HeartDhamma

SN 54.1 One Teaching, The Breath

Ekadhamma Sutta

 

In Sāvatthi.

The Awakened One addressed the Monks:

 

“There is this one thing monks,

Which, cultivated and practiced often,

Bears great fruits, and is of great benefit.” [1]

 

What is this one thing?

 

“Cultivating awareness alongside the breath.” [2]

 

And how is it cultivated and practiced

so it bears great fruit and benefit?

 

Here monks,

Someone resorts 

To the forest, 

At the root of a tree,

In an empty cabin,

Sitting down with legs folded and body upright

Having reposed one’s awareness about oneself. [3]

 

Breathing in with presence, 

Breathing out with presence. [4]

 

[First Stage]

 

(1) One is aware of a long breath as a long breath.

Breathing in and breathing out. [5]

 

(2) One is aware of a short breath as a short breath.

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

(3) One trains: To experience the whole body.

Breathing in and breathing out. [6]

 

(4) One trains: To calm the tension in the body. [7]

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

[Second Stage]

 

(5) One trains: To experience joy. [8]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

(6) One trains: To experience happiness. [9]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

(7) One trains: To experience the movements of the mind. [10]

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

(8) One trains: To calm the movements of the mind, [11]

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

[Third Stage]

 

(9) One trains: To experience the mind, [12]

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

(10) One trains: To uplift the mind with joy. [13]

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

(11) One trains: To gather the mind. [14]

Breathing in and breathing out.

 

(12) One trains: To untangle the mind. [15]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

 

[Fourth Stage]

 

(13) One trains: To see constant change. [16]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

(14) One trains: To see calming down. [17]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

(15) One trains: To see the end of awareness. [18]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

(16) One trains: To see breaking free. [19]

Breathing in and breathing out

 

 

This is how to cultivate awareness,

using the breath as a reminder,

for it to be highly fruitful and beneficial.

 


[1] “ekadhammo, bhikkhave, bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṃso.

[2] Ānāpānassati.

[3] Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā.

[4] So satova   assasati,  satova passasati.

[5] Dīghaṃ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṃ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṃ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṃ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; The verb pajānāti denotes that one is only ‘aware of this, not ‘training’ to do this. The ‘training’ comes in the next steps as ‘sikkhati.’ This step here is a passive one.

[6] ‘sabba-kāya-paṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabba-kāya-paṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati;

[7] Passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ

[8] Pītipaṭisaṃvedī

[9] Sukhapaṭisaṃvedī

[10] Cittasaṅkhārapaṭisaṃvedī

[11] Passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāraṃ

[12] Cittapaṭisaṃvedī

[13] Abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ

[14] Samādahaṃ cittaṃ

[15] Vimocayaṃ cittaṃ

[16] Aniccānupassī

[17] Virāgānupassī: Disengaging

[18] Nirodhānupassī

[19] Paṭinissaggānupassī: Breaking Free.

 
 

 

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