I reside perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

If a Monk aspires: May I reside perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

If a Monk aspires: May l reside perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and the repulsive, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

If a Monk aspires: May I reside perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and the unrepulsive, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

If a Monk aspires: Avoiding both the unrepulsive and the repulsive, may I reside equanimous, mindful, and clearly comprehending, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Residing in the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Jhāna

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I, distant from sense-desires, distant from unwholesome mental states, enters and resides in the first Jhāna, which is with thinking and pondering, based in seclusion, filled with excitement and joy, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I, with the subsiding of thinking and pondering, by gaining inner tranquility and oneness of mind, he enters and resides in the second Jhāna, which is without thinking and pondering, based in concentration, filled with excitement and joy, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I, with the fading away of excitement, remaining imperturbable (unable to be upset or excited; calm; serene), mindful and clearly aware, he experiences in himself the joy of which the Noble Ones say:

‘Peaceful is he who resides with equanimity and mindfulness’, he enters the third Jhāna, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May l, having given up pleasure and pain, and with the fading away of former gladness and sadness, he enters and resides in the fourth Jhāna, which is beyond pleasure and pain, and purified by equanimity and mindfulness, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Residing in the Formless Perceptions

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of the perceptions of sense-reactions, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enter and reside in the base of the ‘infinity of space’, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, enter and reside in the base of the ‘infinity of consciousness’, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May l, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing’, enter and reside in the ‘base of nothingness’, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May I, by completely transcending the base of nothingness, enter and reside in the base of neither perception-nor-nonperception, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

Residing in the Elimination of Perception and Feeling

Therefore, Monks, if a Monk aspires: May l, by completely transcending the base of neither perception-nor-nonperception, enter and reside in the elimination of perception and feeling, this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) should be closely attended to.

All That is Felt, Not Being Delighted in,

Will Become Cool Right Here

When, Monks, the concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) has been developed and cultivated in this way, if he feels a pleasant feeling, he understands: It is impermanent; he understands: It is not held to; he understands: It is not delighted in.

If he feels a painful feeling, he understands: It is impermanent; he understands: It is not held to; he understands: It is not delighted in.

If he feels a neither painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he understands: It is impermanent; he understands: It is not held to; he understands: It is not delighted in.

If he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it without holding onto it; if he feels a painful feeling, he feels it without holding onto it; if he feels a neither painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it without holding onto it.

When he feels a feeling terminating with the body, he understands: I feel a feeling terminating with the body. When he feels a feeling terminating with life, he understands: I feel a feeling terminating with life. He understands: With the breakup of the body following the exhaustion of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.

Just as, Monks, an oil lamp burns in dependence on the oil and the wick, and with the exhaustion of the oil and the wick it is extinguished through lack of fuel, so too, Monks, when a Monk feels a feeling terminating with the body, he understands: I feel a feeling terminating with the body. When he feels a feeling terminating with life, he understands: I feel a feeling terminating with life. He understands: With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.

(Reference: SN 54.8)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how Breathing Mindfulness Meditation “is of great fruit and benefit”. He is once again, emphasizing how important it is to practice Breathing Mindfulness Meditation while adding some important Teachings to explain certain benefits as a result of a well developed meditation practice.

First, The Buddha explains how to do Breathing Mindfulness Meditation to develop and cultivate concentration. The details of this Teaching are explained in Chapter 1 of this book and Chapter 11 of “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment”.

Second, in The Teaching titled “Mind Liberated from the Taints”, The Buddha explains how he practices Breathing Mindfulness Meditation and “neither my body nor my eyes became fatigued and my mind, by not clinging, was liberated from the taints (fetters)”.

Through learning and practicing Breathing Mindfulness Meditation along with all the other Teachings as a comprehensive approach to developing your life practice, a Practitioner will discover the mind moves closer and closer to residing in “the middle”. Not just during meditation but also in daily life. As the mind eliminates “the taints” (i.e. The Ten Fetters), the body and mind experience freedom from the defilements or pollution of mind that burdens it. With a purified mind, the body no longer experiences the heaviness of carrying the burden of craving/desire/attachment.

With pollution of mind, it is burdened and heavy experiencing fatigue and heaviness associated with the mind’s constant longing and yearning for the objects of its affection. The mind drags itself and the body through hours, days, weeks, months, and years of constantly wanting things beyond its reach. This taxes the mind and body causing fatigue to the body and the eyes. A mind that is not functioning optimally through being trained in these Teachings will experience constant struggles and difficulties having confusion of how to make wise decisions that would lead to wholesome outcomes. The constant struggles and difficulties is a heavy weight to carry through life causing fatigue, stress, anxiety, and countless other unwelcomed results.

