The Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing

(Anapanasati Sutta, No. 118 in the Majjhima Nikaya, of Pali Texts)

Translation by Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Section One

 

I heard these works of the Buddha one time when he was staying in Savatthi in the Eastern Park, with many well-known and accomplished disciples, including Sariputta, Mahamoggallana, Mahakassapa, Mahakacayana, Mahakotthita, Mahakappina, Mahacunda, Anuruddha, Rewata, and Ananda. The senior bhikkhus in the community were diligently instruction bhikkhus who were new to the practice – some instructing ten students, some twenty, some thirty, and some forty and in this way the bhikkhus new to the practice gradually made great progress.

 

Thant night the moon was full, and the Pavarana Ceremony was help to mark the end of the rainy-season retreat. Lord Buddha, the Awakened One, was sitting in the open, and his disciples were gathered around him. After looking over the assembly, he began speaking:

 

“O bhikkhus, I am pleased to observe the fruit you have attained in your practice. And I know you can make even more progress. What you have not yet attained, you can attain. What you have not yet realized, you can realize perfectly. [To encourage your efforts,] I will stay here until the next full moon day.

 

When they heard that the Lord Buddha was going to stay at Savatthi for another month, bhikkhus throughout the country began traveling there to study with him. The senior bhikkhus continued teaching the bhikkhus new to the practice even more ardently. Some were instructing then students, some twenty, some thirty, and some forty. With this help, the newer bhikkhus were able, little by little, to continue their progress in understanding.

 

When the next full moon day arrived, the Buddha seated under the open sky, looked over the assembly of bhikkhus and began speaking:

 

“O bhikkhus, our community is pure and good. At its heart, it is without useless and boastful talk, and therefore it deserves to receive offerings and be considered a field of merit. Such a community is rare, and any pilgrim who seeks it, no matter how far he must travel, will find it worthy.

 

“O bhikkhus, there are bhikkhus in this assembly who have already realized the fruit of Arahathood, destroyed every root of affliction, laid aside every burden, and attained right understanding and emancipation. There are also bhikkhus who have already cut off the first five internal formations and realized the fruit of never retuning to the cycle of birth and death.

 

“There are those who have thrown off the first three internal formations and realized the fruit of returning one more. They have cut off the roots of greed, hatred, and ignorance, and only need to return to the cycle of birth and death ne more time. There are those who have thrown off the three internal formations and attained the fruit of stream enterer, heading steadily to the Awakened State. There are those who practice the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. There are those who practice the For Right Efforts and those who practice the Four Bases of Success. There are those who practice the Five Faculties, those who practice the Five Powers, those who practice the Seven Factors of Awakening, and those who practice the Noble Eightfold Path. There are those who practice loving kindness, those who practice compassion, those who practice joy, and those who practice equanimity. There are those who practice the Nine Contemplations, and those who practice the Observation of Impermanence. There are also bhikkhus already practicing full awareness of breathing.

 

Section Two

 

“O bhikkhus, the method of being fully aware of breathing, if developed and practiced continuously, will have great rewards and bring great advantages. It will lead to success in practicing the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. If the method of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness is developed and practiced continuously, it will lead to success in the practice of the Seven Factors of Awakening. The Seven Factors of Awakening, if developed and practiced continuously, will give rise to Understanding and Liberation of the Mind.

 

“What is the way to develop and practice continuously the method of Full Awareness of Breathing so that the practice will be rewarding and offer great benefit?

 

“It is like this bhikkhus: the practitioner goes into the forest or to the foot of a tree, or to any deserted place, and sits stably in the lotus position, holding his body quite straight. Breathing in he knows that he is breathing in; and breathing out, he knows that he is breathing out.

 

Breathing in a long breath, he knows, ‘I am breathing in a long breath’. Breathing out a long breath, he knows, ‘I am breathing out a long breath.’

 

Breathing in a short breath, he knows, ‘I am breathing in a short breath.’ Breathing out a short breath, he knows, ‘I am breathing out a short breath.’

 

‘I am breathing in and am aware of my whole body. I am breathing out and am aware of my whole body.’ This is how he practices.

 

‘I am breathing in and making my whole body calm and at peace. I am breathing out and making my whole body clam and at peace.’ This is how he practices.

 

‘I am breathing in and feeling joyful. I am breathing out and feeling joyful.’ This is how he practices.

 

‘I am breathing in and feeling happy. I am breathing out and feeling happy.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and am aware of the activities of the mind in me. I am breathing out and am aware of the activities of the mind in me.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and making the activities of the mind in me calm and at peace. I am breathing out and making the activities of the mind in me calm and at peace.’ He practices like this.

