Coming Alive with Mindfulness of Breathing

Coming Alive with Mindfulness of Breathing

(Ānāpānasati)

Translation based upon 11 talks

given in Sinhala in Kandy

from 2009 to 2010

by

Upul Nishantha Gamage

Translated by

Guptani Gunasekera

Nilambe Deshana Publication Board

Nilambe Buddhist Meditation Centre

Nilambe, Sri Lanka

For Free Distribution

For further readings and audio:

www.nilambe.net

www.nilambe-deshana.net

For further information:

upulnilambe@yahoo.com

ISBN 978 - 955 - 54570 - 9 - 5

Copyright © Upul Nishantha Gamage

June 2013

Cover Concept & Design by www.artenlighten.com

DEDICATION

In memory of my beloved grandparents -

Bobob (Robert) & Olive Greenwood

and

Arthur & Doreen Sachse,

whose inspirational good qualities are still a guiding light to me.

May they all attain the peace of Nibbāna !

Ven. Khema Dhamma

Kandy, June 2013

FOREWORD

Mindfulness of breathing (Ānāpāna Sati) may seem to be the most straightforward of meditation techniques, but it is also the most profound. It is said that Prince Siddhartha Gautama used awareness of the breath to reach full enlightenment – the complete release of heart and mind – the highest goal of human endeavor.

The breath is always with us. It is our constant companion from birth to death. We do not need to believe in anything, convert to anything or commit to anything in order to observe it. The breath is the same for everyone, regardless of race, nationality, gender and ideology. It is something we can all easily connect to. It is a bridge to our inner world – the as-yet-unexplored universe within.

This book is based upon 11 of the 36 Sinhala public talks on the Girimānanda Sutta given by Upul Sir in Kandy, from 2008 to 2010. Two books have been published in Sinhala, the first dealing with the first nine perceptions of the Girimānanda Sutta and the second dealing with Ānāpāna Sati, the last perception. It was decided to translate the second book into English.

The Girimānanda Sutta, with its ten insightful ‘perceptions,’ prepares the ground for the seeds of awareness to be planted, cultivating the right attitude and intention before we start our work. The 10th Perception is Ānāpāna Sati, and here the Ānāpāna Sati Sutta and the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta come in to guide us in detail through all the steps of meditation up to spiritual awakening. As to when and how that day will dawn, we don’t know. But it is certain that every good seed well cared for will in time flourish and grow and one day bear fruit. Every step of the way is an opportunity for us to deepen in understanding and joy – awakening from a beginning-less slumber to the beauty of life and to the vastness of our potential.

Many thanks to Kalyānamitta Upul Nishantha Gamage for sharing his wisdom and instructions with us and to Guptani Gunasekera for her fine translation from Sinhala to English. Her selfless hard work will enable this invaluable teaching to reach a much wider audience. As an English native-speaker I was asked to check through the drafts of the English version, but I realized: the teaching is already perfect; the manner of expression is already perfect. There is nothing to correct (only scope for pedantic fine-tuning). If anything, I could only add the final touch of varnish on an already sublimely beautiful object. Lastly, thanks also to Deshika Gunasekera who helped by formatting the book to make it ready for printing and Sujeewa Krishantha who did the final arranging and designed the beautiful and very appropriate cover.

May you gain the full benefit of this precious practice and apply it to your life, making the world a better place for all.

With gratitude and Metta,

Ven. Khema Dhamma.

