The fifth and longest of the carita-viśodhana practices, corresponding to the vitarka-carita (discursive-thinking-temperament) practitioner. Covers the definition (mindfulness with the in-breath and out-breath as object), the anatomy of the breath (āśvāsa and praśvāsa), two faults to avoid in practice, and the five paricayas — five progressive investigative frames applied to the breath: counting (gaṇanā), aggregates (skandha), dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), the four noble truths (satya), and the breath-practice sixteenfold sequence (ṣoḍaśākāra). This last item is parallel to the sixteenfold ānāpāna pattern rather than the four-truth sixteen-aspect framework used elsewhere. The chapter closes with the arhatship-claim through breath-mindfulness and the temperament-match rationale.
What is mindfulness of breathing?
Mindfulness having in-and-out-breaths as its object — this is called ānāpānasmṛti.
What are the two in-breaths?
In-breath (āśvāsa) and inner-in-breath (antarāśvāsa).
What are the two out-breaths?
Out-breath (praśvāsa) and inner-out-breath (antaraḥ-praśvāsa). The in-breath is the air that, immediately after the out-breath, moves inward as far as the navel region. The inner-in-breath is, when the in-breath has ceased and the out-breath has not yet arisen, the brief intervening air at the resting-place that arises in a similar manner. This is called the inner-in-breath. The out-breath and inner-out-breath should be understood likewise. The distinction here: the air moves outward from the navel region as far as the tip of the mouth or nose, and from there outside.
What are the two causes of in-and-out-breathing?
What two?
The relevant kind of karma, and the cavity of the navel region; or alternatively, the cavity of the body that arises from this.
What are the two supports of in-and-out-breathing?
The body and the mind.
Why?
In-and-out-breaths are body-supported and mind-supported, and proceed accordingly. If they were body-supported only, they would proceed in beings attained to the unconscious attainment, the cessation attainment, and in beings born among the unconscious gods. If they were mind-supported only, they would proceed in beings attained to or born in the formless attainments. If they were body-and-mind-supported in the simple sense, they would proceed in beings attained to the fourth absorption and in beings in the kalala (zygote), arbuda (early embryo), and peśī (fleshy mass) stages of gestation. But they do not so proceed. Therefore in-and-out-breaths are body-supported and mind-supported in a specifically conditioned sense, and proceed accordingly.
The two paths of the breaths: What two? In-breaths go downward, out-breaths go upward. The two abodes of the breaths: What two? The gross cavity and the subtle cavity. The gross cavity is from the navel region as far as the door of mouth-and-nose, and from the door of mouth-and-nose as far as the navel cavity.
What is the subtle cavity?
All the pores of the body — [text corrupt: pāḥ].
The four synonyms of in-and-out-breaths: What four? Airs, in-and-out, in-breath-and-out-breath, and body-conditioners. Of these, one synonym is shared with other airs — namely, 'air.' The other three are exclusive.
Two faults [arise] for one engaged in ānāpāna.
What two?
[Damaged/Conjectural: slack] engagement, and over-tight engagement. In [Damaged/Conjectural: slack] engagement, falling into laziness, the mind is overcome by sloth-and-torpor or distracted outwardly. In over-tight engagement, bodily disturbance arises, or mental disturbance.
How does bodily disturbance arise?
When one applies force to the breath through forceful restraint — pressing the in-and-out-breaths — irregular airs proceed in the body. They first stir in such-and-such limbs and minor limbs; these are called sphurakas (throbbings). When these throbbing airs grow, they become rujakas (paining airs); they produce pain in those very limbs. This is called bodily disturbance.
How does mental disturbance arise?
The mind is distracted, or before long is overcome by dejection and distress. Thus mental disturbance arises.
Five familiarities of this ānāpānasmṛti should be known: counting-familiarity, aggregate-entry-familiarity, dependent-origination-entry-familiarity, truth-entry-familiarity, and sixteen-aspect-familiarity.
What is counting-familiarity?
In brief, counting-familiarity is fourfold: one-by-one counting, two-by-one counting, forward counting, and reverse counting.
What is one-by-one counting?