But, for a mind that is well trained residing in the middle, it is performing optimally no longer plagued by the constant drag and burden of carrying pollution in the mind. Therefore, as part of liberation of the mind through elimination of the taints/fetters/pollution of mind, a Practitioner will experience a “lightness” and “unburdening” of the physical body. A mind that has been liberated from the taints will not experience fatigue of the body and eyes. The mind is experiencing freedom from strong feelings and freedom from the heaviness of needing to carry around these strong feelings. The being is uplifted through an optimally performing mind that is no longer weighed down by the burden of the pollution it once carried.

If you aspire that “neither my body nor my eyes become fatigued and may my mind, by not clinging, be liberated from the taints” then what The Buddha is guiding you to understand is that you can acquire “this same concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation)” and that you should pay close attention to practicing this type of meditation on a consistent basis through developing your practice.

Third, in The Teaching titled “Abandoning the Memories and Intention Connected with the Household Life”, The Buddha explains how that if one aspires to let go of the past, it is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that trains the mind to accomplish that goal.

Breathing Mindfulness Meditation, among other things, trains the mind to reside in the present moment by focusing on the breath without longing for the past or the future. The mind can reside peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy when it is in the present moment. But, if the mind is allowed to dwell in the past or future, there will be stress and anxiety related to the mind longing with a strong eagerness still being plagued by craving/desire/attachment.

While one will always have memories of their past experiences in life, it is important not to allow the mind to dwell in the past. There can be painful feelings in the past that burden the mind or there can be pleasant feelings that one longs for that no longer exist today.

The Buddha is sharing with the Ordained Practitioners to let go of longing for the pleasant feelings based on past memories and instead, bring the mind to the present moment where it can be free of the pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant related to the memories from the past.

Instead, focus on creating a healthy mind and enjoy life right now in this present moment. If the mind focuses on creating peacefulness and contentedness in this present moment, then the next moment will also be peaceful and content. But if the mind is still longing for the impermanent conditions that created pleasant feelings, painful feelings, or feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant, then the mind is going to continue to experience the same discontentedness in the next moment. Eradicating and eliminating discontentedness requires that the mind resides in the present moment no longer longing for the past or future.

With that said, a Practitioner will think about the past and even learn from our past experiences remembering certain events. But, if the mind is allowed to dwell there longing (i.e. craving) for certain aspects of the past or reliving painful experiences, that will only cause discontentedness in the present moment. Letting go of the past will allow the mind to experience peacefulness right now which can then continue into each individual present moment.

Fourth, in The Teaching titled “Avoiding Both the Unrepulsive and the Repulsive: Residing Equanimous, Mindfulness, and Clearly Comprehending”, The Buddha explains how it is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that produces “equanimity, mindfulness, and clear comprehension” through training the mind to be unaffected (i.e. avoiding) by both the unrepulsive and the repulsive.

The unEnlightened mind will experience agreeable and disagreeable forms, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects that the mind sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, and recognizes through The Six Sense Bases to experience discontentedness (i.e. pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant) When the mind is trained to eliminate craving/desire/attachment, no longer judging contact through The Six Sense Bases as either agreeable or disagreeable, then, the mind can be liberated from discontentedness residing unaffected by contact through The Six Sense Bases. It is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that trains the mind to reside unaffected by both unrepulsive and repulsive (i.e. agreeable and disagreeable) contact through The Six Sense Bases producing equanimity, mindfulness, and clear comprehension.

Fifth, in The Teaching titled “Residing in the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Jhāna”, The Buddha explains how it is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that leads to each Jhāna.

While a Practitioner will need to learn and practice more than only Breathing Mindfulness Meditation to experience the Jhānas, a Practitioner would not be able to experience the Jhānas without Breathing Mindfulness Meditation.

It is through a well developed practice of The Eight Fold Path that a Practitioner moves the mind towards experiencing the Jhānas. One aspect of the life practice that needs to be developed to experience the Jhānas is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation and The Buddha makes that clear in this Teaching along with others.

Sixth, in The Teaching titled “Residing in the Formless Perceptions”, The Buddha explains how it is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that leads to transcending the base of “infinity of space”, “infinity of consciousness”, “base of nothingness”, and “neither perception-nor-nonperception”. These are attainments not experienced by everyone who will ultimately attain Enlightenment.

While everyone who attains Enlightenment will experience the Jhānas as preliminary phases the mind moves through prior to the first Stage of Enlightenment, the “formless perceptions” are not experienced by all Practitioners as part of their journey to Enlightenment.

The Base of Infinity of Space: The mind moves beyond perceiving forms, as agreeable or disagreeable and no longer reacts through the senses based on the perception of agreeable or disagreeable forms. The mind no longer experiences discontentedness associated with agreeable or disagreeable forms as the mind is unaffected by this contact through The Six Sense Bases no longer viewing forms as agreeable or disagreeable.