Kandy, June 2013

Contents

Ānāpāna Sati Samadhi

The Background to the Girimānanda discourse

The Most Popular Meditation Technique

It can be practiced by anybody

Importance of in and out breathing

You become deeply silent

All the qualities required for Buddhahood will be developed eventually

Noble living of Lord Buddha

Direct path

Your closest friend

Penetration into Ānāpāna Sati Samādhi

Right environment

Right Posture

Aches and pains

Benefits of maintaining the upper body straight

Awareness

External sounds

Establish a comfortable posture

Identify the external sensations

Preparation of the Mind

The Rat-race

The Meaning of life

Experience the impermanence

Things owned will perish

Our attitudes should change

Realize the uselessness of thoughts

No end to joyful moments

The Five Hindrances

Do not disturb

Dialogues within the mind

Kāmacchanda (Craving for sensual comforts)

Vyāpāda (Aversion)

Thῑna Middha (Sleepiness and drowsiness)

Uddhacca kukkucca( Sloth and Torpor )

Vicikicchā (Doubtfulness)

Training in Meditation

Establish mindfulness

What is happening in this moment?

Nothing to ponder about

Bombarded by Ego

Being aware of the body

Breathing is an action

Developing Mindfulness

Tiredness in meditation

Phases of breath

Mindfulness becomes sharp

The interval between inhalation and exhalation

Three properties of the breath

The entire body breathes

Tranquilizing the Body

Breath makes us alive

Main junctions on the road map

Not feeling the breath

Training to tranquilize bodily actions

Training to experience joy and happiness

An Unprecedented Discovery

Evolution due to meditation

Train to be sensitive to the inner joy

Real Comfort Experienced in a Composed Mind

The two sides of the coin

Train to experience the reactions of mind

Give a rest to the mind

The Illuminated mind

A Voyage with No Return

Train to liberate the mind

Train to experience nothing is permanent

Train not to be attached to anything

Train to stop the wandering mind

Return to the owner

Summary

Ānāpāna Sati Samadhi

Most Venerable Rev. Sir, Dear Dhamma Friends. We Buddhists use the Girimānanda Sutta (discourse) when chanting Pirith. It is included in the Book of Great Protection which is used for chanting Pirith throughout the night, and our Rev. Sirs use this Girimānanda chanting to bless lay people, especially when someone is sick. It is used mostly as a chant. It must have great power as a chant; otherwise it wouldn’t have been used in this way for so long (for over 1000 years).

But, this Girimānanda discourse has more depth than a mere Pirith (chant), giving, as it does, clear and very interesting instructions leading us towards "Nibbāna" (Final liberation). The ten perceptions are given to us to motivate our meditation. That is why we decided to discuss them. Now we have completed the first nine perceptions, with relevance to meditation.

There are so many different stories and discussions included in other Buddhist texts. Without going into the theoretical aspects of this discourse found in other books, we tried to concentrate on the practical aspects of it, which can be experienced in life and kept in mind which can be developed as a practice. These simple and concise discussions show how valuable this Girimānanda discourse is. When we say that the Girimānanda discourse is valuable it does not mean that the other discourses of the Lord Buddha are not valuable. This is certainly not the case, but for some reason due proper consideration has not been given to the Girimānanda discourse. Especially for people who are anxious to use Dhamma practically and to lead a peaceful life, the assistance provided by the Girimānanda discourse is immense.

The Background to the Girimānanda discourse

This discourse talks about ten ways of healing a person. When the monk Girimānanda was sick, the monk Ānanda informed the Lord Buddha as follows: "Look, monk Girimānanda is very sick, he is ailing and bedridden. Please go and see him." Maybe monk Ānanda thought that if the Lord Buddha went to see monk Girimānanda, he would be happy. This is a normal kind of thought to have when someone is sick. Usually patients in hospitals impatiently wait for the visiting hour, looking at their watches, anxious to see whether anyone is coming to visit them. Monk Ānanda, thinking that his spiritual brother the monk Girimānanda must be feeling like this, suggests that the Lord Buddha should go and see the patient who is very sick, critically ill and bedridden.

Then the Lord Buddha says, "No, I do not have to go. You learn these ten perceptions and go and recite them to monk Girimānanda and by listening to them he will be cured, become well and able again". The Lord Buddha revealed the ten perceptions. When monk Ānanda, having learnt them, went and recited them to monk Girimānanda, he was cured. The sickness that the monk Girimānanda was suffering from and the cause of the sickness are not explained in this discourse. If they were, somebody could have tested out the effectiveness of the teachings on different sicknesses, but - fortunately or unfortunately - such details are not mentioned anywhere.

