入出息念 (Ānāpānassati) — 中文翻譯

[V i 266]

【§215】今〔次第〕來釋世尊所讚歎之法:——「諸比丘,此入出息念¹之等持(ānāpānasati-samādhi)若修習、若多修者,實為寂靜、殊勝;為純粹之安樂住;且能於現起之惡不善法(pāpaka akusala dhammā),當下令其消逝、令其止息。」²如此讚歎已,〔復問〕:——「諸比丘,云何修習入出息念之等持？云何多修能令〔此等持〕寂靜、殊勝、為純粹之安樂住,並能於現起之惡不善法,當下令其消逝、令其止息？」³〔復自答曰:〕——「諸比丘,於此,比丘已往阿蘭若(araññagato),或往樹下(rukkhamūlagato),或往空閒處(suññāgāragato),結跏趺而坐,正身端直,於面前(parimukhaṃ⁴——即鼻口前氣息出入之觸境)安住其念。

[V i 267]

「彼正念(sato)入息(assasati),正念出息(passasati)。 「〔一〕入息長者,知:『我入息長』……乃至(pe)……〔二〕入息短者……乃至……出息短者,知:『我出息短』。 「〔三〕學:『我覺知遍身(sabbakāya-paṭisaṃvedī)而入息』;學:『我覺知遍身而出息』。 「〔四〕學:『我止息身行(passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ)而入息』;學:『我止息身行而出息』。 「〔五〕〔學:〕『覺知喜(pīti-paṭisaṃvedī)』……乃至……〔六〕『覺知樂(sukha-paṭisaṃvedī)』……〔七〕『覺知心行(cittasaṅkhāra-paṭisaṃvedī)』……〔八—九〕『止息心行(passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāraṃ)』〔及〕『覺知心(citta-paṭisaṃvedī)』……〔十〕『令心歡喜(abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ)』……〔十一〕『令心等持(samādahaṃ cittaṃ)』……〔十二〕『令心解脫(vimocayaṃ cittaṃ)』……〔十三〕『隨觀無常(aniccānupassī)』……〔十四〕『隨觀離欲(virāgānupassī)』……〔十五〕『隨觀滅(nirodhānupassī)』……〔十六〕『隨觀捨遣(paṭinissaggānupassī)而入息』之學;學:『隨觀捨遣而出息』。」⁵

如是即以十六基(solasavatthuka)說示入出息念之業處。

【§216】其修習之方法,於今已至。然此〔方法〕若依經文之釋義(pāḷivaṇṇanānusāra)而說,則於一切相中圓滿具足。是故此處之說示,乃以經文之釋義為先導(pāḷivaṇṇanā-pubbaṅgamo niddeso)。

其中,於「諸比丘,云何修習入出息念之等持」一句,乃發問之語——欲詳釋入出息念之等持之修習種種行相而設此問。於「諸比丘,入出息念之等持已修習」⁶一句,則為以種種行相指示所問之法。於「云何多修……令止息」一句,亦同此義例。

其中,「已修習」(bhāvito)者,謂已生起、或已增長。

「入出息念之等持」(ānāpānasati-samādhī ti)者,謂與攝取入出息之念(ānāpānapariggāhikā sati)相應之等持;或於入出息念中所成之等持——〔兩義皆通,〕即入出息念之等持。

「多修」(bahulīkato)者,謂屢屢作之。

「寂靜且殊勝」(santo ceva paṇīto cā)者,謂實寂靜、實殊勝;此處兩語末之「ceva」之 ca 字,當知皆作 emphatic 限定。所言何義？此猶如不淨業處(asubha-kammaṭṭhāna),〔僅〕以通達(paṭivedha)⁷而論,為寂靜、為殊勝;然以其所緣(ārammaṇa)粗重、且其所緣厭逆故,則就所緣而言,既非寂靜、亦非殊勝。非此〔入出息念〕之比也:於此〔等持〕中,無論依何種方式,皆非不寂靜、亦非不殊勝。反之——以所緣寂靜故,寂靜、止息、寂滅;以所謂通達之肢分寂靜故,亦〔寂靜〕;以所緣殊勝故,亦殊勝——

[V i 268]

——令人不厭足(atittikara);亦以肢分之殊勝故〔殊勝〕。是故說:「寂靜且殊勝」。

「為純粹之安樂住」(asecanako ca sukho ca vihāro)者,此處:「無其混雜」(na-assa secanan),故名「純粹」(asecanako)——不雜入、不混合、獨立、別異。此中,並無以遍作(parikamma)或近行(upacāra)之力而得之寂靜;乃自最初作意(ādi-samannāhāra)以來,以其自性即寂靜、即殊勝——此即其義。然有諸師說:「『純粹』(asecanako)者,謂不混合、含汁、自性甘美。」如是,此〔等持〕既為純粹,於一一安止之剎那,能為身心安樂(kāyikacetasika-sukha)之獲得而轉起,故當知為「安樂住」(sukho ca vihāro)。

「現起〔之惡不善法〕」(uppannuppanne)者,謂未鎮伏者〔──時時又起者〕。⁸

「惡」(pāpake)者,謂卑劣。

「不善法」(akusale dhamme)者,謂自不善巧(akosalla)所生之諸法。「當下令其消逝」(ṭhānaso antaradhāpeti)者,謂於彼剎那即令消逝、鎮伏。

「令其止息」(vūpasameti)者,謂善加令止息;或因屬於擇分(nibbedha-bhāgiya)之故,次第而證入聖道(ariyamagga)之增上,斷盡〔諸惡不善法〕、令之徹底止息——此即所說之義。

然此處之總義(sankhepattho)為:——諸比丘,以何種、以何相、以何法,而修習入出息念之等持？以何種法令多修,而〔此等持〕為寂靜、為殊勝……乃至……令止息？爾時,世尊為詳釋此義,乃說:「諸比丘,於此」(idha bhikkhave)等語。⁹

【§217】此中,「諸比丘,於此之比丘」(idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ti)者,謂諸比丘,於此教(sāsana)中之比丘。蓋此處「於此」(idha)之語,乃顯示能生起一切種入出息念之等持者之所依教,並否定餘教(aññasāsana)亦有此可能之語。如所說:——「諸比丘,惟此處有沙門(samaṇa)……乃至……外道之教,空無沙門可言。」¹⁰是故說:「於此教之比丘」。

【§218】「往阿蘭若……乃至……或往空閒處」者,此乃指彼適於入出息念之等持修習之坐臥處選取(senāsana-pariggaha)之指示。

蓋此比丘之心,長時奔流於色等所緣,不欲攀登入出息念之等持業處;猶如車軛繫於頑牛(kūṭagoṇa)¹¹,但奔於歧路。是故,猶如牧人

[V i 269]

欲調伏飲野母牛(kūṭadhenu)之乳而長養之頑犢(kūṭavaccha),當引離其母,於一旁深植巨柱,以繩繫之於柱;爾時彼犢左右奔突而不能逃,終必於彼柱邊偃臥或倚靠——如是,此比丘亦然,欲調伏長期飲色等所緣之味汁而長養之染污心(duṭṭha-citta),當令離色等所緣,入「阿蘭若……乃至……空閒處」¹²,於彼以念之繩(satiyotta),繫之於入出息(assāsapassāsa)之柱。如是,其心雖左右奔突,而不得從前所慣之所緣;念之繩既不能斷而逃,遂於彼一所緣,以近行與安止(upacāra-appanā)之力,而偃臥、倚靠。是故古人(Porāṇā)說:——

「猶如於此世間,有人為調犢繫之於柱; 〔行者〕亦當如是,以〔念〕牢繫己心於念之所緣。」¹³

如是,此坐臥處則適於彼之修習。是故說:「此乃彼適於入出息念之等持修習之坐臥處選取之指示。」

或者(athavā):此入出息念之業處——於諸業處之分類中為先(kammaṭṭhānappabhede pubbabhūtaṃ)¹⁴;為一切智佛、辟支佛、佛弟子等諸聖者證得殊勝(visesādhigama)及現法樂住(diṭṭhadhamma-sukha-vihāra)之近因(padaṭṭhāna);非捨離以女、男、象、馬等聲所雜亂之村郊(gāmanta)而能輕易修成,以聲乃禪之刺(saddakaṇṭakattā jhānassa)¹⁵;然於非村之阿蘭若中,瑜伽行者(yogāvacara)取此業處,生起入出息四種禪(ānāpāna-catukka-jjhāna),以彼為基(pādaka),觀察諸行(saṅkhāra),乃能成就阿羅漢之最上果(aggaphala arahatta)——是故,世尊為指示適合彼之坐臥處,而說「往阿蘭若」等語。

蓋世尊猶如相地術之師(vatthu-vijjā-cariya)¹⁶。譬如相地術之師,觀察建城之地,審察無誤,而指示曰:

