Concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing Leads to the Uprooting of Underlying Tendencies

Monks, concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation), when developed and cultivated, leads to the uprooting of underlying tendencies.

And how, Monks, is concentration by Mindfulness of Breathing (Breathing Mindfulness Meditation) developed and cultivated so that it leads to the uprooting of underlying tendencies?

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 leads to the uprooting of underlying tendencies.

(Reference: SN 54.18)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how Breathing Mindfulness Meditation leads to “uprooting of underlying tendencies” of unwholesomeness.

The unEnlightened mind has much conditioning (i.e. underlying tendencies) that keeps it continually experiencing discontentedness. Whether it be unwholesome moral conduct, unwise decisions, or other unwholesome tendencies, the unEnlightened mind needs to uproot and eliminate all that no longer serves a wholesome purpose.

A Practitioner who starts this path to Enlightenment is holding on to many things that have felt normal and common during the first part of this life. But those things are not serving you well as they have led to continuous discontentedness and struggles in this life. Difficulties and complications have been the result of a lack of wisdom and holding on to those things that do not serve a wholesome purpose.

A Practitioner will need to understand that how one has functioned in the past has not led to peacefulness and in order to move the mind and one’s life towards Enlightenment, there are various aspects of one’s decision making that will need to be improved through acquiring wisdom.

Through uprooting the unwholesome tendencies that have caused nothing but harm, a Practitioner can employ the wisdom found in these Teachings to experience “a better way of life” based in wholesomeness.

Breathing Mindfulness Meditation allows the mind to develop Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, and brings the mind to the present moment. These are important aspects of mental discipline that will need to be “developed and cultivated so that it leads to the uprooting of underlying tendencies” in one’s daily life. You will discover that Breathing Mindfulness Meditation helps the mind develop the ability to easily “let go” of those things that are no longer helpful for one who has decided they are interested in experiencing peacefulness permanently.