The Sutra On the Full Awareness of Breathing
Translated by Master Thich Nhat Hanh
Extracted from Awakening of the Heart: Essential Buddhist Sutras and Commentaries (by Thich Nhat Hanh)
Section One
I heard these words 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, Mahakaccayana, Mahakotthita, Mahakappina, Mahacunda, Anuruddha, Revata, and Ananda. The senior bhikkhus (Theravada Buddhist monks) in the community were diligently instructing 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.
That night the moon was full, and the Pavarana Ceremony was held to mark the end of the rainy season retreat. Lord Buddha, the Awakened One, was sitting in the open air, and his disciples were gathered around him. After looking over the assembly, he began to speak:
“O bhikkhus, I am pleased to observe the fruit you have attained in your practice. Yet 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 are instructing ten bhikkhus, 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 to speak:
“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 many 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 realize the fruit of arahatship, destroyed every root of affliction, laid aside every burden, and attained right understanding and emancipation. There are also bhikkhus who have cut off the first five internal formations and realized the fruit of never returning 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 once more. They have cut off the roots of greed, hatred, and ignorance and will only need to return to the cycle of birth and death one more time. There are those who have thrown off the three internal formations and attained the fruit of Stream-Enterer, coursing steadily to the Awakened State. There are those who practice the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. There are those who practice the Four 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 who are already practicing Full Awareness of Breathing.”
Section Two
“O bhikkhus, the method of being full 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, sits stably in the lotus position, holding his or her body quite straight, and practices like this: ‘Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.’
1. ‘Breathing in a long breath, I know I am breathing in a long breath. Breathing out a long breath, I know I am breathing out a long breath.’
2. ‘Breathing in a short breath, I know I am breathing in a short breath. Breathing out a short breath, I know I am breathing out a short breath.’
3. ‘Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body.’
4. ‘Breathing in, I calm my whole body. Breathing out, I calm my whole body.’
5. ‘Breathing in, I feel joyful. Breathing out, I feel joyful.’
6. ‘Breathing in, I feel happy. Breathing out, I feel happy.’
7. ‘Breathing in, I am aware of my mental formations. Breathing out, I am aware of my mental formations.’
8. ‘Breathing in, I calm my mental formations. Breathing out, I calm my mental formations.’
9. ‘Breathing in, I am aware of my mind. Breathing out, I am aware of my mind.’
10. ‘Breathing in, I make my mind happy. Breathing out, I make my mind happy.’
11. ‘Breathing in, I concentrate my mind. Breathing out, I concentrate my mind.’
12. ‘Breathing in, I liberate my mind. Breathing out, I liberate my mind.’
13. ‘Breathing in, I observe the impermanent nature of all dharmas. Breathing out, I observe the impermanent nature of all dharmas.’
14. ‘Breathing in, I observe the disappearance of desire. Breathing out, I observe the disappearance of desire.
15. ‘Breathing, I observe cessation. Breathing out I observe cessation.
16. ‘Breathing in, I observe letting go. Breathing out, I observe letting to.’
“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 one 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 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. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the first Establishment of Mindfulness, the body.
“When the practitioner breathes in or out, aware of joy or happiness, aware of the mental formations, or to make the mental formations peaceful, 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. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the second Establishment of Mindfulness, the feelings.