[V i 270]

「當於此處建城!」彼城既善建立(sotthinā nidiṭṭhita),從王室得大尊敬——如是,世尊審察適合瑜伽行者之坐臥處,而指示曰:「當於此處修業處!」其後,行者於彼處修習業處,次第而證阿羅漢時,從〔彼行者〕得大尊敬,〔行者言:〕「彼世尊實為正等覺(Sammāsambuddha)。」

復次,此比丘被說為「猶如豹」(dīpisadiso)。譬如大豹王(mahā-dīpirāja)依草叢、林叢、或山叢之野,潛伏其中,以擒野水牛、鹿、羚、野豬等諸獵物——如是,此於阿蘭若等處修業處之比丘,當知依次第而擒取入流、一還、不還、阿羅漢等聖道(ariya-magga),並聖果(ariya-phala)。是故古人說:——

「猶如豹之潛伏而擒獵物, 亦如此佛子精勤修瑜伽、具觀慧者, 入阿蘭若已,擒取最上果。」¹⁷

是故,世尊為指示適彼勇悍奔趨之地(parakkama-java-yogga-bhūmi)之阿蘭若坐臥處(arañña-senāsana),而說「往阿蘭若」等語。此中,「往阿蘭若」(araññagato)者,以〔第一種〕特相而言:「『阿蘭若』者,出城門界石(indakhīla)之外,凡此一切皆名『阿蘭若』」;¹⁸又以〔第二種〕特相而言:「『阿蘭若住者』之坐臥處,至少距〔村〕五百弓量」;¹⁹——往如是所說特相之阿蘭若中,凡具遠離之樂(paviveka-sukha)者,皆名「往阿蘭若」。

「往樹下」(rukkhamūlagato)者,謂往樹之近處。

「往空閒處」(suññāgāragato)者,謂往空寂、遠離之處(suñña vivittokāsa)。又於此中,除阿蘭若與樹下二者外,往餘七種坐臥處²⁰者,亦得稱為「往空閒處」。

此中,為示瑜伽行者於僧伽住處與獨住處(saṅgha-senāsana / paviveka-senāsana)所適之相(ākāra)既已,今為示彼於日夜時分(rātindiva-kāla)修習與止息所適之住處之相,乃說「結跏趺而坐」等語。此中,「坐」(nisīdati)者,謂取坐之姿——非但立、非但臥之意。「結跏趺」(pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā)者,謂以等分(samānubhāga)之方式取彼跏趺之相²¹。「正身端直」(ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya)者,謂使上身正直,以脊椎之十八節端端相接而立。蓋如是安立者,皮、肉、筋皆不彎曲;剎那剎那本應生起之苦受(vedanā),則不生起;由其不生故,心成一境(ekagga);業處不退,反趨增長。

[V i 271]

如是,世尊指示適合入出息念之修習、隨順三季(ututtaya)及行者界性(dhātucariyā)之住處既已,今為指示既非屬怠墮(līna)亦非屬掉舉(uddhacca)之寂靜威儀(santa iriyāpatha)²²,乃說「坐」字。次為示彼坐姿之堅固、入出息之轉起順暢、及所緣攝取之方便,乃說「結跏趺」等語。

此中,「跏趺」(pallaṅka)者,謂周遍以股相結之坐法。

「結」(ābhujitvā)者,謂結縛之。

「正身端直」(ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya)者,謂使上身正直,以脊椎之十八節端端相接而立。蓋如是而坐者,皮、肉、筋皆不彎曲;由是,本應因其彎曲而剎那剎那生起之諸受,則不生起;由其不生故,心成一境;業處不退,反趨增廣。

【§219】「於面前安住其念」(parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā)者,謂安立向業處(kammaṭṭhānābhimukha)之念。或者:「pari」(parī)有「攝取」(pariggaha)之義;「mukha」有「導出」(niyyāna)之義;「sati」有「現起」(upaṭṭhāna)之義——故說「parimukhaṃ satin」。此處之義應依《無礙解道》(Paṭisambhidā)所說之方式而見²³。其總義為:「以攝取與導出而成念」。

「彼正念入息,正念出息」(so sato va assasati, sato passasati)者,謂彼比丘如是已坐、如是已安立念已,不捨彼念,正念入息,正念出息——意為:成為「正念而作者」(sato kārī)。

今為示彼以何等行相(ākāra)而成「正念而作者」,乃說「入息長者」等語。如《無礙解道》所說:——「『彼正念入息,正念出息』²⁴——於此〔語〕之分別中,以三十二行相成為正念而作者:以長入息力而知心之一境性、不散亂者,念現起;以彼念、以彼智,成為正念而作者。以長出息力……乃至……以隨觀捨遣之入息力、以隨觀捨遣之出息力而知心之一境性、不散亂者,念現起;以彼念、以彼智,成為正念而作者。」

此中,「入息長者」(dīgham vā assasanto)者,謂令長入息

[V i 272]

轉起者。「assāsa 為向外出之風;passāsa 為向內入之風」——此乃律藏義疏(Vinayaṭṭhakathā)所說。然於經藏義疏(Suttantaṭṭhakathā)則反次而來²⁵。此中,凡胎生眾生從母腹出時,內氣先出,後外氣攜微塵入內,觸顎而息——「入息出息」當如是知。其長短之性(dīgha-rassatā),則依「延展」(addhāna)而知。譬如:遍滿長地之水或沙,稱為「長水」或「長沙」;遍滿短地之水或沙,稱為「短水」或「短沙」;同樣,於象身、蛇身中,微細之入出息亦依其所謂自體(attabhāva-saṅkhāta)之長延展,徐徐充滿、徐徐而出,是故名「長」。於狗、兔等身中,則依其所謂自體之短延展,迅速充滿、迅速而出,是故名「短」。於人類中,有如象、蛇般依時延展而長入長出者;有如狗、兔般〔依時延展而〕短〔入短出〕者。故彼等依時而出入於長延展者,謂之長;依短延展而出入者,謂之短——當如是知。此比丘以九種行相(navah' ākārehi)入息長、出息長,而知「我入息長、我出息長」;當知對如是知者,以一種行相(ekena ākārena)成就身觀念處之修習(kāyānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā)。

如《無礙解道》所說²⁶:——

「云何入息長者,知:『我入息長』;出息長者,知:『我出息長』？

「〔一〕入息長依延展計度而入息;〔二〕出息長依延展計度而出息;〔三〕入出息長依延展計度而入息亦出息。於入出息長依延展計度而入息亦出息者,欲(chanda)生起。

「〔四〕以欲力,較彼更微細之入息長依延展計度而入息;〔五〕以欲力,較彼更微細之出息長……乃至……〔六〕入出息長依延展計度〔而入息亦出息〕。於以欲力較彼更微細之入出息長依延展計度而入息亦出息者,喜悅(pāmojja)生起。

[V i 273]

「〔七〕以喜悅力,較彼更微細之入息長依延展計度而入息;〔八〕以喜悅力,較彼更微細之出息長……乃至……〔九〕入出息長依延展計度〔而入息亦出息〕。於以喜悅力較彼更微細之入出息長依延展計度而入息亦出息者,心由長入出息而轉離(vivattati)²⁸,捨(upekkhā)安住。

「以此九種行相(imehi navahi ākārehi),長入出息為身(kāya)之現起(upaṭṭhāna);念(sati)為隨觀(anupassanā)、為智(ñāṇa)。身為現起,非念;念既為現起,亦為念;以彼念、以彼智,隨觀於彼身。是故說:『於身隨觀身之念處修習』(kāye kāyānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā)。」

於短〔息〕一節亦同此義例。然此處有差別:猶如此處〔長息節〕說「入息長依延展計度」,於彼處〔短息節〕則來作「短入息依短時計度(ittara-saṅkhāte)而入息」。是故,依短〔息〕之語當逐句配置,直至「是故說:『於身隨觀身之念處修習』」為止。如是,此比丘以〔時〕延展及短時兩種方式,以此等行相而知入出息,當知為:「入息長者,知:『我入息長』……乃至……出息短者,知:『我出息短』。」對如是知者——

「長與短,入息,亦復如是出息—— 四種〔息相〕悉於比丘之鼻端而轉起。」²⁷

【§220】「『我覺知遍身(sabbakāya-paṭisaṃvedī)而入息……乃至……出息』之學」²⁹者,謂令整個入息身(assāsa-kāya)之始、中、末成為已知、成為現起,而學「我入息」;令整個出息身(passāsa-kāya)之始、中、末成為已知、成為現起,而學「我出息」。如是令成已知、現起者,以與智相應之心(ñāṇa-sampayutta-citta)入息亦出息,是故說:「『我入息……我出息』之學」。

