Anapanasati

Ānāpānasati is a Theravada practice of meditation to train the mind and develop awareness. It is the practice of mindfulness of in and out breathing. Ānāpānasati is the fundamental form of meditation taught by the Buddha. It has been considered as the gateway to enlightenment, which is contained in the Ānāpānasati Sutta.

Ānāpānasati: The Buddhist Meditation

Ānāpānasati (Skt: Ānāpānasmṛti) stands for mindfulness of breathing. Ānāpāna refers to inhalation and exhalation whereas “Sati” is mindfulness. Thus, it is the practice of in and out breathing. Ānāpānasati is a Theravāda practice of meditation for mind concentration contained in the Ānāpānasati Sutta, which is collected in the Majjhima Nikāya. It is the fundamental form of meditation taught by the Buddha. In fact, this is the first subject of meditation which the Buddha expounded in the Satipatthāna Sutta, a discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness. This original Buddhist method of meditation was delivered and elaborated in the teaching of the Ānāpānasati Sutta. It is practiced as a part of one of the components, the Samyak Samādhi, of the “Noble Eightfold Path.” The practice of Ānāpānasati removes defilements and leads to attain Nibbāṇa. It can be practiced with the four tetrads such as Kāyā (contemplation of the body), Vedanā (contemplation of feeling), Citta (contemplation of mind), and dhamma (contemplation of mental objects). It can also be practiced with other traditional meditation subjects including the virtue of loving kindness (Maitri), one of the four immeasurables (Brahmavihāra).

Ānāpānasati is a popular Buddhist meditation. One simple principle behind its practice is that if awareness is taken back to the breath repeatedly, mind gradually quiets down and the practitioner feels happiness. It has been the gateway to enlightenment; therefore, Buddha has laid utmost emphasis on the practice of meditation. All the past Buddhas have endorsed and adapted meditation as the basis for the attainment of Buddhahood. The historical Buddha, when he sat under the Bodhi tree to find out the ultimate truth, practiced Ānāpānasati. Then he attained the four Jhānas, recollected his past lives (Purvānusmriti Jñāna), grasped the nature of Samsāra (Divyacakshu Jñāna), and liberated himself from the wheel of Samsāra (Āśravakshyaya Jñāna). Finally, he attained the great wisdom. The practice of Ānāpānasati involves breath as the only object of meditation. It is mentioned as Samatha meditation in the Visuddhimagga. However, it can be practiced at both the tranquility meditation (Samatha) and insight meditation (Vipassanā) levels. The former is practiced with mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness, whereas Vipassyanā meditation builds on calmness. The focus and positive emotion created in Samatha practice helps the practitioners to develop awareness of impermanence, interconnectedness, and the contingent nature of experience. The practice of Samatha prepares practitioners to move into the Vipassyanā practice.

Texts on Ānāpānasati

Ānāpānasati Sutta provides detailed instructions on breath as the object of meditation. It describes about 16 steps for the concentration of mind. It is practiced to bring forth insight and perceive four dimensions of mindfulness (Satipatthāna) and seven factors of awakening. As mentioned in the Sutta, repeated practice of breath is of great benefit which leads to deliverance. Generally, its development leads to perfection of Satipatthāna thereby leading to perfection of factors of enlightenment and finally, attainment of Nibbāṇa.

Patisambhidāmagga has a section on breathing mindfulness called Ānāpānakathā. The first three sections are a kind of general analytical elaboration and introductions before embarking on the detailed analysis of the actual practice as set forth in the Suttas.

In addition, further instructions on mindfulness of breathing are also contained in various texts in Pāli canon. Vinaya Suttavibhanga, Pārājika III also discusses about mindfulness. Other Suttas in the Nikāya also mentions about mindfulness of breathing. They provide further explanations, instructions, and contexts on the practice. The Mahā Rahulovāda Sutta – Majjhima Nikāya 62, Ānāpāna-samyutta – Samyutta Nikāya 54 No. 4, Girimanaṇda Sutta – Anguttara Nikāya 10.60 discuss about mindfulness of breathing. The first tetrad is further elaborated in the Mahāsatipatthāna Sutta contained in the Digha Nikāya 22 and Kāyāgata Sutta in Majjhima Nikāya 119. There are some other Suttas in Samyutta Nikāya (54 No. 5–8, 10–11, and 17–20), Anguttara Nikāya (nos 16, 96–98, 115), and Itivuttaka (85) that further discuss different aspects of mindfulness of breathing.

The Practice

While practicing Ānāpānasati, a practitioner gives full attention to breathing. Sensation of breathing is used as the object in this meditation. In and out breathing is not the breathing exercise, rather a practitioner observes and sees what happens there. A practitioner does not make any conscious decision to think outside of the practice. Awareness is gained in the practice of Ānāpānasati. The practitioners recognize the difference between awareness and unawareness. As mentioned in the Ānāpānasati Sutta, it has great benefit which perfects the four foundations of mindfulness of breathing. It further perfects seven factors of enlightenment. In turn, the perfection in seven factors of enlightenment perfects in clear vision and deliverance. The practice of Ānāpānasati also helps to develop patience, kindness, and gentleness that are important when one realizes that he was unaware.

Before stepping into the 16 objects which are grouped into four tetrads, a practitioner should pay attention to place, position, and practice. A secluded place is necessary to begin with the mindfulness of breathing. The four steps of mindfulness are of greater significance in the practice. A practitioner sits down in a forest or under a tree crossing his legs. He takes the position erecting the body. Then he establishes Ānāpāna in front. After that, he starts breathing in and out. Only after that, the core instruction of four tetrads comes.

Four Tetrads of Practice

Here are four tetrads of the practice that are significant in the practice.

