Talk One: Sitting Meditation — On Ānāpāna Samādhi (Step by Step)
Note: The following nineteen talks were delivered by Sayadaw U Jotika in Australia in A.D. 2011. He is a Mogok meditation teacher, and his instructional Dhamma talks were more detailed than others and quite systematic. I hope these talks can give practitioners some useful guidance in their practice.
To be able to practise in a balanced way, the yogi has to sit in a cross-legged posture. The waist and the body have to be straight. If the body is inclining forward, then the breath will not be full and will not get enough air. The mind will not become clear, leading to torpor and nodding.
Even if the body is not inclining forward, if the head inclines downward, this can also lead to torpor. Therefore, the neck should be straight.
The entrance of the nose is the doorway for the in-breath and out-breath. With mindfulness (sati), observe this place. The touching of the air is quite refined and may not be clear at first. To know this, establish and stick sati at the entrance of the nostrils. Close your eyes and let the mind observe this place. This is staying with sati, breathing in and out naturally.
The nature of the practising yogi’s mind is also important. Some people think they have to control and restrict their minds. Therefore, they lose interest and become afraid of suppressing their minds. As a result, they are not keen on practice and have no desire to do it.
(Polluting or defiling the mind is extremely easy, much easier than purifying it.)
Breath meditation (ānāpāna) is letting the mind stay with a faultless object. If we do not train it, the mind goes here and there, and then the defiling dhammas of greed, hatred, and delusion arise.
These unwholesome dhammas are burning people, yet they are still looking for faulty objects. Ānāpāna is not searching for an object to contemplate; instead, it exists all the time. It is a faultless object that has the nature of peacefulness. Therefore, by practising ānāpāna, the mind becomes peaceful and cool.
We have to prepare our minds before the practice. This is the way of noble beings (cariyas). By uplifting the mind, joy arises. Stimulating the mind so that it has the desire to practise—these are important points. Now, let us start the practice.
Do not breathe artificially, either the in-breath or the out-breath, and do not use force in breathing. Breathe in a normal, natural way. The only extra task is to keep sati at the entrance of the nostrils. Some people breathe forcefully. I do not say that this is wrong, but yogis then need strong effort, and the body must be strong and healthy. Otherwise, within a short period, one becomes tired and falls apart. Do not tense the mind; let it relax.
Note: There are many ways of ānāpāna-sati bhāvanā. It is like an art. Yogis have to find a suitable way according to their character and nature; this requires experimentation.
The yogi has to know the touching of the in-breath and out-breath at the nostrils. If one is able to know the refined touch, one will also be able to know the refined mind and body, or at least to discern them. One can then be mindful of them and know their nature.
Mogok Sayadawgyi explained that knowing the in-breath and out-breath means contemplating the touching and the knowing of them. After becoming skilled in touching and knowing, he instructs the yogi to contemplate the wanting mind that breathes in and out.
At the beginning of the practice, attention must be included—for example, knowing “in-breath” and “out-breath” as not-self, and then noting the in-breath and out-breath. After becoming familiar with this, there is no need to name them. If one does not practise in this way, thought objects will come in.
For example, if you do not sit on a chair, someone else will come and sit on it. The heart is like a chair, and other mind states are like guests. Now is not yet the time to contemplate objects from the six sense doors. This stage is still training the mind to become calm.
Except for the in-breath and out-breath, do not pay attention to anything else—such as sounds, pain, aches, and so on.
In this way, one does not get lost in objects. If no external objects come in, one can contemplate without naming. When no hindrances arise, the mind becomes peaceful. In this way, the long and short in-breaths and out-breaths gradually become equal.
If the mind is not calm, it will not be balanced. After sharpening a knife, it is able to cut things. In the same way, insight practice is possible only when there is good sati. Otherwise, sometimes one discerns anicca, and sometimes one does not. If defilements arise, one cannot easily attain path and fruit.
Therefore, the yogi has to practise ānāpāna in the four postures. This is a practice for the whole day.
[Note: Most people think that watching the breath is only for the sitting posture. How to train the mind in daily life is essential for spiritual development. If not, everyone will continue increasing their defilements every day.
According to Sayadawgyi’s teaching, training the mind means knowing the touching of the breath in every posture. Soon Loon Sayadawgyi trained his mind in daily activities by touching and knowing physical sensations. Because of this, his practice developed very quickly.
Many of Ajahn Mun’s disciples use a “Buddho” mantra in their daily practice as an example. Luangta Mahā Boowa also practised in this way. The famous Chinese elder monk Guang Qin (廣欽老和尚) used the Amitābha mantra in his daily practice.]
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據英譯者—鄔達摩比丘交待，此譯文僅能免費與大眾結緣，作為法的禮物（Dhamma Dāna）。你可以在任何媒體上重新編製、重印、翻譯和重新發布這部作品。