蓋有比丘於微細之入息身或出息身中,僅始現起,中末不現起。彼僅能攝取於始,於中末則疲勞。又有以中現起,而始末不現;有以末現起,而始中不現——彼僅能攝取於末,

[V i 274]

於始中則疲勞。又有以全部現起者,彼能攝取全部,任何處皆不疲勞——為示〔行者〕應如是〔全部攝取者〕,故云:「『我覺知遍身入息……乃至……出息』之學」。

此中,「學」(sikkhati)者,謂努力、精勤。或者:凡此〔行者〕所有之防護(saṃvara),即此中之增上戒學(adhisīla-sikkhā);凡此〔行者〕所有之等持(samādhi),即增上心學(adhicitta-sikkhā);凡此〔行者〕所有之智慧(paññā),即增上慧學(adhipaññā-sikkhā)。如是,於此〔三〕學(tisso sikkhā),於彼所緣,以彼念、以彼作意,而學、修習(āsevati)、開展(bhāveti)、多修(bahulīkaroti)——此處之義應如是見。

此中,因前法〔§215 至 §219 範圍〕惟須入息出息,不須別作其他;然自此以下則須於生起智(ñāṇa-uppādana)等處用功,是故於前文中以現在時態作 pāli 而說:「『我入息』而知;『我出息』而知」;自此以下,為示應行之以生智為始之相,乃以未來時態作 pāli 而說:「『覺知遍身而我將入息』」等。當如是知。

【§221】「『我止息身行(passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ)而入息……乃至……出息』之學」³⁰者,謂令粗之身行止息(passambhento)、寂息(paṭippassambhento)、滅(nirodhento)、寂滅(vūpasamento),而學「『我入息、我出息』」。

於此語中,粗細之性(oḷārika-sukhumatā)與止息(passaddhi)當如是知。蓋此比丘於〔業處〕未攝取之先,身與心皆煩擾(sadaratha)、粗大。當身心粗大之態未止息時,入出息亦粗大,轉為強盛而轉起,鼻不堪受,以口入息出息而住。然當其身、心皆〔以業處〕攝取已,則彼〔身心〕變為寂靜、止息。彼〔身心〕止息已,入出息變為微細而轉——〔以至〕「有耶？無耶？」之疑察相生起。

譬如人奔跑後,或自山下行後,或自頭上卸下重擔已立——粗大之入出息生起;鼻不堪受,以口入息出息而住。然當彼除去其疲勞、洗浴、飲水、

[V i 275]

於心上置濕布、臥於涼蔭之中,則其入出息變為微細——「有耶？無耶？」之疑察相至。如是,此比丘於〔業處〕未攝取之先,身……乃至……至疑察相位。何故？以其於未攝取之先,並無「我將令粗中之粗身行止息」之引起、合心作意、觀察(ābhoga-samannāhāra-manasikāra-paccavekkhaṇā);而於攝取後則有。是故,於攝取之時,身行較未攝取時為微細。是故古人說:——

「身與心煩擾時,〔息〕超於常而轉起; 身不煩擾時,〔息〕微細而轉起。」³¹

於〔業處〕初攝取時,〔身行〕粗;於初禪近行,微細;於彼處亦粗,於初禪則微細;於初禪與第二禪近行,粗,於第二禪則微細;於第二禪與第三禪近行,粗,於第三禪則微細;於第三禪與第四禪近行,粗,於第四禪則極微細——〔甚至〕至於完全不轉起(appavatti)之境地。此乃長部誦師(Dīghabhāṇaka)及相應部誦師(Saṃyuttabhāṇaka)之主張³²。中部誦師(Majjhimabhāṇaka)則主張:於初禪粗,於第二禪近行微細——如是,依下下禪所對之上上禪近行,皆認為更微細。然依一切〔誦師流派〕之共見:未攝取時所轉起之身行,於攝取時即得寂息。攝取時所轉起之身行,於初禪近行……乃至……於第四禪近行所轉起之身行,於第四禪即得寂息。

此就止(samatha)而言之義例也。就觀(vipassanā)而言:於未攝取〔位〕轉起之身行為粗;於大種攝取(mahā-bhūta-pariggaha)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於所造色攝取(upādā-rūpa-pariggaha)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於一切色攝取(sakala-rūpa-pariggaha)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於無色攝取(arūpa-pariggaha)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於色無色攝取(rūpārūpa-pariggaha)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於緣攝取(paccaya-pariggaha)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於有緣名色之見(sappaccaya-nāmarūpa-dassana)位則微細,然彼亦粗;於以相為所緣之觀(lakkhaṇārammaṇika-vipassanā)位則微細,然彼於弱觀(dubbala-vipassanā)位粗,於強觀(bala-vipassanā)位則微細。其中,依前所說之方式,前前位以後後位而得寂息(paṭippassaddhi),當如是知。如是,於此中粗細之性及止息當如是知。

[V i 276]

於《無礙解道》中,連同〔覺音論師自身之〕問答辨明³³,如是說此義:——

「『云何學:「我止息身行而入息……乃至……出息」』？云何是諸身行(kāyasaṅkhārā)³⁴？長入息……出息,此等為身之、為與身相續(kāya-paṭibaddha)之諸法,即諸身行也。彼於此諸身行,學令止息、滅、寂止……乃至……

「凡何種身行致使身有彎曲、扭轉、傾側、低俯(ānamanā / vinamanā / sannamanā / paṇamanā),戰動、震顫、移動、搖動(iñjanā / phandanā / calanā / kampanā)者——彼學:『我止息身行而入息』;學:『我止息身行而出息』。

「凡何種身行致使身無彎曲、無扭轉、無傾側、無低俯、無戰動、無震顫、無移動、無搖動者——彼學:『我止息此寂靜微細之身行而入息、出息』。

「如是(iti kira),〔若〕學『我止息身行而入息、出息』〔僅就斷滅義而言〕,則『得風之知見』(vātūpaladdhi)非有出生(pabhāvanā)、入出息亦無出生、入出息念亦無出生、入出息念之等持亦無出生——諸智者(paṇḍitā)既不入此定亦不出此定。

「如是〔若以正確之義而〕學『我止息身行而入息、出息』,則『得風之知見』有出生、入出息亦有出生、入出息念亦有出生、入出息念之等持亦有出生——諸智者於彼定既能入、亦能出。

「云何譬之？猶如撞擊銅鈸(kaṃsa),初有粗聲轉起;以善攝取(suggahitatta)、善作意(sumanasikatatta)、善持(sūpadhāritatta)粗聲之相故,粗聲雖已滅,後則細聲轉起;以善攝取、善作意、善持細聲之相故,細聲雖亦滅,

[V i 277]

「後則心以細聲之相為所緣而轉起——亦復如是,初有粗入出息轉起;以善攝取、善作意、善持粗入出息之相故,粗入出息雖已滅,後則細入出息轉起;以善攝取、善作意、善持細入出息之相故,細入出息雖亦滅,後則心以細入出息之相為所緣而不散亂(vikkhepa)。

「如是『得風之知見』有出生、入出息有出生、入出息念有出生、入出息念之等持有出生——諸智者於彼定既能入、亦能出。〔如是,〕於止息身行者,入出息為身之現起;念為隨觀、為智。身為現起,非念;念既為現起,亦為念;以彼念、以彼智,隨觀於彼身。是故說:『於身隨觀身之念處修習』。」

此乃就身觀(kāyānupassanā)所說第一四法(paṭhama-catukka)之次第句釋。

【§222】因於此處此一四法乃就初業者(ādikammika)之業處而說,其餘三四法則就已得禪者依受、心、法之隨觀(vedanā- / citta- / dhammānupassanā)而說,是故,凡欲修習此業處、欲以入出息之四種禪為近因之觀(vipassanā)、與〔四〕無礙解(paṭisambhidā)共而證阿羅漢之初業之善男子(ādikammika kulaputta),依前所說之方式作淨戒(sīla-parisodhana)等一切前行已,於上文所說相之師之座前,當學取五連結之業處(pañca-sandhika kammaṭṭhāna)。此中,五連結即:——uggaho(學取)、paripucchā(詢問)、upaṭṭhānaṃ(現起)、appanā(安止)、lakkhaṇaṃ(相)。

此中,「uggaho」(學取)者,謂業處之學取。「paripucchā」(詢問)者,謂業處之詢問。「upaṭṭhānaṃ」(現起)者,謂業處之現起。「appanā」(安止)者,謂

[V i 278]

於彼之安止(matthānass' appanā)。「lakkhaṇaṃ」(相)者,謂業處之相。「『此業處有如是相』之業處自性把持(kammaṭṭhāna-sabhāva-upadhāraṇa)」——此即所說之義。