• Contemplation of the body (Kāyā) – discerns in and out breathing, discerns long or short breath and experiences the whole body, calming bodily formations
• Contemplation of feeling (Vedanā) – being sensitive to rapture, being sensitive to pleasure, being sensitive to mental fabrication, and calming mental fabrication
• Contemplation of feeling (Citta) – being sensitive to the mind, satisfying the mind, steadying the mind, releasing the mind
• Contemplation of the mental objects (Dhamma) – focusing on impermanence, focusing on dispassion, focusing on cessation, and focusing on relinquishment

The practice of mindfulness of breathing perfects the four foundation of mindfulness.

Seven Stages of Purification

The practitioners also perfect seven enlightenment factors after perfecting four foundations of mindfulness. On all occasions, a practitioner is also fervent and mindful having put away greed and grief regarding the world. If a person wants to attain Jhāna through the practice of mindfulness of breathing, he needs to make a balance of the seven factors of enlightenment.

• On that occasion, unremitting enlightenment factor of mindfulness (Sati) is established in him.
• On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena (dhammavicaya) is aroused in him, and he develops it. And by development, it comes to perfection in him.
• On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of effort (Vīriya) is aroused in him, and he develops it. By development, it comes to perfection in him. It is the effort to bring the enlightenment factors together to strengthen the enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena and the enlightenment factor of effort itself.
• On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of joy (pīti) is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development it comes to perfection in him. It is the gladness of the mind when experiencing mindfulness of breathing.
• On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of tranquility (passaddhi) is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development it comes to perfection in him. It is the calmness of the mind and mental concomitants that have the nature of experience as their object.
• On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of concentration (Samādhi) is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development it comes to perfection in him. It is the one pointedness of the mind on the experience of mindfulness of breathing.
• On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of equanimity (Upekkhā) is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development it comes to perfection in him. It is the evenness of mind that becomes neither excited nor withdrawn from the experience of mindfulness of breathing.

Thus, repeatedly practiced, the four foundations of mindfulness fulfill the seven enlightenment factors. In turn, the repeated practice of the seven enlightenment factors perfect clear vision and deliverance. A practitioner has to develop and balance seven enlightenment factors. If the effort is insufficient, the mind of the practitioner will fall away from the object of meditation. If such a situation persists, one should not develop enlightenment factors of tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. Instead, mind is raised up again by developing the enlightenment factors of investigation of phenomena, effort, and joy. Too much effort may result in agitated mind and distraction. Then the practitioner should not develop enlightenment factors of investigation of phenomena, effort, and joy, but instead he should develop the three enlightenment factors of tranquility, concentration, and equanimity.

The Method of Practice: Eight Steps of Absorption

After getting rid of minor impediments and dispelled drowsiness, the practitioner should sit comfortably to practice mindfulness. After reflecting on the Three Jewels to gladden the mind, he sets himself to bring breathing mindfulness as meditation subject. There are stages of practicing breathing mindfulness. Those stages include the following:

• Counting: Counting breath to give attention to the meditation subject.
• Connection: Carrying on, which is the uninterrupted following of the in breaths and out breaths with mindfulness, after giving up counting.
• Contact: Place touched by breaths; no attention is to be given to it by contact separate from fixing, as there is by counting separate from connection.
• Fixing: Absorption; after giving attention to this subject of meditation, the fixing called absorption adorned with the remaining Jhāna factors is achieved.
• Observing: Insight, the practitioner should guard the sign (with pleasant feeling) avoiding seven unsuitable things and observing seven suitable things.
• Turning away: The path, by increasing the subject of meditation, the practitioner turns away wishes to attain purification and practices the same four arūpa jhānas in the five way.
• Purification: Fruition.
• Looking back on these: Reviewing, the ending step.

The practice of Ānāpānasati includes some stages such as stage 1 – counting in each out breath, stage 2 – to count in cycles of ten breaths, stage 3 – to drop the counting, and stage 4 – to begin to narrow the focus of awareness. The five controlling faculties – faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, are the five powers that control the mind and keep it from straying off the path of Samatha (tranquility) and Vipassanā (insight). When those faculties are sufficiently developed, concentration will go up to absorption concentration. One will reach at the state of Jhāna in this way.

Obstacles

There are certain factors that create disturbances in concentration thereby disturbing meditation practices and preventing the encounter with the truth. In this situation, one will not be able to reach at the state of access concentration (Upacāra Samādhi) and full concentration (Appanā Samādhi). These states of consciousness are essential for Samatha practitioners to experience the Jhānas and Vipassanā practitioners to obtain wisdom. There are five types of hindrances are – sensual desire (Kāmacchanda), anger (Byāpāda), sloth and torpor (thina-middha), restlessness and worry (Uddhacca kukkucca), and doubt (Vicikicchā). In addition, ignorance, agitation, aversion, and ill will are also considered as the obstacles of concentration. Those hindrances can be tackled down with the practice of mindfulness of breathing. On contrary to prevailing obstacles of Ānāpānasati, there are other factors that aid to the practice of breathing meditation, which includes – renunciation, non-ill will, perception of light, non-distraction, defining of states, knowledge, and joy.

Benefit

Buddha elaborated on the benefit of mindfulness of breathing practice in front of the assembly of Bhikkhus, which is contained in the Ānāpānasati Sutta. He explained that respiration mindfulness developed and repeatedly practiced is of great benefit and yields great fruits. It perfects the four foundations of mindfulness which in turn perfects the seven enlightenment factors. Then it perfects clear vision and deliverance.

The practice of Ānāpānasati has multiple benefits. It is a fool to control mind. Its major benefits are developing awareness, concentration, and calmness. The practice of breathing meditation helps to improve the skill to focus due to the practice of concentration on the subject of meditation.