Anapanasati.pdf

Ænæpænasati:

Samatha or Vipassanæ?

and

Basic Instructions for Insight

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A SSOCIATION FOR I NSIGHT M EDITATION

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Sayædaw U Janaka

Ænæpænasati:

Samatha or Vipassanæ?

and

Basic Instructions for Insight

Printed for free Distribution by

A SSOCIATION FOR I NSIGHT M EDITATION

3 Clifton Way • Alperton • Middlesex • HA0 4PQ

Website: AIMWELL.ORG Email: pesala@aimwell.org

Sayædaw U Janaka

Basic Instructions for Insight

Ænæpænasati

Samatha or Vipassanæ Meditation?

ment and note ‘rising’. When it falls, note ‘falling’. Thus,

‘rising, falling; rising falling.’

Sitting and walking meditation must be alternated.

When you change from sitting to walking, as you get up

from the seat you have to be aware of all the movements

of your limbs as they occur. When you go to the place

where you walk you have to be aware of the movements

of the feet, noting ‘left, right, left, right’. When you reach

the place where you walk, then stand still, observing the

standing posture, and note ‘standing, standing’. Thus

you have to be mindful of whatever arises in your body

and mind as it really is. This is mindfulness meditation,

insight meditation. Its purpose is to realise all mental

states and physical processes as they really occur. So may

all of you rightly understand the technique of this mind-

fulness meditation, Insight meditation or vipassanæ med-

itation and strive your best to achieve your goal.

Forty Subjects of Meditation

Ænæpænasati — respiration meditation — is men-

tioned in the Visuddhimagga as samatha meditation. In

the Visuddhimagga there are 40 subjects of samatha

meditation. They are 10 kasi¼as , 10 asubha , 10 anussati ,

4 Brahmavihæra , 4 formless spheres , perception of the

loathsomeness of food, and analysis of the four elements.

Ænæpænasati is one of them.

Kasi¼a means entirely or whole. When a kasi¼a is an

object of meditation you have to focus on the whole circle

of kasi¼a in your mind; but with the eyes initially. One can

use these kasi¼a as an object of samatha meditation; pathavø

kasi¼a , earth; æpo kasi¼a , water; tejo kasi¼a , fire; væyo kasi¼a ,

wind or air; aloka kasi¼a , light; lohita kasi¼a , red; nøla kasi¼a ,

blue; pøta kasi¼a , yellow; odæta kasi¼a, white; ækæsa kasi¼a ,

space. There are also 10 asubha : meditation on impurity;

meditation on swollen corpse, discoloured corpse, dismem-

bered corpse, skeleton and so on. Then there are 10 kinds

of recollection. We call it anussati . The objects are: Buddhæ-

nussati , recollection of the attributes of the Buddha;

Dhammænussati , recollection of the attributes of the

Dhamma ; Sa³ghænussati , recollection of the attributes of the

Sa³gha ; Sølænussati , recollection of the attributes of the pre-

cepts you are observing; Cægænussati , recollection of the

Basic Instructions for Insight

Respiration Meditation

mental state or physical process which is predominantly

arising at that moment is the object of meditation. You

have to observe that mental state or physical process

which is predominantly arising at that moment, making

mental notes.

To make it easy you have to start with the noting of

the rising movement and falling movement of the abdo-

men. Contemplation of the rising and falling movements

of the abdomen is not respiration meditation. It is called

contemplation of material elements because we have to

be aware of the four material elements: earth, water, fire,

and air element. We are mainly concerned with these

four material elements at the beginning of the practice.

To observe the rising and falling movements of the

abdomen is called contemplation of material elements

(dhætumanasikæra ). It is not respiration meditation;

though the rising and falling movement of the abdomen

is connected to in-breathing and out-breathing. It is not

in- and out-breathing. It is just abdominal movement.