如是學取具五連結之業處者,自不疲勞,亦不擾師。是故,少多次第指授,長時誦習,如是學取五連結之業處已,於師之前或於他處——於上文所述相之坐臥處而住——已斷小障礙(khuddaka-palibodha)、已用畢飯食、已除飯食之倦、已坐安樂、以三寶功德隨念(ratanattaya-guṇa-anussaraṇa)而令心歡喜、對師所教不令於一句中迷亂者,當作意此入出息念之業處。

於此,作意之方式(manasikāra-vidhi)為:——*數(gaṇanā)、隨(anubandhanā)、觸(phusanā)、安住(ṭhapanā)、觀察(sallakkhaṇā)、還(vivaṭṭanā)、淨(pārisuddhi),以及彼等之還照(paṭipassanā)。*³⁵

其中,*數(gaṇanā)*者,即「數」也。*隨(anubandhanā)*者,謂隨行(anuvahanā)。*觸(phusanā)*者,謂觸點(phuṭṭhaṭṭhāna)。*安住(ṭhapanā)*者,謂安止(appanā)。*觀察(sallakkhaṇā)*者,謂觀(vipassanā)。*還(vivaṭṭanā)*者,謂道(maggo)。*淨(pārisuddhi)*者,謂果(phalaṃ)。*彼等之還照(tesañ ca paṭipassanā)*者,謂省察(paccavekkhaṇā)。³⁶

【§223】其中,此初業之善男子當先以數作意此業處。數時,不得停於五以下,不得超於十以上,中間不得顯破。蓋停於五以下者,其心起轉於狹窄之處,如狹欄中所禁牛群(sambādhe vaje sanniruddha-gogaṇa);超於十以上者,心起轉成為依數而轉(gaṇana-nissitaka);中間顯破者,心動搖:「我業處已至頂點耶？抑或未至？」——故當避此等過,而數。

數時,當先以慢之量穀者數法(dhaññamāpaka-gaṇanā)而數。蓋量穀者注滿其量器,言「一」而傾出之;再注滿時,見有糠粃,棄之,而言「一——一」;餘者「二——二」等亦同此例。如是,此〔行者〕亦取入出息中所現起者,以「一——一」始,

[V i 279]

乃至「十——十」,逐一隨念其轉起轉起者而數。彼如是數時,出入往復之入出息變為現起。爾時,當捨彼慢之量穀者數法,而以快之牧牛者數法(sīgha-gaṇanā gopālaka-gaṇanā)而數。蓋善巧之牧牛者,以衣襟懷藏卵石等,手執繩棒,清晨即往牛欄,鞭擊牛背,坐於門楣頂之欄柱上,凡至門者一一,以「一、二」投擲卵石而數。三更〔夜長〕受困於狹處之牛群,出時群集相擠,迅速一堆一堆而出。彼速數曰:「三、四、五、十」。如是,此〔行者〕亦同前法數時,入出息出沒迅速,反覆來去而現起。爾時,彼知「彼等反覆來去」已,不於內外攝持,惟攝取已至〔息〕門者,速數:「一、二、三、四、五;一、二、三、四、五、六;一、二、三、四、五、六、七……乃至……八……九……十」。蓋業處與數相連(gaṇana-paṭibaddha)時,惟以數之力,心成一境——猶如於急流中以櫓撐住舟船(aritta-upatthambhana)。彼如是速數時,業處現起,似無間斷而轉起。爾時知「無間斷而轉起」已,不攝持內外之風,當依前法速數而已。蓋若令心隨入息入者,身內如為風所擊,如填滿脂膏;若隨出息將心引出者,心則散亂於外之種種所緣。然惟於〔息〕觸觸之處(phuṭṭha-phuṭṭha-okāsa)安立念而修者,修習方成。是故說:「不攝持內外之風,依前法速數而已」。

「然此〔法〕應數至何時？」——直至無數,

[V i 280]

念於入出息所緣安立而住。蓋數者,僅為斷除外散尋(bahi-visaṭa-vitakka),為安立念於入出息所緣而設。

如是以數作意已,當以隨(anubandhanā)作意。

【§224】隨(anubandhanā)者,謂捨數之後,以念無間地隨行入出息;然此不依「始、中、末」(ādi-majjha-pariyosāna)而隨。蓋出息者,以臍(nābhi)為始,以心(hadaya)為中,以鼻端(nāsikagga)為末;入息者,以鼻端為始,以心為中,以臍為末。隨此〔始中末〕者,心入散亂,則動搖、震顫(sāraddha ca iñjana ca)。如所說³⁷:——

「以念隨入息之始中末者,心入內散亂,身與心皆動搖、震顫、戰動。以念隨出息之始中末者,心入外散亂,身與心皆動搖、震顫、戰動。」

是故,以隨作意者,當不依始中末而作意,反當依觸(phusanā)與安住(ṭhapanā)而作意。蓋如數與隨〔分別取之為前後階段而〕,觸與安住並非以分別作意而起。反之,於觸觸之處(phuṭṭha-phuṭṭha-ṭhāna)而數時,即以數與觸雙重作意;於彼處捨數已,以念隨此〔等息〕、以安止之力安立心者,則名為以隨、觸、安住〔三者共〕而作意。

此義應依《義疏》(Aṭṭhakathā)所說之跛者與守門人譬喻³⁸,及《無礙解道》(Paṭisambhidā)所說之鋸譬喻³⁹而知。

【§225】其中,此即跛者乘鞦韆譬(paṅgulopamā):——猶如一跛者(paṅgula)為彼母子玩鞦韆者(mātāputtānaṃ dolāya kīḷantānaṃ)起鞦韆動(dolaṃ khipitvā)之後,即坐於鞦韆柱根(dolā-thambha-mūle),漸見鞦韆板兩端及中央(dolāphalakassa ubho koṭiyo majjhañ ca)來來去去,然不為「見此二端及中央」(na ca ubho-koṭi-majjhānaṃ dassanatthaṃ vyāvaṭo hoti)而忙於營求——

[V i 281]

如是,此比丘亦以念之力立於繫縛之柱根(sati-vasena upanibandhana-tthambha-mūle ṭhatvā),起入出息之鞦韆動(assāsa-passāsa-dolaṃ khipitvā),即於彼相上以念安坐,以念隨此漸次來來去去之入出息於觸之處(phuṭṭhaṭṭhāne)所起之始中末,於彼安立心,見之而不為「見此」而忙於營求:——此即跛者乘鞦韆譬。

【§226】然此即守門人譬(dovārikūpamā):——猶如守門人(dovārika)於城內城外之人(nagarassa anto ca bahi ca purise),不審問:「汝是何人？汝從何來？汝往何處？汝手中為何物？」——蓋此等非其所擔(na hi tassa te bhārā),反之,唯於到門者(dvārappattaṃ dvārappattaṃ yeva)而審問——如是,此比丘亦於入內之風與出外之風,非其所擔,唯到門〔息〕為其所擔——此即守門人譬。

【§227】然此鋸譬(kakacūpamā),應從本而知如是。如所說⁴⁰:——

相、入息、出息——〔此三〕非一心之所緣; 於不知此三法者,修習不可得。 相、入息、出息——非一心之所緣; 然於知此三法者,修習實可得。

云何此三法非一心之所緣,然此三法亦不為不知,心亦不入散亂,勤(padhāna)亦現起,行(payoga)亦成辦,殊勝(visesa)亦能證得？猶如置於平地之樹(rukkho same bhūmibhāge nikkhitto),一人以鋸截之。以鋸齒觸樹之力(rukkhe phuṭṭha-kakacadantānaṃ vasena),其人之念已立;不於來去之鋸齒而作意,然來去之鋸齒於彼非不為知;勤已現起,行已成辦,殊勝已能證得。如置於平地之樹,即如繫縛之相(upanibandhana-nimitta);如鋸齒,即如入出息。如於樹中,因鋸齒之觸彼,其人之念已立——不於來去之鋸齒而作意,然來去之鋸齒於彼非不為知,勤已現起,行已成辦,殊勝已能證得——

[V i 282]

如是,此比丘亦於鼻端或口相(nāsikagge vā mukhanimitte vā)安立其念,坐;不於來去之入出息而作意,然來去之入出息於彼非不為知;勤已現起,行已成辦,殊勝已能證得。

云何「勤」(padhāna)？精進已發者(āraddha-viriya),身與心皆成堪能(kammaniya)——此即「勤」。云何「行」(payoga)？精進已發者,隨煩惱(upakkilesa)斷,尋(vitakka)止息——此即「行」。云何「殊勝」(visesa)？精進已發者,結(saṃyojana)斷,隨眠(anusaya)永盡——此即「殊勝」。如是,此三法非一心之所緣,然此三法亦不為不知;心亦不入散亂;勤亦現起,行亦成辦,殊勝亦能證得。

入出息念於彼已圓滿(paripuṇṇā)、已善修(subhāvitā), 正如世尊所示,已漸次串習(anupubbaṃ paricitā):—— *彼照耀此世間,猶如月離雲。*⁴¹

