The Full Awareness of Breathing

The Buddha delivered the sutra: “Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis, the method of the Full Awareness of Breathing, if developed and practiced continuously, will bring great rewards and advantages. It will lead to success in practicing the Four Establishments of Mindfulness and the Seven Factors of Awakening, which will give rise to Understanding and Liberation.

“One practices as follows:

“The first breath: ‘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.’

“The second breath: ‘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.’

“These two breaths enable you to cut through forgetfulness and unnecessary thinking, at the same time giving rise to mindfulness and enabling you to encounter life in the present moment. Forgetfulness is the absence of mindfulness. Breathing with awareness enables us to return to ourselves and to life.

“The third breath: ‘Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body.’

“This breath enables you to contemplate the body and be in direct contact with your own body. Awareness of the whole body and awareness of every part of the body allows you to see the wondrous presence of your body and the process of birth and death unfolding in your body.

“The fourth breath: ‘I am breathing in and making my whole body calm and at peace. I am breathing out and making my whole body calm and at peace.’

“This breath helps you realize calmness and peace in the body and arrive at a state in which mind, body, and breath are one harmonious reality.

“The fifth breath: ‘I am breathing in and feeling joyful. I am breathing out and feeling joyful.’

“The sixth breath: ‘I am breathing in and feeling happy. I am breathing out and feeling happy.’

“With these two breaths, you cross into the domain of feelings. These two breaths create peace and joy that can nourish mind and body. Thanks to the cessation of dispersion and forgetfulness, you return to yourself, aware of the present moment. Happiness and joy arise within you.

“You dwell in the wonders of life, able to taste the peace and joy mindfulness brings. Thanks to this encounter with the wonders of life, you are able to transform neutral feelings into pleasant feelings. These two breaths thus lead to pleasant feelings.

“The seventh breath: ‘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.’

“The eighth breath: ‘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.’

“These two breaths enable you to look deeply at all the feelings arising within you, whether they are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, and enable you to make those feelings calm and at peace. The ‘activities of the mind’ mean, in this case, the feelings. When you are aware of your feelings and can see deeply into their roots and nature, you can control them and make them calm and at peace, even though they may be unpleasant thoughts which arise from desire, anger, and jealousy.

“The ninth breath: ‘I am breathing in and am aware of my mind. I am breathing out and am aware of my mind.’

“The tenth breath: ‘I am breathing in and making my mind happy and at peace. I am breathing out and making my mind happy and at peace.’

“The eleventh breath: ‘I am breathing in and concentrating my mind. I am breathing out and concentrating my mind.’

“The twelfth breath: ‘I am breathing in and liberating my mind. I am breathing out and liberating my mind.’

“With these four breaths you cross into the third domain, which is the mind. The ninth breath enables you to recognize all the states of the mind, such as perceptions, thinking, discrimination, happiness, sadness, and doubt. You observe and recognize these states in order to see deeply into the mind’s activities. When the mind’s activities are observed and recognized, you are able to concentrate your mind, making it quiet and at peace. This is brought about by the tenth and eleventh breaths. The twelfth breath enables you to release all obstacles of the mind. Thanks to illuminating your mind, you can see the roots of all mental formations, and thus overcome all obstacles.

“The thirteenth breath: ‘I am breathing in and observing the impermanent nature of all dharmas. I am breathing out and observing the impermanent nature of all dharmas.’

“The fourteenth breath: ‘I am breathing in and observing the fading of all dharmas. I am breathing out and observing the fading of all dharmas.’

“The fifteenth breath: ‘I am breathing in and contemplating liberation. I am breathing out and contemplating liberation.’

“The sixteenth breath: ‘I am breathing in and contemplating letting go. I am breathing out and contemplating letting go.’

“With these four breaths, the practitioner passes into the domain of objects of the mind, and concentrates the mind in order to observe the true nature of all dharmas. First is the observation of the impermanent nature of all dharmas. Because all dharmas are impermanent, they must all fade. When you clearly understand the impermanent and fading nature of all dharmas, you are no longer bound by the endless cycle of birth and death. Thanks to that, you can let go and attain liberation. Letting go does not mean to disdain or run away from life. Letting go means letting go of craving and clinging so you do not suffer from the endless cycle of birth and death to which all dharmas are subject. Once you have let go and attained liberation, you can live in peace and joy in the very midst of life. There is no longer anything which can bind you.”

Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, Thich Nhat Hanh