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Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing 4 - Walking Meditation and the Ten Stages
The Discourse on Mindful Breathing has been present in Vietnam since the early third century (around the years 200–210) through the An Ban Thủ Ý translation by Master An Thế Cao (of Parthian origin) in Lạc Dương, who transmitted it to Master Tăng Hội in Giao Châu. Tăng Hội wrote a commentary and a preface, recorded in the Tripitaka, before bringing the sutra to Eastern Wu. The original name, Annapānasati: “Annapāna” means in-breath and out-breath, “sati” means mindfulness; An Ban Thủ Ý means “using awareness to hold the breath,” keeping the mind at ease and dwelling peacefully. Both the Northern (Chinese) and Southern (Pali) traditions have preserved this teaching in its entirety, allowing for comparison and parallel exploration.
The practice of Mindful Breathing guides us through four domains:
- the body,
- feelings,
- mental formations,
-
perceptions.
Each domain is practiced in four steps: recognizing → embracing → calming → happiness. The An Ban Thủ Ý Sutra teaches a total of sixteen breaths, of which the first two breaths manifest joy (mirth) and happiness (ease), which can be expanded into eight breaths to deeply cultivate joy. The Buddha emphasized that we must first nourish joy and then happiness, because only with true joy born from letting go (detachment), mindfulness, concentration, and insight, can we have enough energy to transform suffering and build lasting happiness.