此即鋸譬。然此處,僅應以「不為來去〔息〕而作意」(āgatāgatavasena amanasikāramattam eva)為其〔修習者之〕用意。

【§228】於攝持此業處而作意者,有者於不久之間,相即生起,且以餘禪支莊嚴之(avasesa-jhānaṅga-paṭimaṇḍitā)、名為安止之安住(appanā-saṅkhātā ṭhapanā)亦得圓成。然於有者,自唯以數為作意之時起(gaṇanāvasen' eva manasikārakālato pabhuti),藉粗入出息(olārika-assāsa-passāsa)漸次而滅之故,身之煩擾(kāyadaratha)已寂止(vūpasanta),身、心俱輕(lahuka);身體亦如達於虛空中跳躍之相(sarīraṃ ākāse laṅghanākāra-ppattaṃ viya)。猶如動搖之身者(sāraddha-kāyassa)坐於床、椅(mañce vā pīṭhe vā),床椅下陷、作響,敷具〔上〕亦起皺褶(mañcapīṭhaṃ onamati, vikūjati, paccattharaṇaṃ valiṃ gaṇhāti);然不動搖之身者(asāraddha-kāyassa)坐〔之〕時,床椅既不下陷、亦不作響,敷具〔上〕亦不起皺褶——床椅實如以兜羅綿填滿(tūlapicu-pūritaṃ viya mañcapīṭhaṃ hoti)。

[V i 283]

何以故？以不動搖之身為輕(asāraddho kāyo lahuko)故。如是,自以數為作意之時起,藉粗入出息漸次而滅之故,身之煩擾已寂止,身、心俱輕;身體亦如達於虛空中跳躍之相。彼於粗入出息已滅時,心轉起以細入出息相為所緣(sukhuma-assāsa-passāsa-nimittārammaṇaṃ cittaṃ pavattati);彼亦滅時,反復再轉起以漸細漸細之相為所緣。

云何〔如此〕？猶如一人以大鐵棒(mahatī lohasalākā)擊銅鈸(kaṃsa-thālaṃ),以一擊(ekappahārena)之力大聲起,其心轉起以粗聲為所緣;粗聲滅時,後則以細聲相為所緣;此亦滅時,反復以漸細漸細之聲相為所緣——如是應知。

復又有所說:「猶如擊銅鈸……」⁴²——〔以〕廣說之。蓋如其他業處(aññāni kammaṭṭhānāni)階階向上漸成明顯(uparūpari-vibhūtāni)〔之相〕,此〔業處〕則不然。誠然,於修習此〔業處〕者上上之時(uparūpari-bhāventassa),〔此業處〕趨於細微(sukhumattaṃ gacchati);〔甚至〕亦不趨於現起(upaṭṭhānaṃ pi na gacchati)。彼如此不現起之時,此比丘不應自座起、抖拭皮坐具(uṭṭhāya-āsanā cammakhaṇḍaṃ papphoṭetvā)而去。當云何作？不應〔思惟〕「我將去問師」(ācariyaṃ pucchissāmī),或「我之業處今已失」(naṭṭhaṃ dāni me kammaṭṭhānan),而自座起。蓋於破壞威儀而去者,業處實成新新(nava-navam eva hoti);是故應正當就坐處,就此處取回(yathā nisinnen' eva desato āharitabbaṃ)。

其中,此即取回之方便(āharaṇūpāya):——彼比丘知業處未現起之相(anupaṭṭhānabhāva)後,應思惟(paṭisañcikkhitabba)如下:——「此等名為入出息者,何處有？何處無？於誰有？於誰無？」如是思惟已,彼知:「此等於(一)母胎內(antomātukucchiyaṃ)無、(二)沉於水中者(udake nimuggānaṃ)無,同樣於(三)無想者(asaññī-bhūtānaṃ)、(四)死者(matānaṃ)、(五)入第四禪者(catutthajjhāna-samāpannānaṃ)、(六)具色界無色界存有者(rūpārūpa-bhava-samaṅgīnaṃ)、(七)入滅盡定者(nirodha-samāpannānaṃ)無」——如是知已,即應由己自呵責己曰:「智者(paṇḍita)！汝既非已入母胎,亦非沉於水中,亦非無想者,亦非死者,亦非入第四禪者,亦非具色界無色界存有者,亦非入滅盡定者——汝之入出息實有;然因汝之鈍慧(manda-paññatā),不能取持之。」於是,由彼安立心於自然所觸之處(pakati-phuṭṭha-okāsa)後,作意應令轉起。

【§229】

[V i 284]

此等〔息〕,於長鼻者(dīgha-nāsikassa),擊鼻翼(nāsa-puṭa)而轉起;於短鼻者(rassa-nāsikassa),〔擊〕上唇(uttaroṭṭha)。是故,彼應如是安立相:「〔息〕擊此名為某某之處」。實依此義,世尊曰:「諸比丘,我不說失念(muṭṭhassati)、不正知(asampajāna)者之入出息念之修習。」⁴³

蓋任何其他業處(kammaṭṭhāna),於念與正知具者(satassa sampajānass' eva)始得成就;乃至作意於他事〔之時〕,亦明顯〔可見〕。然此入出息念業處乃鄭重(garuka)、〔須〕鄭重之修(garuka-bhāvanā),為大丈夫(mahāpurisa)——佛(Buddha)、辟支佛(paccekabuddha)、佛子(buddhaputta)——之作意境地,非小〔士〕之事,非小〔有情〕所修。修習愈深,則愈寂、愈細;是故此處應具強之念與慧(balavatī sati ca paññā ca)。

蓋如於細布(maṭṭha-sāṭaka)上行縫補之時,針(sūci)宜細,針孔線(sūci-pāsa-vedhana)應比之更細——如是,於修習此細布等量之業處之時,如針相之念(sūci-paṭibhāgā sati)與其相應之慧——如針孔線相(sūci-pāsa-vedhana-paṭibhāgā paññā)——皆應具強。蓋具念慧之比丘,不應於其他處覓此等入出息,當於自然所觸之處(pakati-phuṭṭha-okāsa)〔覓之〕。

【§230】又如農夫(kassaka)耕已、解牛(balivadda)、置於牧場之口(gocara-mukha),坐於蔭下休息——爾時,彼之諸牛急速奔入森林。彼之為靈巧農夫(cheko kassako)者,欲再取而駕之,不沿其跡步入森林徘徊,反而執繩(rasmi)與刺(patoda),直接前往其〔牛之〕水際歇處(nipātana-tittha)而坐或臥;爾時,彼等諸牛遊歷半日,下至水際歇處,既浴既飲既出,當〔農夫〕見彼等已立,即以繩繫之、以刺刺之,引而駕之,復作其業——如是,彼比丘亦不應於他處覓此等入出息,反當執念之繩(sati-rasmi)與慧之刺(paññā-patoda),於自然所觸之處安立心,作意應令轉起。

[V i 285]

如是作意者,於不久〔之間〕,彼等〔息〕即現起,如水際歇處之諸牛。爾時,彼以念之繩繫之,於該處駕之,以慧之刺刺之,反復應再行此業處。如是行者,於不久〔之間〕,相即現起。

【§231】然此〔相之現起〕,於一切人非為同一。或有〔論師〕言:「於某者,生起樂觸(sukha-samphassa),如兜羅綿〔絮〕(tūlapicu)、如劫貝綿〔絮〕(kappāsapicu)、如風流(vātadhārā)而現起。」

然此即諸義疏(Aṭṭhakathāsu)之決定(vinicchaya):——於某者,如星形(tārakarūpa)、如寶珠球(maṇi-guḷikā)、如真珠球(muttā-guḷikā)而現;於某者,成粗觸(khara-samphassa),如劫貝種(kappāsaṭṭhi)、如硬木針(dārusāra-sūci);於某者,如長肩繩(dīgha-pāmaṅga-sutta)⁴⁴、如花鬘(kusuma-dāma)、如煙焰(dhūma-sikhā);於某者,如展開之蜘蛛絲(vitthata-makkaṭaka-sutta)、如雲層(valāhaka-paṭala)、如蓮華(paduma-puppha)、如車輪(ratha-cakka)、如月輪(canda-maṇḍala)、〔或〕如日輪(suriya-maṇḍala)而現。

而此〔差異〕,如諸多比丘共誦一經已坐〔聚〕之時,一比丘問:「此經於汝等如何現起(upaṭṭhāti)？」——其一曰:「於我如大山河(mahatī pabbateyyā nadī)而現」;另一曰:「於我〔如〕一片林行(vanarājī)」;另一曰:「於我〔如〕一棵涼蔭具足、枝葉茂盛、果實累累之樹(sītacchāyo sākhā-sampanno phala-bhāra-bharito rukkho)。」於彼等,此一同經由想之差別(saññā-nānatā)而現異(nānato upaṭṭhāti)。如是,一同業處由想之差別現異;蓋此〔相〕為想所生(saññā-ja)、想所緣(saññā-nidāna)、〔且〕想所起(saññā-pabhava);是故由想之差別現異——應如是知。