When the in-breath has entered, with mindfulness bound to the in-and-out-breath, he counts 'one.' When the in-breath has ceased and the out-breath arises and goes out, he counts 'two.' Thus he counts up to ten. This counting is neither too compressed nor too extended. This is called one-by-one counting.
What is two-as-one counting?
When the in-breath has entered and ceased, and the out-breath has arisen and gone out, he counts 'one.' By this method of counting he counts up to ten. This is called two-as-one counting. He combines in-and-out into a single unit and counts it as one — thus called two-as-one counting.
What is forward counting?
By either one-by-one counting or two-as-one counting, he counts forward up to ten. This is called forward counting.
What is reverse counting?
Starting from ten in reverse — nine, eight, seven, six, five — down to one. This is called reverse counting. When, relying on one-by-one counting or two-as-one counting, he has made familiarity with forward and reverse counting, and the mind does not become distracted in the meantime, but counts with undistracted mind — then his subsequent superior counting is described.
What is the superior counting?
By either one-by-one or two-as-one counting, he makes two-as-one and counts. By two-as-one counting, four in-and-out-breaths are one unit. By one-by-one counting, an in-and-out pair is one. Thus he counts up to ten. By such progressive enlargement, he eventually makes a hundred breaths one unit and counts. Then by hundred-as-one counting in sequence he counts up to ten. When this counting-engaged practitioner makes ten-as-one and counts up to ten — as long as he fulfills the ten — by this ten-as-one counting the mind does not become distracted afterward. By this much, his counting-familiarity is accomplished. Of this counting-engaged practitioner, if the mind becomes distracted in the meantime, he turns back and starts counting again from the beginning, either forward or reverse. When his mind, by its own nature (svarasa), goes along the inner path of natural movement — having mounted onto the in-and-out-breath object — uninterrupted, without gap, taking the in-breath as it proceeds, taking the empty-of-out-breath state when the in-breath has ceased, taking the out-breath as it proceeds, taking the cessation when it ceases — unwavering, unmoving, without aspect of distraction, and accompanied by delight — by this much the counting-stage is transcended. Then no more counting is to be done. Mind is no longer bound to any object other than the in-and-out-breaths. The in-and-out-breaths — together with the inner pauses, and with their states of arising and ceasing — are to be followed and characterized. This is called counting-familiarity. This counting-familiarity is prescribed for those of dull faculties. For them, [the breath alone] is a place of distraction. For mental abiding, for mental enjoyment, [counting is needed]; without counting, sloth-and-torpor would overcome them, or the mind would be distracted outwardly — counting-engagement prevents this. But for those of sharp faculties, with quick understanding, counting-practice is easy to take up. Once instructed, they penetrate the counting-engagement very quickly, and do not find delight in it. They bind mindfulness to the in-and-out-breath object, and concerning where it proceeds, how far it proceeds, in what manner it proceeds, and when it proceeds — they investigate and characterize all of it with established mindfulness. This is the form of their engagement. Through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice of this engagement, bodily pliancy and mental pliancy arise. He attains one-pointedness and comes to delight in the object.
He who has thus made counting-familiarity, by attending to the matter of grasper-and-grasped, enters the aggregates. The in-and-out-breaths, and that body which is their support — attending to these, he enters the form-aggregate. The experience-and-undergoing of those in-and-out-breaths, conjoined with the mindfulness that grasps them — this he enters as the feeling-aggregate. The cognizing of them — this he enters as the perception-aggregate. The mindfulness, the volition, and the discernment present here — this he enters as the formations-aggregate. The mind, mentation, consciousness — this he enters as the consciousness-aggregate. Frequently abiding in this — thus having entered the aggregates — this is called aggregate-entry-familiarity.
When through this he has seen mere aggregate, fully understood it as mere formation, mere substance, then he enters the dependent origination of these very formations.
How does he enter?