A Practitioner observes that all objects such as forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations (choices/decisions), and consciousness are impermanent, discontentedness, and non-self. They will turn the mind away from forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations (choices/decisions), and consciousness directing it towards Enlightenment where the mind is no longer clinging to The Five Aggregates working towards the elimination of The Ten Fetters.

All Practitioners who attain Enlightenment will experience this attainment.

The Base of Infinity of Consciousness: The mind realizes that the consciousness is infinite and not finite (i.e. limited to just one life). A Practitioner who has experienced this attainment will be able to recall their past lives being able to observe their past existences having memories of those existences.

Not all Practitioner who attain Enlightenment will experience this attainment.

The Base of Nothingness: The mind realizes that there is truly nothing here on this earth or in existence that is worth holding on to. The mind deeply understands that the consciousness is hindered and trapped attempting to hold on to countless objects that are actually impermanent. The mind discovers that craving/desire/attachment to these impermanent objects is causing all of its pain and that the only solution is to “let go”. The mind will then continue to apply effort and energy to accomplishing that goal - mentally letting go of everything. The mind has deeply realized that it is fighting an unrealistic objective to hold on to objects permanently that are actually all impermanent. The mind resides in the “base of nothingness” no longer seeking to hold on to anything because there is nothing worth holding on to as it will only cause the mind to be discontent.

All Practitioners who attain Enlightenment will experience this attainment.

The Base of Neither Perception-nor-Nonperception: The mind moves closer to “the middle” no longer clinging to perceptions nor non-perceptions.

Perceptions: a belief or opinion based on how things seem.

The mind is able to discern the truth no longer being misled based on belief.

All Practitioners who attain Enlightenment will experience this attainment.

For a Practitioner’s mind to reside in any of these formless perceptions, they would need to have a well developed Breathing Mindfulness Meditation practice along with all the other steps on The Eight Fold Path.

Seventh, in The Teaching titled “Residing in the Elimination of Perception and Feeling”, The Buddha explains how it is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that leads to the elimination of “perception and feeling” “by completely transcending the base of neither perception-nor-nonperception”.

The elimination of “perception and feeling” is that the mind will not have any beliefs or discontent feelings but instead, operate only on discernible truth having acquired deep wisdom and accomplished the eradication of the fetter of ignorance (unknowing of true reality). The mind is Enlightened functioning with ease based on the wisdom of these Teachings.

Eighth, in The Teaching titled “All That is Felt, Not Being Delighted in, Will Become Cool Right Here”, The Buddha explains how it is Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that leads to the recognition of pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant and that these feelings are all impermanent no longer clinging to these impermanent feelings.

With highly developed Right Mindfulness in The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a Practitioner will be able to “feel a feeling terminating with the body” eliminating discontentedness calming the bodily sensations associated with arising discontent feelings. A Practitioner will no longer have any feelings related to the termination of life (i.e. death) recognizing all that arises will cease to exist including each individual being.

A being will experience that with the breakup of the body and mind (i.e. physical death) that this life is exhausted and there is nothing to delight in related to existence. The mind will not experience delight in existence nor non-existence. The Three Fires (i.e. The Three Unwholesome Roots) of craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality) have been extinguished “becoming cool right here”.

The Buddha explains “Just as, Monks, an oil lamp burns in dependence on the oil and the wick, and with the exhaustion of the oil and the wick it is extinguished through lack of fuel, so too, Monks, when a Monk feels a feeling terminating with the body, he understands: I feel a feeling terminating with the body. When he feels a feeling terminating with life, he understands: I feel a feeling terminating with life. He understands: With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life. all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here”.

All discontentedness will become extinguished “right here” or “cooled” where the mind is working to extinguish craving/desire/attachment through Breathing Mindfulness Meditation.

Craving/desire/attachment is the fuel that causes all discontentedness and rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth. Through a consists and ongoing Breathing Mindfulness Meditation practice, along with applying many other Teachings, a Practitioner will extinguish all craving/desire/attachment no longer experiencing discontentedness or rebirth. Just like the oil lamp cannot burn without oil and a wick, consciousness leading to a new existence cannot be carried forward without craving/desire/attachment.

It is a well developed practice of Breathing Mindfulness Meditation that brings forth the progress of training the mind one will need to experience complete liberation of mind including those qualities of mind explained in this Teaching and others. Breathing Mindfulness Meditation is a primary technique needed to be well developed and practiced to accomplish the goal of elimination of strong feelings, elimination of discontentedness, elimination of rebirth, and experience the peacefulness, calmness, serenity, and contentedness with joy known as Enlightenment.