而於此處,以入息為所緣之心(assāsārammaṇaṃ cittam)為一,以出息為所緣〔之心〕為另一,以相為所緣〔之心〕又為另一。蓋於此三法(tayo dhammā)無者,其業處既不達安止(appanā),亦不達近行(upacāra)。然於此三法有者,其業處達近行與安止。如所說⁴⁵:——

相、入息、出息——〔此三〕非一心之所緣; 於不知此三法者,修習不可得。 相、入息、出息——非一心之所緣; 然於知此三法者,修習實可得。

【§232】

[V i 286]

如是相已現起時,彼比丘應前往師之處(ācariyassa santikam)報告:「尊者(bhante),如是某某〔相〕於我現起。」然師者,既不應言「此是相」,亦不應言「此非相」;當言:「友(āvuso),如是〔可〕也。請反復作意。」蓋若言「此是相」,則彼可能陷於〔早成之〕中止(vosānaṃ āpajjeyya);若言「此非相」,則彼可能失望沉淪(nirāso visīdeyya)。是故,二者皆不應言,而當令〔彼〕專注於作意:——如是〔說〕者,長部誦師(Dīghabhāṇakā)也。然中部誦師(Majjhimabhāṇakā)言:當對〔彼〕言:「友,此乃〔汝〕業處之相;善士(sappurisa),請反復作意之。」於是,彼應於相安立心;如是,彼於此後(ito-pabhuti),以安住之力修習(ṭhapanā-vasena bhāvanā)轉起。如古人(Porāṇā)所說:——

安立心於相,顯明其種種相, 智者繫己心於入出息。

於彼,自相現起之時起,諸蓋(nīvaraṇa)即被鎮伏(vikkhambhita),諸煩惱(kilesa)已寂止(sannisinna),念已立(upaṭṭhita),心以近行定(upacāra-samādhi)而善等持。

爾時,彼於該相,既不應依其色(vaṇṇato)而作意,亦不應依其特相(lakkhaṇato)而省察。反當如剎帝利王后〔護〕轉輪聖王胎(khattiya-mahesiyā cakkavatti-gabbho viya)、如農夫〔護〕米麥胎(kassakena sāli-yava-gabbho viya),避免起於住處(āvāsa)等之七種非適(satta asappāya),而依彼七種〔之〕適(satta sappāya),善加守護。

爾後,如是守護已,以反復作意之力令〔相〕增長、發展,當圓滿十種安止善巧(dasavidha appanā-kosalla),應用精進均等(viriya-samatā)。如是策勵者,於該相中,如地遍(pathavī-kasiṇa)中所說之次第,四五禪(catukka-pañcaka-jjhāna)即生起。如是已生起四五禪之此比丘,以觀察(sallakkhaṇā)、〔對〕還(vivaṭṭanā)之力增長業處,欲得清淨(pārisuddhi)者,以五行相熟練彼禪(pañcahi ākārehi visippattaṃ paguṇaṃ katvā),抉擇名色(nāmarūpaṃ vavatthapetvā),起觀(vipassanā)。

云何？蓋彼於〔禪〕等至出已(samāpattito vuṭṭhāya),見:「入出息之集起即業生身(karaja-kāya)與心。」蓋如鐵匠鼓風具(kammāra-gaggariyā)正鼓之時,藉鼓風具皮(bhastā)與人之相應努力(tajjaṃ vāyāmaṃ paṭicca),風行〔轉〕(vāto sañcarati)——如是,藉身與心,〔有〕入出息。⁴⁶其次,彼抉擇:「入出息與身為色(rūpa);心與〔心〕相應法(tam-sampayutta-dhamme)為無色(arūpa)。」

此處乃略說;〔其〕詳細,名色抉擇(nāmarūpa-vavatthāna)之詳述,將於後處顯明。

[V i 287]

如是抉擇名色已,彼求其緣(paccaya);求而見之者,於三時(tīsu pi addhāsu)中,從名色之轉起越疑(kaṅkhaṃ vitarati)。

越疑已,以聚思惟(kalāpa-sammasana)之力,豎立三相(ti-lakkhaṇa);於生滅隨觀之前分(udayabbayānupassanāya pubbabhāge),斷光等十觀染(obhāsa-ādayo dasa vipassan'-upakkilese);抉擇離染之道〔智〕為道(upakkilesa-vimuttaṃ paṭipadā-ñāṇaṃ maggo ti vavatthapetvā);捨〔對〕生〔之觀〕,達滅隨觀(bhaṅgānupassanā);無間,以滅隨觀,於一切行(sabba-saṅkhāra)以壞滅相而現起時(vayato upaṭṭhitesu),〔彼即〕厭離(nibbindanto)、離欲(virajjanto)、解脫(vimuccanto),次第達四聖道(cattāro ariya-magge),立於阿羅漢果(arahatta-phale patiṭṭhāya),達十九分省察智(ekūnavīsati bhedassa paccavekkhaṇa-ñāṇassa)之究竟,為含天人世間(sadevakassa lokassa)之最勝應供(aggadakkhiṇeyya)。

至此,於彼,自數(gaṇanā)為始至〔再〕還照(paṭipassanā)為終,入出息念三摩地之修習已圓滿。——此即第一四法之全方面釋(sabbākārato paṭhama-catukka-vaṇṇanā)。

【§233】至於其餘三四法,由於並無別異之業處修習法(visuṃ kammaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā-naya),故其義應依逐句釋法(anupada-vaṇṇanā-naya)而知:——「覺知喜者」——令喜被覺知、令〔之〕明顯——「我入息、我出息——之學」⁴⁷。

於此,喜以二行相(dvīhi ākārehi)被覺知:依所緣(ārammaṇato)、依無痴(asammohato)。云何依所緣而覺知喜？彼入具喜之二禪(sappītika dve jhāne);於其入定剎那,藉禪之獲得(jhāna-paṭilābha),依所緣而覺知喜——以所緣被覺知故。云何依無痴？入具喜之二禪後出,以盡-壞(khaya-vaya)之相思惟禪相應之喜;

[V i 288]

於其觀剎那,藉特相之通達(lakkhaṇa-paṭivedha),依無痴而覺知喜。如所說於《無礙解道》:——「以長入息之力,知心之一境性、無散亂者,念已立;藉其念、藉其智,彼喜被覺知。以長出息之力……以短入息之力……以短出息之力……以覺知遍身入出息之力、以止息身行入出息之力,知心之一境性、無散亂者,念已立;藉其念、藉其智,彼喜被覺知。藉轉向(āvajjana),彼喜被覺知;於知者、見者、省察者、心攝持者、藉信勝解者、藉精進策勵者、令念立者、令心等持者、藉慧了知者、於應知者……應遍知者……應斷者……應修者……應證者證者,彼喜被覺知。如是,彼喜被覺知。」

依此同法,其餘諸句(avasesa-pada)亦應依義而知。此處之特殊者:「覺知樂」(sukha-paṭisamviditā)應依三禪之力知;「覺知心行」(cittasaṅkhāra-paṭisamveditā)應依四〔禪〕之力知。「心行者」即受等二蘊(vedanā-ādayo dve khandhā)。於「覺知樂」句中,為顯示觀地(vipassanā-bhūmi-dassanattha)故,《無礙解道》言:「樂者,有二樂:身樂與心樂(kāyikaṃ ca sukhaṃ cetasikaṃ ca)。」「止息心行者」謂止息、滅粗心行之義。其詳如上文(§221)身行(kāyasaṅkhāra)之釋法可知。又,此處於喜句,以喜為首(pīti-sīsa)而說受;於樂句,直以受〔之自相〕;於二心行句中,依「想與受(saññā ca vedanā ca)是心所(cetasika);此等繫於心之法(citta-paṭibaddha)為心行」之言,即與想相應之受

[V i 289]

(saññā-sampayutta vedanā)〔為其所指〕。如是,此四法依受隨觀(vedanānupassanā)之法而說——應如是知。

【§234】於第三四法中,「覺知心」亦應依四禪之力知。

「令心歡喜者」⁴⁸——令心歡、令悅、令喜、令大喜——「我入息、我出息——之學」。於此,歡喜(abhippamoda)以二相起:依定(samādhi)之力、依觀之力。云何依定？彼入具喜之二禪,於其入定剎那,藉相應之喜,令心歡、令悅。云何依觀？入具喜之二禪後出,以盡-壞之相思惟禪相應之喜;如是,於觀剎那,以禪相應之喜為所緣,令心歡、令悅。如是修者,謂:「令心歡喜,我入息、我出息——之學」。