“When the practitioner breathes in or out with the awareness of the mind or to make the mind happy, to collect the mind in concentration, or to free and liberate the mind, 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. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the third Establishment of Mindfulness, the mind. 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 disappearance of desire or cessation or letting go, he abides peacefully in the observations of 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. These exercises of breathing with Full Awareness belong to the fourth Establishment of Mindfulness, the objects of mind.
“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 mindfulness. 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 a 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 this point 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 the concentration with deep calm, he will cease discriminating and comparing. At this point 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 quiet seclusion, observing and contemplating the disappearance of desire, 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.
~ Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta No.118, translated from the Pali ~
入出息念經
第一節
這是我聽到佛說的。那時佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園，與許多為人熟悉、有證悟的弟子在一起，包括舍利弗、摩訶目犍連、摩訶迦葉、摩訶迦旃延、摩訶俱絺羅、摩訶劫賓那、摩訶純陀、阿那律、離婆多及阿難尊者。僧團中的資深比丘精勤指導初修學的比丘：有些指導十位，有些指導二十位， 有些指導三十位，有些指導四十位。如此，初修學比丘逐漸取得很大進步。
那個夜晚是月圓夜，比丘們舉行自恣儀式，標誌雨安居的結束。佛世尊坐於露天處，弟子們聚集在佛身邊。佛環顧僧眾後說：
「比丘們，很高興看到你們修行證得的成果，但我知道，你們可有更大進步。你們尚未達到的，可以達到；你們尚未證得的，可以圓滿證得。為了鼓勵你們精進修習，我將在這裡留到下一個月圓日。」
聽到佛將在舍衛國多留一月，各地比丘都前往跟隨佛修學。資深比丘更悉心教導初修學比丘：有些指導十位，有些指導二十位， 有些指導三十位，有些指導四十位。有了這樣的幫助，初修學比丘都能在理解之道日漸進步。
到了下一月圓日，佛坐於露天處，望著僧眾說：
「比丘們，我們的僧團清淨純善。僧團中沒有無意義和自誇的談話，值得接受供養，被視為福田。這樣的僧團稀有。任何在尋找僧團的修行者，無論要走多遠，都感到值得。
「比丘們，僧團中有些比丘已證得阿羅漢果，斷除所有煩惱，捨離一切纏縛，成就智慧與解脫。也有些比丘已斷除前五結使，證得不還果，不再生死輪迴。
「還有些比丘已滅盡三結，證得一來果，他們斷除了貪、瞋、癡三結，只需再生死輪迴一次。有些比丘已滅盡三結，證得預流果，趣向證悟。有些比丘修習四念處，有些修習四正勤，有些修習四如意足；有些修習五根，有些修習五力，有些修習七覺支，有些修習八正道；有些修習慈，有些修習悲，有些修習喜，有些修習捨；有些修習九想，有些修習無常觀；有些比丘已在修習念呼吸。」（鐘）
第二節
「比丘們，持續發展和修習念呼吸，將帶來大益處，獲得大成果，由此而能成功修行四念處。持續發展和修習四念處，將能成功修行七覺支。持續發展和修習七覺支，將帶來智慧和解脫。
「如何持續修習念呼吸，使修行帶來成果和大益處？」
「就是如此，比丘們，修行者到林中、樹下或任何寂靜處，結跏趺坐，身安穩端正，正念現前，如此修習：「吸氣，我知道我在吸氣。呼氣，我知道我在呼氣。」
1.「吸氣長，我知道吸氣長。呼氣長，我知道呼氣長。」
2.「吸氣短，我知道吸氣短。呼氣短，我知道呼氣短。」
3.「吸氣，我覺知整個身體。呼氣，我覺知整個身體。」
4.「吸氣，我使全身平靜安詳。呼氣，我使全身平靜安詳。」
5.「吸氣，我感到喜悅。呼氣，我感到喜悅。」
6.「吸氣，我感到快樂。呼氣，我感到快樂。」
7.「吸氣，我覺知我的心行。呼氣，我覺知我的心行。」
8.「吸氣，我使心行平靜安詳。呼氣，我使心行平靜安詳。」
9.「吸氣，我覺知我的心。呼氣，我覺知我的心。」
10.「吸氣，我令心愉悅。呼氣，我令心愉悅。」
11.「吸氣，我令心集中。呼氣，我令心集中。」
12.「吸氣，我令心解脫。呼氣，我令心解脫。」
13.「吸氣，我觀照無常。呼氣，我觀照無常。」
14.「吸氣，我觀照欲望止息。呼氣，我觀照欲望止息。」
15.「吸氣，我觀照滅。呼氣，我觀照滅。」
16.「吸氣，我觀照捨離。呼氣，我觀照捨離。」
第三節
「如何持續修習念呼吸，以成功修行四念處？
「當修行者吸氣或呼氣，呼吸長或呼吸短，覺知呼吸和整個身體，或覺知他在使全身平靜安詳。他安住於觀身如身，精勤不懈，對自己的狀態了了分明，超越對生命的所有執著和厭離。這些念呼吸的練習，屬於第一念處—身念處。
「當修行者吸氣或呼氣，覺知喜或樂，覺知心理活動，或使心理活動平靜安詳，他安住於觀受如受，精勤不懈，對自己的狀態了了分明，超越對生命的所有執著和厭離。這些念呼吸的練習，屬於第二念處—受念處。
「當修行者吸氣或呼氣，覺知心或令心愉悅，令心集中，或令心解脫，他安住於觀心如心，精勤不懈，對自己的狀態了了分明，超越對生命的所有執著和厭離。這些念呼吸的練習，屬於第三念處—心念處。沒有修習念呼吸，就無法發展禪定和智慧。
「當修行者吸氣或呼氣，觀萬法無常的本性，觀欲望的止息，觀萬法不生不滅的本性，觀捨離，他安住於觀受如受，精勤不懈，對自己的狀態了了分明，超越對生命的所有執著和厭離。這些念呼吸的練習，屬於第四念處—心的對象，即法念處。
「 持續修習念呼吸，將令四念處修習圓滿。」
第四節
「如何持續修習四念處，以圓滿成就七覺支？
「當修行者於身觀身而住、於受觀受而住、於心觀心而住、於法觀法而住，精勤不懈，對自己的狀態了了分明，超越對生命的所有執著和厭離，以沉著、堅定不移的禪定，他會生起第一覺支──念覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「當修行者住於禪定，心不散亂，能夠審視萬法，即所有心的對象，他會生起第二覺支—擇法覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「當修行者觀察和審視萬法，持續、堅定、不怠惰、心不散亂，他會生起第三覺支—精進覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「當修行者穩定、沈著地安住於修行之流，他會生起第四覺支—喜覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「當修行者安住於喜的狀態，心不散亂，他會感受到身心輕安。這時候，他會生起第五覺支—輕安覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「當修行者身心輕安，就能輕易入定。這時候，他會生起第六覺支—定覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「當修行者安住於定中，深沈平靜，分別計較將會止息。這時候，他會生起第七覺支—捨覺支。當修習這一覺支時，它將達致圓滿。
「如果持續修習和發展四念處，能令七覺支的修習圓滿。」
第五節
「如何持續修習七覺支，以得到正智和圓滿解脫？
「修行者依照七覺支的方法修習，住於寂靜處，觀離欲，他將能夠出離。這是修行七覺支的成果，將帶來正智和圓滿解脫。」
第六節
這是佛世尊所說。聽到佛的教導後，比丘們皆大歡喜。
~ 中部第118經《入出息念經》 ~
中部 118 Ānāpānasati Sutta 《入出息念經》，亦稱《出入息念經》 、《 安那般那念經》 或《安般念經》。
Buddha Mind 