The air or wind in the abdomen rises or falls, moves

forward or backward, sometimes the air moves upward or

downward. This upward movement and downward

movement are observed; this outward and inward move-

ments of the abdomen are observed, making mental note

‘rising, falling, rising, falling.’

This contemplation of material elements (dhætu-

manasikæra) is one chapter in the Discourse on the Four

breathing air, but on the ‘coming-in’ and the ‘going-out’.

‘Coming-in’ and ‘going-out’ are not ultimate realities.

Say you come into the room through the door and go out

of the room through the door. We may ask, “What is this

coming-in and going-out?” It is neither you, nor a person. It is

just ‘coming-in’ and ‘going-out’. It is just a concept. In the

same way, when you concentrate on the coming in and going

out of the breath, it is just a concept. So the concept is the

object of meditation in this case. So it is samatha meditation.

You cannot realise any specific characteristics or general

characteristics of coming-in and going-out because it is not

reality. It is just concept, so that is samatha meditation.

However, when you focus your mind on the touching

point at the nostril whenever your breath comes in or

goes out, it touches the nostrils. When you observe this

touching sensation and are mindful of it, then it is

(ultimate) reality. That touching point is composed of

the four primary material elements. Here pa¥havø dhætu :

hard and soft: here æpo dhætu : liquidity, cohesion; here

tejo dhætu : hot or cold; here væyo dhætu: movement,

motion. These four elements are there whenever you

focus your mind on the touching sensation. So the object

is absolute reality. What can we call it — samatha or

vipassanæ meditation? It is vipassanæ meditation.

That is what the Venerable Mahæsø Sayædaw wrote

about the distinction between the samatha and vipassanæ

aspects of respiration meditation. I appreciate it very

Ænæpænasati: Samatha or Vipassanæ?

Basic Instructions for Insight

attributes and benefits of charity or offering you have done;

Devatænussati , recollection of heavenly beings; Mara¼asati ,

mindfulness of death; Kæyagatasati , mindfulness of the body;

ænæpænasati , mindfulness of breathing; and Upasamænussati ,

recollection of peace.

Hence ænæpænasati , recollection or mindfulness of

breathing is one of the 10 recollections (anussati) .

According to the Visuddhimagga , we take ænæpænasati ,

mindfulness of breathing, to be samatha meditation.

However, in the Mahæsatipa¥¥hæna Sutta , the Discourse

on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, ænæpænasati is

mentioned as an object of vipassanæ meditation too. The

Mahæsatipa¥¥hæna Sutta begins with ænæpænasati as the

object of vipassanæ meditation.

Some scholars are uncertain whether this meditation

is samatha or vipassanæ because in the Visuddhimagga it is

mentioned as samatha, but the Mahæsatipa¥¥hæna Sutta

mentions it as vipassanæ . In the Mahæsatipa¥¥hæna Sutta

the Buddha teaches us how to practise ænæpænasati ,

mindfulness of respiration. He mentions how a meditator

sees the appearance and disappearance of the respiration

and realises the impermanence of respiration. So in the

Mahæsatipa¥¥hæna Sutta it is mentioned as vipassanæ .

After walking, you are about to walk to the place

where you sit. The mindfulness and concentration you

have gained in walking meditation should not be inter-

rupted, should not be disrupted when you walk to the

place where you sit. After walking you have to be

mindful of the movement of the foot , ‘lifting, pushing,

dropping; lifting, pushing, dropping’ when you walk to

the place where you sit so that your concentration is not

disrupted. You have to be mindful of the movements of

the feet until you have reached the place where you sit.

Stand there and note, ‘standing, standing’. Focus on the

upright posture of the body. Then you are about to sit

down for meditation, so you intend to sit down. That

intention must be noted and observed, making a mental

note ‘intending, intending’. Then you sit down on your

seat, slowly. The whole sitting down movement must be

observed, making a mental note ‘sitting down, sitting

down’. When the body touches the seat note ‘touching,

touching’. When you arrange your limbs, all the move-

ment must be observed as they occur.

