Breathing In and Breathing Out Is a Certain Kind of Body

Whenever, Ānanda, a Monk, when breathing in long, knows: I breathe in long; or, when breathing out long, knows: I breathe out long;

when breathing in short, knows: I breathe in short; or, when breathing out short, knows: I breathe out short;

when he trains thus: Experiencing the whole body, I will breathe in; when he trains thus: Experiencing the whole body, I will breathe out;

when he trains thus: Calming the bodily sensations, I will breathe in; when he trains thus: Calming the bodily sensations, I will breathe out…

(Repeated as at Chapter 74)

…on that occasion the Monk resides reflecting on the body as body, dedicated, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed craving and displeasure in regard to the world.

For what reason?

I call this a certain kind of body. Ānanda, that is, breathing in and breathing out.

Therefore, Ānanda, on that occasion the Monk resides reflecting on the body as body, dedicated, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed craving and displeasure in regard to the world.

(Reference: SN 54.13)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a Practitioner can use Breathing Mindfulness Meditation to develop the first of The Four Foundations of Mindfulness through “reflecting on the body as body, dedicated, clearly comprehending, [and] mindful”.

A Practitioner will need to develop Right Mindfulness to the point where they are able to observe the arising discontentedness as bodily sensations so that they can “cut it off and let it go” through applying Right Effort prior to the arising discontentedness becoming feelings, affecting the condition of the mind, or forming a mental object.

A Practitioner whose training has progressed to the point where they are observing the bodily sensations associated with arising discontentedness and is able to “cut it off and let it go” is nearing close to Enlightenment.

To accomplish this goal, a Practitioner will need to have a well developed practice of the entire Eight Fold Path to include, Breathing Mindfulness Meditation.

Then, in daily life as discontentedness is starting to arise and is observed as bodily sensations, the Practitioner should apply Right Effort to eliminate the arising discontentedness prior to it making its way into the mind as feelings. Doing this repeatedly through one’s daily life will culminate into the complete elimination of discontentedness as the Practitioner eliminates the cravings/desires/attachments that produced the discontentedness. “Cutting off and letting go” of any arising discontentedness will result in, over time, the discontent feelings never arising in the future as the mind eliminates the cravings/desires/attachments that produced the discontentedness.