He searches and seeks: 'These in-and-out-breaths — supported by what? Conditioned by what?' It occurs to him: 'These in-and-out-breaths are body-supported, body-conditioned; mind-supported, mind-conditioned. The body and the mind — what are they conditioned by?' He enters: 'The body and the mind are conditioned by the life-faculty.' As for the previous formation, he enters: 'The previous formation is conditioned by ignorance.' Thus: the previous formation is conditioned by ignorance; the life-faculty is conditioned by all formations; body and consciousness are conditioned by the life-faculty; the in-and-out-breaths are conditioned by body-and-mind. From the cessation of ignorance, cessation of formations. From the cessation of formations, cessation of the life-faculty. From the cessation of the life-faculty, cessation of body-and-mind. From the cessation of body-and-mind, cessation of in-and-out-breaths. Thus he enters dependent origination. Frequently abiding in this, he is said to have made familiarity in the dependent-origination aspect. This is called dependent-origination-entry-familiarity.
Having thus made familiarity in dependent origination: 'These formations which are dependently arisen — they are impermanent' — he enters [this]. Because of impermanence: not having been, they pass away. Again, not having been, they come to be; having come to be, they pass away. They are subject to birth, aging, illness, death. What is subject to birth, aging, illness, death — that is suffering. What is suffering — that is not-self, not autonomous, devoid of master. Thus by the aspects of impermanent, suffering, empty, and not-self, he has entered the truth of suffering. Whatever arising there is of these formations — that is suffering-become, illness-become, ulcer-become; all of it conditioned by craving. Whatever is the complete abandoning of this craving that gives rise to suffering: 'This is peace, this is excellent. Knowing this thus and abiding frequently thus, the complete abandoning of craving will come to be for me.' Thus he enters the truth of arising, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. Frequently abiding in this — when he comprehends the truths — this is called truth-entry-familiarity.
For one who has thus made familiarity in the truths, with the abandoning of dharmas to be abandoned by seeing, the dharmas to be abandoned by cultivation remain. For their abandoning, he makes the sixteen-aspect-familiarity.
What are the sixteen aspects?
Mindful while breathing in: he trains 'I breathe in mindful.' Mindful while breathing out: he trains 'I breathe out mindful.' Long. Short. Experiencing the whole body. Breathing in experiencing the whole body, he trains 'I breathe in experiencing the whole body.' Breathing out experiencing the whole body, he trains 'I breathe out experiencing the whole body.' Calming the body-conditioner, breathing in, he trains 'I breathe in calming the body-conditioner.' Breathing out, he trains 'I breathe out calming the body-conditioner.' Experiencing rapture; experiencing happiness — he trains. Experiencing the mental-formation; calming the mental-formation, breathing in: he trains 'I breathe in calming the mental-formation.' Breathing out, he trains 'I breathe out calming the mental-formation.' Experiencing the mind. Gladdening the mind; concentrating the mind; liberating the mind, breathing in: he trains 'I breathe in liberating the mind.' Breathing out, he trains 'I breathe out liberating the mind.' Contemplating impermanence; contemplating abandoning; contemplating dispassion; breathing in: he trains 'I breathe in contemplating cessation.' Breathing out, he trains 'I breathe out contemplating cessation.'
What is the distinction of these?
Of the aspects: the trainee who has attained seeing becomes capable of attending to the four foundations of mindfulness with the in-and-out-breath as object; he undertakes attention for the abandoning of the remaining fetters. Therefore he says 'mindful.' Breathing in, he trains 'I breathe in mindful.' When he takes the in-breath or out-breath as object, he trains 'I breathe in long, I breathe out long.' When he makes the inner-in-breath or inner-out-breath the object, he trains 'I breathe in short, I breathe out short.' Thus indeed the in-and-out-breaths proceed long; the inner-in-breaths and inner-out-breaths are short, and proceed accordingly. Just so he characterizes them, and knows. When he resolves upon the in-and-out-breaths as having reached the subtle cavity and entered into diffusion throughout the body, he makes [the whole body] the object. When the out-breath has ceased and the inner-out-breath is present, when the in-breath has not yet arisen and the inner-in-breath is present, [Damaged/Conjectural]: he makes the state empty of out-breath and in-breath — separated from them, interrupted by them, [possibly: the still/resting state] — the object. At that time, calming the body-conditioner, breathing in — he trains 'I breathe in calming the body-conditioner.' Breathing out, he trains 'I breathe out calming the body-conditioner.' Through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice — those rough, unpleasant-to-touch in-and-out-breaths that proceeded for one previously not familiar — for the familiarized one, other breaths proceed: soft, pleasant-to-touch. Therefore he says, 'calming the body-conditioner, I breathe in' — he trains.