Then you sit in a crossed-legged position or in any

position you feel comfortable. Your spine must be kept

straight, erect but not to be stretched out. Your neck and

head should be straight. Then close your eyes and focus

your mind on the rising and falling movements of the

abdomen. It is the primary object, so focus the mind

there. When the abdomen rises, observe the rising move-

Concept or Ultimate Reality

What we should know is that the object of samatha

meditation can either be paññatti or paramattha . Paññatti

Ænæpænasati: Samatha or Vipassanæ?

Basic Instructions for Insight

much. So then we can say respiration meditation is

vipassanæ meditation in accordance with the Mahæsati-

pa¥¥hæna Sutta . We can also say that respiration medita-

tion is samatha in accordance with the Visuddhimagga . It

is very subtle and profound to differentiate between these

two aspects of respiration meditation, but I think those

who have practised meditation very well can differen-

tiate between these two aspects.

Using Samatha to Dispel Thoughts

Sometimes we have to concentrate on the coming in

and going out of the breath as the object of meditation

when the mind is too distracted; when we have a lot of

thoughts. The Buddha said that when you have a lot of

distractions and lots of thoughts, you should practise respi-

ration meditation as samatha meditation because respira-

tion or breathing is, so to say, ever present as long as you

are alive. So it is easy for you to concentrate on it. That is

why the Buddha teaches us to practise respiration medita-

tion as samatha meditation when there are many thoughts.

However, in my experience, Buddhænussati and Metta

are the best for my meditators to concentrate on when

they have a lot of thoughts. So I teach them either

Buddhænussati or Metta Bhævanæ . Buddhænussati is some-

what difficult for those who have no knowledge of the

Buddha’s attributes. Metta meditation is very easy; every

meditator can do it. When they can concentrate by

of, what is happening to your body and mind as it really

occurs, that is all. You must not use your preconception

when you practise this meditation. If you allow precon-

ception to enter your mind when you are meditating,

then you cannot rightly understand the true nature of

mental and physical phenomena that are observed. The

basic principle of vipassanæ meditation, mindfulness med-

itation is to be mindful of whatever arises in your body

and mind as it really occurs; to be aware of any mental

states or physical processes in its true nature; to observe

any activity of mind or body as it really occurs.

The technique is not difficult. It is very easy and

simple, and very effective if you persistently practise this

meditation. You have to be patient before you have

attained any higher stage of insight knowledge. Persever-

ance, patience and strenuous efforts are vital qualities for

a meditator to be successful.

Now that we know that the principle of mindfulness

meditation is to observe any mental states or physical

processes as they really occur, then we realise that in

vipassanæ meditation we can have many different objects

of meditation; not just a single object, as in samatha medi-

tation. So we should note this difference between samatha

and vipassanæ meditation. Samatha has only a single object

of meditation such as respiration, and vipassanæ has many

different objects because all mental states and all physical

processes are the objects of vipassanæ meditation. Any

Basic Instructions for Insight

Concept or Ultimate Reality

after which you note the turning movement of the body,

slowly, ‘turning, turning’. You may observe the move-

ment of your foot too when you turn your body. The feet

also turn one after the other. You can observe the move-

ment of the feet too, making a mental note ‘turning,

turning’. When you are facing the direction from which

you came, then you stand still and observe the standing

posture, ‘standing, standing’ about ten times. Then walk

back to the other end of the walking path making a

mental note ‘lifting, pushing, dropping.’

You should practise walking meditation like this for

at least one hour. If beginners find it difficult to walk for

one hour, they should walk for at least thirty minutes

making a mental note, ‘lifting, pushing, dopping’. When

you have reached this end of the walk you do the same.

First of all stand still, and note ‘standing’, observing the

erect posture of standing, the upright posture of the

body. Then you note ‘intending, intending’ after which

you turn your body, ‘turning, turning,’ slowly, not

quickly. You should walk back and forth like this, along

the same line. Then you can gradually concentrate on

the movements of the feet to some extent, which is

concentration (samædhi). Concentration is gained by

means of continuous mindfulness, powerful mindfulness.