「令心等持者」——以初禪等之力,將心平等地置(samaṃ ādahanto)、平等地立(samaṃ ṭhapento)於所緣;或入彼等禪後出,以盡-壞之相觀察禪相應之心;於觀剎那,藉特相之通達,生起剎那心一境性(khaṇika-citt'-ekaggatā)。藉如是生起之剎那心一境性,亦平等地置、平等地立心於所緣——〔彼〕謂:「令心等持,我入息、我出息——之學」。

「令心解脫者」——以初禪令心離諸蓋,釋〔之〕、解脫〔之〕;以第二禪令心離尋伺;以第三禪令離喜;以第四禪令心離樂苦(sukha-dukkha),釋〔之〕、解脫〔之〕;或入彼等禪後出,以盡-壞之相思惟禪相應之心。於觀剎那,以隨觀無常令心從常想(nicca-saññā)釋、解脫;以隨觀苦(dukkhānupassanā)從樂想(sukha-saññā);以隨觀無我(anattānupassanā)從我想(atta-saññā);以隨觀厭(nibbidānupassanā)從喜貪(nandi);以隨觀離欲從欲(rāga);以隨觀滅從集起(samudaya);以隨觀捨遣從取(ādāna),令心釋、解脫,入息亦出息;是故謂:「令

[V i 290]

心解脫,我入息、我出息——之學」。如是,此四法依心隨觀(cittānupassanā)之法而說——應如是知。

【§235】然於第四四法中,於「隨觀無常者」⁴⁹之處,首先應知:無常(anicca)、無常性(aniccatā)、無常隨觀(aniccānupassanā)、隨觀無常者(aniccānupassī)。其中,無常即五蘊(pañca-kkhandhā)。何故？以〔其〕生-滅-變易性(uppāda-vaya-aññathatta-bhāva)故。無常性即彼等之生-滅-變易之有,或已生者之無有;〔其〕意為:不以彼相住、藉剎那壞而離散(ten' ev' ākārena aṭṭhatvā khaṇa-bhaṅgena bheda)。無常隨觀即依彼無常性之力,於色等(rūp'-ādisu)中作「無常」之隨觀。隨觀無常者即具足彼隨觀者;是故,如是之比丘,入息出息者,於此應知為:「隨觀無常者,我入息、我出息——之學」。

「隨觀離欲者」——此處有二離欲(virāga):盡離欲(khaya-virāga)、究竟離欲(accanta-virāga)。其中,盡離欲即諸行之盡-壞(khaya-bhaṅga)。究竟離欲即涅槃。隨觀離欲即依見此二者之力而轉起者,即觀與道(vipassanā ca maggo ca)。具足此二種隨觀者,入息出息者,應知為:「隨觀離欲,我入息、我出息——之學」。

於「隨觀滅」句,亦同此法。

「隨觀捨遣者」——此處亦有二捨遣(paṭinissagga):捨棄之捨遣(pariccāga-paṭinissagga)、奔入之捨遣(pakkhandana-paṭinissagga)。捨遣本身即是隨觀,即捨遣隨觀:此乃觀與道(vipassanā-magga)之別名(adhivacana)。蓋觀,依彼分之力(tad-aṅga-vasena),與蘊-行(khandh'-ābhi-saṅkhāra)俱捨棄煩惱;且藉見有為之過患(saṅkhata-dosa-dassana),向其反之涅槃(tab-biparīta nibbāna),以彼傾向性而奔入——是故謂之「捨棄之捨遣」與「奔入之捨遣」。道,依斷除之力(samuccheda-vasena),與蘊-行俱捨棄煩惱:藉以涅槃為所緣(ārammaṇa-karaṇa)而奔入涅槃——是故謂之「捨棄之捨遣」與「奔入之捨遣」。然此二者,皆為前智(purima-ñāṇa)之隨-隨觀(anu-anupassanā),故名隨觀。

[V i 291]

具足此二種捨遣隨觀者,入息出息者,應知為:「隨觀捨遣,我入息、我出息——之學」。

此第四四法依純觀(suddha-vipassanā)之力而說。然前三〔四法〕,依止-觀(samatha-vipassanā)之力而說。如是,依四四法之力,十六事入出息念之修習(solasa-vatthukāya ānāpānasatiyā bhāvanā)應知。⁵⁰

【§236】復又,依十六事之力,此入出息念有大果(mahapphala)、大利(mahānisaṃsa)。於此:由開頭〔之經文〕(見上文 p. 266;S. v, 321)——「諸比丘,此入出息念之等持,若修習、若多修者,實為寂靜、殊勝……」——其大利性亦應依寂靜性等之力知,亦依〔其〕能截斷尋(vitakkupaccheda-samatthatā)之能力知。蓋此等持為寂靜、殊勝、純粹安樂住,依障礙性之尋(antarāyakara vitakka)之力,截斷心之奔馳於此處彼處(ito c' ito ca cittassa vidhāvana),令心唯面向入出息之所緣。是故謂:「入出息念應為截斷尋而修習。」⁵¹

其大利性亦應依〔其為〕明與解脫(vijjā-vimutti)圓滿(pāripūri)之根本性(mūla-bhāva)知。如世尊所說:「諸比丘,入出息念若修習、若多修者,圓滿四念處(cattāro satipaṭṭhānā);四念處若修習、若多修者,圓滿七覺支(satta bojjhaṅgā);七覺支若修習、若多修者,圓滿明與解脫。」⁵²

【§237】復又,〔此入出息念之〕大利性,亦應依〔其〕將最後者(carimaka)入出息令成為知所知(viditabhāva-karaṇa)〔之力〕而知。如世尊所說:「羅睺羅(Rāhula),如是修習、如是多修入出息念之時,彼諸最後(carimaka)入出息,亦皆知而滅,非不知。」⁵³

於此,依滅之力(nirodha-vasena),有三〔種〕最後者:有最後(bhava-carimaka)、禪最後(jhāna-carimaka)、〔及〕死最後(cuti-carimaka)。蓋於諸有(bhava)中,入出息於欲有(kāma-bhava)中轉起,於色無色有(rūpārūpa-bhava)中不轉起;是故彼等〔息〕為有最後。於諸禪中,〔息〕於前三禪(purime jhānattaye)轉起,於第四〔禪〕不轉起;是故彼等為禪最後。然彼〔等息〕,於死心(cuti-citta)前與第十六心(solasama-citta)俱起,

[V i 292]

與死心俱滅——此等名為死最後(cuti-carimakā)。此〔等死最後〕乃此處〔世尊引文中〕所指之最後者。

蓋於攝持此業處之比丘,因善取入出息所緣(ānāpānārammaṇa-suṭṭhu-pariggahitatā)故,當其轉向(āvajjayati)〔死心前之〕第十六心之生剎那(uppādakkhaṇa)中之生(uppāda)時,彼等〔息〕之生亦明顯;轉向其住(ṭhiti)時,彼等之住亦明顯;轉向其壞(bhaṅga)時,彼等之壞亦明顯。

【§238】蓋修習其他業處而得阿羅漢之比丘,其壽(āyu)或有限制、或無限制(paricchinna 或 aparicchinna)。然修習此十六事入出息念而得阿羅漢之比丘,其壽必有限制(paricchinnam eva)。彼知:「我之壽行(āyu-saṅkhāra)當如此而轉起,非過此」,以己之自性(attano dhammatāya),作畢一切事(sabba-kicca)——身體照顧(sarīra-paṭijaggana)、下衣(nivāsana)、上衣(pārupana)等——閉目〔而般涅槃〕;如住於 Koṭapabbata-vihāra 之 Tissa 長老(Koṭapabbatavihāravāsī Tissatthera),如住於 Mahākarañjiya-vihāra 之 Mahā-Tissa 長老(Mahākarañjiyavihāravāsī Mahā-Tissatthera),如於 Devaputta 大國之 Piṇḍapātika-Tissa 長老(Devaputta-mahāraṭṭhe Piṇḍapātika-Tissatthera),〔及〕如住於 Cittalapabbata-vihāra 之二兄弟長老(Cittalapabbatavihāravāsino dve bhātiya-therā)。

此處有一則事例(eka-vatthu-dīpana):云此二兄弟長老之一,於滿月布薩日(puṇṇam-uposatha-divasa),誦波羅提木叉已(Pātimokkhaṃ osāretvā),於比丘僧團圍繞(bhikkhu-saṅgha-parivuta)下,至自己之住處,立於經行處(caṅkama),觀月光(candāloka),省察己之壽行已,對比丘僧言:「於汝等〔之經驗中〕,以何種方式之般涅槃之諸比丘(parinibbāyantā)為〔汝等〕昔所見？」其中,某者曰:「我等所見〔曾〕坐於座上而般涅槃者(āsane nisinnakā)。」某者〔曰〕:「我等所見〔曾〕於虛空結跏趺坐而〔般涅槃〕者(ākāse pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā nisinnakā)。」長老言:「我今將示汝等於經行之中般涅槃者(caṅkamantam eva)。」於是,於經行處作一標記(lekhaṃ):「我從此經行處之一端(caṅkama-koṭi)至彼端,返回,正於至此標記時,即般涅槃」,如是言已,下至經行處,行至彼端,返回——以一足踩至標記之剎那(ekena pādena lekhaṃ akkanta-kkhaṇa),即般涅槃。

[V i 293]

是故,智者(paṇḍita)實當不放逸(appamatta), *常恆修習(anuyuñjeyya)如是眾多利益(anekānisaṃsa)之入出息念。*⁵⁴

此即入出息念之詳論門。⁵⁵

Idaṃ ānāpānassatiyaṃ vitthārakathāmukhaṃ.

