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Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
54. Ānāpāna Saɱyutta
1. Eka-Dhamma Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
54. Kindred Sayings about
In-Breathing and Out-Breathing
1. The One Condition

Sutta 1

Eka-Dhamma Suttaɱ

The One Condition

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[311] [275]

[1][bodh][thani][olds] THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

[2][bodh][thani][olds] Then the Exalted One said:

[3][bodh][thani][olds] "Monks, there is one condition which,
if cultivated and made much of,
is of great fruit,
of great profit.

What is that one condition?

It is concentration on in-breathing and out-breathing.

And how cultivated, monks,
how made much of,
is concentration on in-breathing and out-breathing
of great fruit, of great profit?[1]

[4][bodh][thani][olds] Monks, under this rule,
a monk who goes to a forest
or the foot of a tree
or a lonely place,
sits down cross-legged,
holding the body straight.
Setting mindfulness in front of him,[2]
he breathes in mindfully
and mindfully breathes out.

[5][bodh][thani][olds] As he draws in a long breath he knows:

'A long breath I draw in.'

As he breathes out a long breath he knows:

'I breathe out a long breath'.

As he draws in a short breath he knows:

'A short breath I draw in.'

As he breathes out a short breath he knows:

'I breathe out a short breath.'

[6][bodh][thani][olds] Thus he makes up his mind[3] (repeating):

'I shall breathe in,
feeling it go through the whole body.[4]

Feeling it go through the whole body
I shall breathe out.

Calming down the bodily aggregate
I shall breathe in.

Calming down the bodily aggregate
I shall breathe out.'

[276] [7][bodh][than][olds] Thus he makes up his mind (repeating):

'Feeling the thrill of zest
I shall breathe in.

Feeling the thrill of zest
I shall breathe out.

Feeling the sense of ease[5]
I shall breathe in.

Feeling the sense of ease
I shall breathe out.'

[8][bodh][thani][olds] He makes up his mind (repeating):

'Aware of all mental factors[6]
I shall breathe in.

Aware of all mental factors
I shall breathe out.

Calming down the mental factors
I shall breathe in.

Calming down the mental factors
I shall breathe out.

Aware of mind I shall breathe in.

Aware of mind I shall breathe out.'

[9][bodh][thani][olds] He makes up his mind (repeating):

'Gladdening[7] my mind I shall breathe in.

Gladdening my mind I shall breathe out.

Composing my mind I shall breathe in.

Composing my mind I shall breathe out.

Detaching my mind I shall breathe in.

Detaching my mind I shall breathe out.'

[10][bodh][thani][olds] He makes up his mind (repeating):

'Contemplating impermanence[8] I shall breathe in.

Contemplating impermanence I shall breathe out.

Contemplating dispassion I shall breathe in.

Contemplating dispassion I shall breathe out.

Contemplating cessation I shall breathe in.

Contemplating cessation I shall breathe out.

Contemplating renunciation I shall breathe in.

Contemplating renunciation I shall breathe out.'

[11][bodh][thani][olds] Thus cultivated, monks,
thus made much of,
the concentration on in-breathing and out-breathing
is of great fruit,
of great profit."[9]

 


[1] Comy. refers to the section on ānāpāna-sati at VM. 267 ff. Cf Yogavacara (Manual of A Mystic) i; D. ii, 291 = Dialog. ii, 317; M. i, 56; MA. i. 247 ff.; Paṭisambh. i, 184-6.

[2] Between the eyebrows, where the Hindus place the brow-cakram.

[3] Sikkhati = ghaṭati, vāyamati. [VM. Pāliṅ vatvā.]

[4] Paṭisaṅvedi. [VM. pākaṭaṅ karonto.] He visualizes the breath as passing in and through the whole frame and out again.

[5] 'Sukhaṅ is bodily and mental.' VM.

[6] Citta-saṅkārā = vedanādayo dve khandhā. VM.

[7] Abhippamodayaṅ = pamodento, hāsento (by way of concentration and introspection). VM.

[8] 'Freeing it from the hindrances by the first jhāna; from thought generated and sustained by the second jhāna; from zest by the third, from pleasure and pain by the fourth jhāna.' VM.

[9] He does these repeatedly by calling up (their opposites) permanence, well-being, self, passionate delight, passion, arising (of things), stinginess.' VM.


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