Our discussion today, Dear Dhamma Friends, is aimed at the tenth perception. That is the well-known Ānāpāna Sati (Mindfulness of Breathing), the last treatment. This is called Ānāpāna Sati Bhāvanā (Meditation on Mindfulness of Breathing). Though the other nine perceptions can also be used for meditation, they are not considered to be meditation techniques as such, but everybody agrees that Mindfulness of Breathing is a meditation technique.

The Most Popular Meditation Technique

In all the Theravāda Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma, Mindfulness of Breathing is the most popular meditation technique. The way in which it is practiced may differ from country to country, place to place. Some pay attention to the tip of the nose, while others focus on the abdomen, but globally, most people use Mindfulness of Breathing as their meditation object. When we say we are meditating, what we practice is Mindfulness of Breathing. Most people think of meditation as Mindfulness of Breathing, and of Mindfulness of Breathing as meditation. Even in the Buddhist countries which are not Theravāda, such as Tibet, Japan, Taiwan and also China, Korea, Vietnam, and Bhutan (which are Mahāyāna or Vajirayāna) they also practice Mindfulness of Breathing in different ways.

We can discuss these methods later if necessary. Whether these countries are Theravāda or Mahāyāna, they are all Buddhist, and now we find that meditation techniques are becoming popular even in non-Buddhist countries. Among Buddhists and Non-Buddhists alike, the most widely-practiced meditation technique is Mindfulness of Breathing. It is used for different purposes, such as for physical wellbeing, psychological wellness, concentration of mind, to enhance memory power and to reduce stress. Whatever the reason it is used for, the most popular meditation technique in the world is the Meditation on Mindfulness of Breathing.

This shows, without a religious division; or a Theravāda/Mahāyāna division, the usefulness of the meditation of Mindfulness of Breathing. Otherwise, why would doctors prescribe it for patients? Why would educationists instruct their students in it? Why would Meditation teachers advise their followers to do it? Therefore, this is a discourse which has specific results. There is a separate section called the "Ānāpāna Sati Saṃyutta", in the Saṃyutta Nikāya, in the Sutta Piṭaka of the Tipiṭaka. This includes various other references to Ānāpāna Sati Bhāvana made by the Lord Buddha.

The first Sutta, "Eka Dhamma Sutta, means one Dhamma"(i.e. ‘one thing’).The Lord Buddha says, there is one Dhamma which is very fruitful - what is it? It is Ānāpāna Sati Samādhi (Composure of Mindfulness of Breathing). If somebody develops Composure of Mindfulness of Breathing, s/he achieves seven results. Though it talks about seven results, it actually says, that person definitely attains enlightenment. If a person could not attain enlightenment in this life, then at the time of death s/he will attain it; or will be born in a place -that is in a heaven or above the heaven, where they can attain Final Liberation. Because, if one can be with the breath always, and can die with the awareness of the breath, s/he is as light as breath. Therefore, as light articles go up while heavy articles go down, adhering to the same phenomenon, nature’s law, this happens. This is further clarified by monk Buddhaghosa in the Visuddhi Magga. He says that if a meditator dies without achieving the expected results then he will be born in a place where Dhamma is still available.

When we hear about heaven, Dear Dhamma Friends, we visualise places where there is happiness and glory, where all are enjoying themselves and playing games like a carnival. Maybe there are also places like that, but there are some worlds where you find gods who have actually listened to the Lord Buddha and have some understanding of His teachings. They do not indulge in lust. They are always to be found with other gods having the same understanding of Dhamma. The Visuddhi Magga says that if someone dies after practicing Composure of Mindfulness of Breathing, and they were unable to attain Final Liberation, that person will be born in such spiritual worlds, and by studying, discussing and practicing Dhamma with spiritual beings they are able to attain Final Liberation there.

