Anapanasati Totally Explained

Everything about Anapanasati totally explained

Ānāpānasati (Pali), meaning 'mindfulness of breathing' ("sati" means mindfulness; "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation), is a fundamental form of meditation taught by the Buddha. According to this teaching, classically presented in the Anāpānasati Sutta, practicing this form of meditation as a part of the Noble Eightfold Path leads to the removal of all defilements (kilesa) and finally to the attainment of nibbāna (nirvana). In both ancient and modern times, anapanasati by itself is likely the most widely used Buddhist method for contemplating bodily phenomena. Traditionally, anapanasati is used as a basis for practicing meditative concentration (samadhi) until it reached the state of full absorption (jhana). It is the same state, reached by the Buddha during his quest for Enlightenment. In the Zen tradition, anapanasati is practiced with zazen or shikantaza (in the Soto tradition). Anapanasati can also be practised with other traditional meditation subjects including the four frames of reference and mettā bhāvanā.

Buddhist origins

The Buddha's teaching in this matter was based on his own experience in using anapanasati as part of his means of achieving his own enlightenment.
The Anāpānasati Sutta specifically concerns mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation, and recommends the practice of ānāpānasati meditation as a means of cultivating the seven factors of awakening: sati (mindfulness), dhamma vicaya (analysis), viriya (persistence), which leads to piti (rapture), then to passaddhi (serenity), which in turn leads to samadhi (concentration) and then to upekkhā (equanimity). Finally, the Buddha taught that, with these factors developed in this progression, the practice of ānāpānasati would lead to release (Pali: nibbāna; Sanskrit: nirvana) from suffering (dukkha).

The practice

The practice of anāpānasati varies. Typically, one begins by sitting in a comfortable position, with the back and neck straight, in a comfortable and peaceful environment.
The meditator should breathe naturally, without attempting to change the length or depth of the breath. If the breath is short, the meditator should simply observe that the breath is short. If the breath is long, the meditator should simply observe that the breath is long.
While inhaling and exhaling, the meditator practises:

training the mind to be sensitive to one or more of: the entire body, rapture, pleasure, the mind itself, and mental processes
training the mind to be focused on one or more of: inconstancy, dispassion, cessation, and relinquishment
steadying, satisfying, or releasing the mind.

Tutors will explain that, in an untrained mind, thoughts constantly arise, disturbing the focus. They arise and fall away, like waves in an ocean. If one disregards them, they slowly wither and disappear. On the other hand, if one pays them attention, one is soon lost in a web of thoughts.
   In this tradition there are two types of thoughts: thoughts from the past and thoughts about the future. These may bring happiness or sadness. It is said that, when left unattended, the mind will flit from one thought to another, wandering aimlessly.
   Practitioners are tutored to avoid their practice being disrupted by passing thoughts and to nudge themselves into concentrating on their breathing once again.
   A popular non-canonical method used today, loosely based on the Visuddhimagga, follows four stages:

counting each breath at the end of exhalation

counting each breath at the beginning of inhalation

focusing on the breath without counting

focusing only on the spot where the breath enters and leaves the nostrils (for example, the nostril and upper lip area).

Stages of Anāpānasati

Formally, there are sixteen stages — or contemplations — of ānāpānasati. These are divided into four tetrads (for example, sets or groups of four). The first four steps involve focusing the mind on breathing, which is the 'body-conditioner' (Pali: kāya-sankhāra). The second tetrad involves focusing on the feelings (vedanā), which are the 'mind-conditioner' (Pali: citta-sankhāra). The third tetrad involves focusing on the mind itself (Pali: citta), and the fourth on 'the truth' (Pali: dhamma). (Compare right mindfulness and satipatthana.)
Any anāpānasati meditation session should progress through the stages in order, beginning at the first, whether the practitioner has performed all stages in a previous session or not.

Satipatthana	Anapanasati	Tetrads
1. Contemplation of the body	1. Breathing long	First Tetrad
	2. Breathing short
	3. Experiencing the whole body
	4. Tranquillising the bodily activities
2. Contemplation of feelings	5. Experiencing rapture	Second Tetrad
	6. Experiencing bliss
	7. Experiencing mental activities
	8. Tranquillising mental activities
3. Contemplation of the mind	9. Experiencing the mind	Third Tetrad
	10. Gladdening the mind
	11. Centering the mind in samadhi
	12. Releasing the mind
4. Contemplation of Dhammas	13. Contemplating impermanence	Fourth Tetrad
	14. Contemplating fading of lust
	15. Contemplating cessation
	16. Contemplating relinquishment
Table 1. The Four Satipatthanas and the Sixteen Phases of Anapanasati.

Meditation with breath

Anapanasati is a core meditation practice in Buddhism, especially in the Theravada school, and involves merely being a "passive observer of the natural involuntary breathing process." rather than being in control of the breathing. In any case, anapanasati isn't the only breathing-based type of Buddhist meditation. For example, in the Buddhist meditation practices of Tibet, Mongolia and Japanese Zen meditation, control of the breathing is an important element.
In the throat singing so widely prevalent in the Buddhist monasteries of Tibet and Mongolia the long slow outbreath during chanting is the core of the practice. The sound of the chant also serves to focus the mind in one-pointed concentration samadhi, while the sense of self dissolves as awareness becomes absorbed into a realm of pure sound. In Zen meditation, the emphasis is upon maintaining "strength in the abdominal area" (tanden) and slow deep breathing during the long outbreath, again to assist the attainment of a mental state of one-pointed concentration.

Further Information
Get more info on 'Anapanasati'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://anapanasati.totallyexplained.com">Anapanasati Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.