Engaged in ānāpānasmṛti in this manner, if he is one who attains the first or the second absorption — at that time, 'experiencing rapture, breathing in, he trains: experiencing rapture, I breathe in.' If he is one who attains the third absorption without rapture, at that time he is 'experiencing happiness.' Beyond the third absorption, ānāpānasmṛti is no longer applicable. 'As far as the third absorption' — by this much the practice is comprehended.
Of this practitioner — experiencing rapture, or experiencing happiness — if at some time, due to occasional loss of mindfulness, [confusion] arises: 'I am,' or 'this very I am,' 'I shall be' or 'I shall not be,' 'I shall be with form, I shall be without form,' 'percipient, non-percipient,' 'I shall be neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient' — when agitation accompanied by deluded perception and volition, churned into proliferation, formed and craving-bound, arises in this way, that which has arisen, he penetrates quickly with discernment. He does not endure it; he abandons it; he removes it; he extinguishes it. Thus, 'experiencing the mental-formation, calming the mental-formation, breathing in, I breathe in calming the mental-formation' — he trains.
If he is one who attains the basic first, second, or third absorptions, and is necessarily an attainer of the access (anāgamya) of the first absorption, taking that as support, he reviews his arisen mind: with passion or without passion; with hatred or without; with delusion or without; contracted, slack, gripped, agitated or not agitated, calmed or not calmed, concentrated or not concentrated, well-cultivated or not well-cultivated, liberated or not liberated — thus he knows the mind as-it-actually-is. He experiences it. Therefore 'experiencing the mind.' When the mind is fixed on the hindrance of sloth-and-torpor, gathering it inwardly, he displays one or another inspiring object, rouses, energizes, illuminates the mind. Therefore 'gladdening the mind.' When he sees [the mind] checked by the hindrance of agitation or the hindrance of remorse, taking hold of it, he displays one or another inspiring object and establishes it inwardly. He calms, concentrates. Therefore 'concentrating the mind.' When through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice that mind has become distanced from the active occurrence of hindrances, purified from the hindrances, liberated — therefore 'liberating the mind, breathing in, I breathe in liberating the mind' — he trains.
Of the one whose mind is liberated from the hindrances obstructive to path-cultivation, the latent tendencies remain. They are to be abandoned. For their abandoning, he confronts the path — namely, he carefully, properly, and wisely examines the impermanence of formations. Therefore 'contemplating impermanence.' Previously, there was śamatha engagement supported by the first, second, or third absorption, or by access. Now, engaging directly in the contemplation of impermanence, he engages in vipaśyanā. Thus his mind, perfumed by śamatha-vipaśyanā, is liberated in the elements, namely, from the latent tendencies.
What are the elements?
The element of abandoning, the element of dispassion, and the element of cessation. The abandoning of all formations to be abandoned by seeing — that is the abandoning-element. The abandoning of all formations to be abandoned by cultivation — that is the dispassion-element. The cessation of all bases of clinging — that is the cessation-element. Thus, attending to the three elements as peace, as security, as health, he cultivates śamatha-vipaśyanā. Through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice, the mind is liberated from the remaining cultivation-abandonable defilements. Therefore 'contemplating abandoning, contemplating dispassion, contemplating cessation, breathing in, I breathe in contemplating cessation' — he trains.
Thus, when the defilements abandonable by seeing and by cultivation have been abandoned, he becomes an arhat, one whose outflows are exhausted. There is nothing further to be done by him. Or there is only familiarity with what has been done. This is called the sixteen-aspect-familiarity. And this is the fivefold familiarity. This is ānāpānasmṛti.
Where an applied-thought-conduct person is engaged, he engages through easy uptake [of the object]. This object is active; [Damaged/Conjectural]: inward, personal, very near — because of this, the applied-thought agitation that would arise for one engaging there does not arise. The mind quickly settles on the object; it delights; it comes to be. This is the fivefold conduct-purifying object for the applied-thought-conduct person.