We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Introduction to the Sutra on Full Awareness of Breathing (Volume 2)
There are two conflicting records regarding the year when Master Tang Hoi arrived in Jianye: according to the Biographies of Eminent Monks, it was the 10th year of Chiwu (247), while the Guang Hongming Ji, quoting the Wu Shu, states it was the 4th year of Chiwu (241); the six-year discrepancy is not significant. After persuading Sun Quan of Wu, the Master was allowed to build the Jianchu Monastery and transmitted the Five Mindfulness Trainings to Sun Hao. In the preface to the Anapanasati Sutra, the mind is described as formless and shapeless, beyond all ordinary perception; the five aggregates—
- form
- feeling
- perception
- mental formations
-
consciousness
interact and obscure one another, the mind moves faster than the ability to observe, so it is necessary to practice calming the mind and anchoring it to the breath.
The practice of Anapanasati begins with the method of counting the breath (inhaling and exhaling, counting from one to ten, then returning to the beginning) to develop minor concentration (about three days) leading to major concentration (about seven days), called the first dhyana. Next is the development of the four dhyanas and the four formless concentrations, then finding one’s own path to go beyond the four dhyanas. The eight meditation methods in the Northern tradition include:
- counting
- concentration
- turning (redirecting thoughts)
- mindfulness (remembering, not scattering)
- attachment (firmly holding)
- following
- touching (contact)
-
removing (eliminating)
while the Southern tradition and Mahayana condense this to six methods or sixteen steps of mindfulness of breathing, from body, feeling, mind, to objects of mind. Beginners use counting to enter concentration, then let go of counting and shift to following the breath (following the breath), being aware of its length, embracing the whole body with the breath, generating joy and happiness, then contemplating painful feelings and mental formations, and finally contemplating impermanence and letting go, leading to deep stillness and liberation.