 

’I am breathing in and am aware of my mind. I am breathing out and am aware of my mind.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and making my mind happy and at peace. I am breathing out and making my mind happy and at peace.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and concentrating my mind. I am breathing out and concentrating my mind.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and liberating my mind. I am breathing out and liberating my mind.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and observing the impermanent nature of all dharmas. I am breathing out and observing the impermanent nature of all dharmas. He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and observing the fading of all dharmas. I am breathing out and observing the fading of all dharmas.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and observing liberation. I am breathing out and observing liberation.’ He practices like this.

 

‘I am breathing in and observing letting go. I am breathing out and observing letting go.’ He practices like this.

 

“The Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously according to these instructions will be rewarding and of great benefit.

 

Section Three

 

“In what way does on develop and continuously practice the Full Awareness of Breathing, in order to succeed in the practice of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness?

 

“When the practitioner breathes in or breathes out a long or a short breath, aware of his breath or his whole body, or aware that he is making his whole body calm and at peace, he abides peacefully in the observation of the body in the body, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. In this case, breathing in and breathing out with Full Awareness belong to the first Establishment of Mindfulness, namely the body.

 

“When the practitioner breathes in or out with the awareness of joy or happiness, or awareness of the activities of the mind; when the practitioner breathes in or out in order to make the activities of his mind calm and at peace, at that time he abides peacefully in the observation of the feelings in the feelings, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. This exercise of breathing with awareness belongs to the second Establishment of Mindfulness, namely the feelings.

 

“When the practitioner breathes in or breathes out with the awareness of the mind, or to make the mind calm and at peace, to collect the mind in concentration, or to free and liberate the mind, at that time he abides peacefully in the observation of the mind in the mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life. Without full awareness of breathing, there can be no development of meditative stability and understanding.

 

“When the practitioner breathes in or breathes out and contemplates the essential impermanence or the essential fading of all dharmas or liberation or letting go, at that time he abides peacefully in the awareness of the objects of the mind in the objects of the mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life.

 

“The practice of Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously, will lead to perfect accomplishment of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.

 

Section Four

 

“Moreover, if they are developed and continuously practiced, the Four Establishments of Mindfulness will lead to perfect abiding in the Seven Factors of Awakening. How is this so?

 

“When the practitioner can maintain, without distraction, the practice of observing the body in the body, the feelings in the feelings, the mind in the mind, and the objects of mind in the objects of mind, persevering, fully awake, clearly understanding his state, gone beyond all attachment and aversion to this life, with unwavering, steadfast, imperturbable meditative stability, he will attain the first Factor of Awakening, namely full attention. When this factor is developed, it will come to perfection.

 

“When the practitioner can abide in meditative stability without being distracted and can investigate every dharma, every object of mind that arises, then the second Factor of Awakening will be born and developed in him, the factor of investigating dharmas. When this factor is developed, it will come to perfection.

 

“When the practitioner can observe and investigate every dharma in the sustained, persevering, and steadfast way, without being distracted, the third Factor of Awakening will be born and developed in him, the factor of energy. When this factor is developed it will come to perfection.

 

“When the practitioner has reached a stable, imperturbable abiding in the stream of practice, the fourth Factor of Awakening will be born and developed in him, the factor of joy. When this factor is developed, it will come to perfection.

 

“When the practitioner can abide undistractedly in the state of joy, he will feel his body and mind light and at peace. At this point the fifth Factor of Awakening will be born and developed, the factor of ease. When this factor is developed, it will come to perfection.

 

“When both body and mind are at ease, the practitioner can easily enter into concentration. At that time the sixth Factor of Awakening will be born and developed in him, the factor of concentration. When this factor is developed, it will come to perfection.

 

“When the practitioner is abiding in concentration with deep calmness, he will cease discriminating and comparing. At that time the seventh factor of Awakening is released, born, and developed in him, the factor of letting go. When this factor is developed, it will come to perfection.

 

“This is how the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, if developed and practiced continuously, will lead to perfect abiding in the Seven Factors of Awakening.

 

Section Five

 

“How will the Seven Factors of Awakening, if developed and practiced continuously, lead to the perfect accomplishment of true understanding and complete liberation?

 

“If the practitioner follows the path of the Seven Factors of Awakening, living in quit seclusion, observing and contemplating the fading of all dharmas, he will develop the capacity of letting go. This will be a result of following the path of the Seven Factors of Awakening and will lead to the perfect accomplishment of true understanding and complete liberation.”

 

Section Six

 

This is what the Lord, the Awakened One, said; and everyone in the assembly felt gratitude and delight at having heard his teachings.

 

 

 

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