Walking meditation and sitting meditation should be

practised alternately. Nonetheless, every sitting medita-

tion should be preceded by walking meditation.

means concept, paramattha means absolute or ultimate

reality. The object of samatha meditation may be concept

or ultimate reality. When we take kasi¼a as the object of

samatha meditation, the object is just concept, not abso-

lute reality. How?

To use a red kasi¼a as the object of kasi¼a meditation,

you have to draw a red circle about the size of a plate on

a wall or tree, about two feet from the floor so that your

eyes can look at it easily. That red must be pure red

without mixing with any colour. When you focus your

mind on the red circle, you have to focus on the whole

red circle, not half or quarter of the circle. So it is called

kasi¼a . Why? Because you want to concentrate your

mind on the form of the circle. You need not know the

red, the colour. You need not know the texture. What

you should do is concentrate on the form of the circle

very well, very deeply. You have to look at the whole

circle and focus your mind on it.

Then when your concentration is good enough,

though you close your eyes you can see that red circle in

your mind, that is the form of the circle. You concentrate

on that red circle you see in your mind. That circle you

see in your mind is called Pa¥ibhæga Nimitta . It means the

nimitta which is similar to the circle on the wall. Some

scholars translate it as ‘counterpart sign’. The meditation

is samatha meditation so you need not realise any phys-

ical or material processes of the circle.

Basic Instructions for Insight

reaction to it. If you do not observe, if you are not

mindful of the consciousness of seeing when you see

something then visual consciousness sees the object for

a very long time whereby it can judge whether the object

is good or bad. When the visual consciousness judges the

object to be good, you feel a pleasant sensation about the

object. When the consciousness of seeing judges the

object to be bad you feel an unpleasant sensation about

the object. You like it, you love it, you want to get it. You

have a desire for this object because you feel that it is

good. That desire is sort of reaction to the object, which

is not observed or noted. That desire is the cause of

suffering, the cause of dukkha. The cause of dukkha,

desire, arises because you are not able to observe the

visible object, so you have a reaction. The reaction arises

in the form of desire or love.

So not to have any reaction to the object, you have to

be aware of it. You have to observe it. You have to note

it, making mental note, ‘seeing, seeing’ (or ‘hearing’

‘smelling’ ‘tasting’ ‘touching’ ‘thinking’ as appropriate).

When you are able to observe any object, either mental

states or physical processes, then you don’t have any

reaction to them. Then you feel calm, quiet, and tran-

quil. That is why we call mindfulness meditation “non-

reacting awareness,” or “non-judging mindfulness.” To

practise insight meditation, or mindfulness meditation,

what you need is just to be mindful of, just to be aware

Metta , their mind becomes calm and tranquil. Then they

can very easily switch to vipassanæ meditation.

That is how you can differentiate between the two

aspects of respiration meditation. May all of you be able

to differentiate between the two aspects of respiration

meditation and practise your meditation accordingly and

achieve the goal.

Basic Instructions for Insight

First of all we should know the difference between

samatha and vipassanæ meditation. Unless we are able to

understand the difference between these two types of

meditation, no one can practise any type of meditation

very well because they get confused. So in Buddhism

there are two types of meditation; one is samatha medita-

tion and the other is vipassanæ meditation.

Samatha here means concentration or the mental

states that make the mind calm. When the mind is

concentrated on a single object it is called concentration

of mind. So to obtain a higher degree of concentration,

samatha is practised. The purpose of samatha meditation

is to attain the higher degree of concentration which is

called jhæna or appana . This jhæna is called Zhan in Bur-

mese, Chan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese. Zen here

means concentration but some of the Buddhist scholars

translated Zen into meditation. Here jhæna is deep con-

centration or higher degree of concentration. When you

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