Do we need any more facts to realise that the Mindfulness of Breathing is of immense value? It gives results here and now, in everyday life. Today most people in the world practice Composure of Mindfulness of Breathing for materialistic and worldly gains: the lightness experienced in that moment; bodily lightness; development of the memory; development of awareness. See how many benefits one can achieve in everyday life: reducing anger; being able to stay in the present moment; being able to stay without lamenting over the past and being able to face the future without fear.

One day the Lord Buddha asked monk Aritta, Do you practice Mindfulness of Breathing meditation? He replied, Yes I do practice Composure of Mindfulness of Breathing.

How?

I do not tour in the past with lust, do not dream of the future with lust, do not run with lust, do not wander in the past or the future in lust or in aversion, thereby I do not get attached or distressed. Being in the present, I breathe in and out with awareness. Here the Lord Buddha appreciates this and declares that the Composure of Mindfulness of Breathing can be practiced and developed that way too.

Living in the present moment is being discussed in different aspects, Dear Dhamma Friends - the breath happens totally in the present moment. In-breath fully happens in the present moment; out-breath fully happens in the present moment; this moment, here and now. There is no division whatsoever - poor-rich, learned-illiterate, brainy-foolish, ethnic, religious, national, political, good-bad. No division in any of these categories, which are usually found in society. When it comes to breath, everybody without any distinction has breath which is totally equal. There is no room here for either a ballooned ego, or an inferiority complex, condemning yourself as a person who can’t do anything and who can’t achieve anything. Since this activity develops concentration by being aware of the in-breath and out-breath, it is called the Composure of the Mindfulness of Breathing.

It can be practiced by anybody

Most meditation techniques, Dear Dhamma Friends, are not easy to practice. It is difficult to find a universal technique which could be practiced by everybody, because of personal anticipations and opinions. Just imagine a person who admires beauty, who leads a romantic life, cannot meditate on impurities; cannot meditate by looking at decayed things and decomposed flesh; such minds will never be concentrated. On the other hand, someone who is always distressed, who is in anger, cannot meditate on loving-kindness. When you ask such a person to develop Metta (unlimited friendliness), they only develop more aversion. A person who always thinks logically and always tries to argue and also thinks scientifically cannot practice contemplating on Buddha’s qualities where you develop a belief, faith, and devotion. A logical mind cannot practice these recollection meditation techniques. They have to come from the heart. Faith is a quality of the heart. Faith is in the heart, not in the head or the brain. A person who gets scared by anything and looks suspiciously at everything cannot practice contemplation on death because it can increase paranoia and instability. Therefore, Dear Dhamma Friends, most of the meditation techniques have to be evaluated and selected according to the person’s mind and their thinking patterns to establish the best fit.

But, when you consider Mindfulness of Breathing, it can be practiced by anybody who can feel that he is breathing. Sometimes, due to physical conditions, someone may not feel the breath. For example, if a person is suffering from influenza he may not feel the in-breath and out-breath, but you can use a different technique to create sensitivity to breathing. Therefore, on the whole, Mindfulness of Breathing meditation can be practiced by anybody, a small child or even an old person. When we consider in this direction, Dear Dhamma Friends, we find that this Mindfulness of Breathing goes beyond all closed limits and different opinions. Whatever the differences we may have, whatever the ups and downs we may have, Mindfulness of Breathing meditation can level them all and make anyone and everyone deeply still.

Importance of in and out breathing

We have discussed Ānāpāna Sati meditation, looking at it from several angles. It is a mirror through which you can see both mind and body, since both the mind and the body cannot live without the breath. The mind is psychological. It is not physical. What is the colour of it? What is the shape of it? You can’t say. The body is physical; it has a weight, shape, colour, and volume. The mind doesn’t have any of these things. The mind gets attached to the body or the carcass. The mind gets attached to the embryo, in the mother’s womb, with the help of the mother’s breath. Only then we can say it has life. Then we can say it is a living being. Until then it is not a living being. Even now the mind and the body are connected because of the