註腳

¹ sati —「念」乃 Bodhi / Sujato register 之渲染;非當代心理治療界所流行之去義「mindfulness / 正念」。Pāli sati 於上座部論典中具其專技義:即憶念(anussati)、不忘失(asammoha),所緣境清晰現前。本章初次出現(GLOSSARY §I sati 章次首釋義紀律)。 ² S. v, 321。 ³ 同經,322。下面〔十六勝行〕參同經 p. 311 f。 ⁴ parimukhaṃ — 字面為「面前」/「口面之周圍」;論典傳統釋為鼻端氣息進出所觸之處。 ⁵ S. v, 322;亦見 316。十六基公式。PTS 本以「……乃至(pe)……」標記常套省略形;〔一〕—〔十六〕之數字編號為讀者便利之編輯標記,非 Pāli 原文有;其四 catukka 之四分群分組由覺音論師於下文 §233 之釋自明(catukka 一:第 1–4 步 kāyānupassanā 身觀 / catukka 二:第 5–8 步 vedanānupassanā 受觀 / catukka 三:第 9–12 步 cittānupassanā 心觀 / catukka 四:第 13–16 步 dhammānupassanā 法觀)。十六勝行(十六事入出息念)漢傳古德譯名亦攝。 ⁶ 諸版皆同。 ⁷ paṭivedha —「通達」,漢傳論典 register 中以智慧斷破〔煩惱〕之破入義。 ⁸ Sʰᵇ 諸版不重複〔即僅作 avikkhambhite 單寫,非雙寫〕。 ⁹ S. v, 311。 ¹⁰ M. i, 63;A. ii, 238。 ¹¹ kūṭagoṇa —「頑牛」,字面為「詭詐之牛」;〔不順軛而拉〕之牛。同一語素 kūṭa 亦見於下文 kūṭadhenu / kūṭavaccha(「野母牛」/「頑犢」)。 ¹² Sᵇ 作 pavitthā;Sʰ 作 pavisitvā〔二者皆為「已入」之意〕。 ¹³ 〔典籍中〕未尋得。 ¹⁴ Bʰᵐ 作 muddhabhūtaṃ(「為頂」/「最頂」);Sʰ 載一緬甸版讀 khuddhabhūtaṃ。PTS pubbabhūtaṃ(「最先」/「最勝」)保留。 ¹⁵ A. v, 133–135。參 Points of Controversy,p. 331。 ¹⁶ 參 D. i, 9, 12;ii, 87 —— 即《沙門果經》等所列「相地術」(vatthu-vijjā,屬tiracchāna-vijjā 畜生明)為佛所不行之世俗占卜術。覺音論師之譬喻含深意:世尊被喻為精通其所不行之占卜術之師——以其實用之擇地智慧,而不以彼為謀生占卜之業。 ¹⁷ 〔典籍中〕未尋得。— §218 之第二首古人偈。三行排版保留 PTS 源形式;上文第一首古人偈為兩行 anuṭṭhubha(四 pāda 合句),此偈則延展為三 pāda 片段加結尾 ti 助詞——韻律差異存留;排版依源忠實。 ¹⁸ Vibh. 529 — 論藏之分析法定義:「阿蘭若者,出城門界石之外」。 ¹⁹ Vin. iv, 183(Pār. 654)— 律藏之定義:以「五百弓量」為阿蘭若坐臥處之最小距離準則。 ²⁰ 律藏及論典所列之八種坐臥處(senāsana)標準列舉:vihāra(精舍)、aḍḍha-yoga(半屋)、pāsāda(樓閣)、hammiya(平頂屋)、guhā(山洞)、rukkha-mūla(樹下)、arañña(阿蘭若)、suññāgāra(空閒處)。除經文三項中已名之 arañña 與 rukkha-mūla 二者外,餘六種(1–5、8)加歸入 suññāgāra 名下,故云「餘七種」。 ²¹ 即以雙腿等分屈於兩側之跏趺姿勢。 ²² Bʰᵐ 作 alīnuddhacca-;PTS alīnānuddhacca-pakkhika 保留〔即「既非屬怠墮(līna)邊,亦非屬掉舉(uddhacca)邊」〕。 ²³ Pts. i, 176 — 即《無礙解道》對「於面前安住其念」之三重解釋。 ²⁴ Pts. i, 177 ff. — 即提供「三十二行相之正念而作」分別之分析經文。 ²⁵ 覺音論師指出律藏義疏與經藏義疏間之術語差異:律藏義疏取 assāsa = 出息 / passāsa = 入息;經藏諸義疏則反之(assāsa = 入息 / passāsa = 出息)。本《清淨道論》此處從律藏之配置。 ²⁶ Pts. i, 177 — 即九行相分析,於 kāyānupassanā 第一四法中之長入出息分別。 ²⁷ 偈頌引文〔出處未尋得〕;描繪比丘四種息相於鼻端觸境之分別。 ²⁸ Bʰᵐ 於上文 [V i 273] 九行相結末作 vivaṭṭati(代 PTS vivattati)。PTS 讀法保留。 ²⁹ 見上文,p. 267;參 Pts. i, 175 — 即 §215 MN 118 之「覺知遍身」之經文與《無礙解道》義疏交叉引註。 ³⁰ 見上文,p. 267;參 Pts. i, 184 — 即 §215 MN 118 之「止息身行」之經文與《無礙解道》義疏交叉引註。Bʰᵐ 於此處倒置 nirodhento vūpasamento(=「滅」「寂滅」)之順序。 ³¹ 古人偈—典籍中未尋得。此格言將息之粗細與身心煩擾狀態相關聯,為下文四禪次第之伏筆。 ³² 三大誦師流派(Dīghabhāṇaka 長部誦師 / Saṃyuttabhāṇaka 相應部誦師 / Majjhimabhāṇaka 中部誦師)首次於此章出現;後於 §232 ācariya-諮詢對話中再現。諸誦師流派為僧團內專責某一經藏部(Nikāya)誦持傳承之分派。覺音論師於此保留諸誦師對於身行於四禪次第中微細化轉折點之分歧見解。 ³³ Pts. i, 184-86 — 即《無礙解道》闡釋「止息身行」之分析經文。 ³⁴ 諸版皆同作複數形式;P.T.S. 本作單數 Katamo kāyasaṅkhāro?(「云何是身行？」)。此處保留複數形式,依 CSCD / Bʰᵐ / Sʰ 諸版之共見,並與下文多項列舉(「長入息……出息,此等為……」)之內部一致性相符。此乃對源策略預設(METHODOLOGY §4.1,PTS-base)之有意偏離,以多項回答之內容為依據;詳譯者校記 記錄。 ³⁵ Sʰb 將此八術語列為兩首偈頌〔反映 8 階 manasikāra-vidhi 方法論之標準聚集,為覺音論師入出息念釋之基礎〕。 ³⁶ 八階釋末之鎖定等義映射 —— sallakkhaṇā = vipassanā(觀)、vivaṭṭanā = maggo(道)、pārisuddhi = phalaṃ(果)、paṭipassanā = paccavekkhaṇā(省察)—— 乃覺音論師自身之內嵌等義宣告,將漸次修習階段之語彙映射至經典之 magga / phala / paccavekkhaṇā 序列。依源忠實逐字保留。 ³⁷ Pts. i, 165。Sʰ 本將此引文排版為十行偈頌之形式。 ³⁸ Pts. Aṭṭhakathā 即《義疏》(Sadhammappakāsinī)—— 即 Mahānāma 長老所造之《無礙解道》註疏。覺音論師謂跛者與守門人二譬喻出此義疏典籍;PTS 編輯時此本尚未印行。 ³⁹ Pts. i, 170 ff. — 鋸(kakaca)譬喻之出處為《無礙解道》本經,非義疏。 ⁴⁰ Pts. i, 170 f. — 即鋸譬開頭四 pāda 偈(以nimitta + assāsa + passāsa非「一心之所緣」然亦非「不為知」之否定 / 肯定對句構成,以「知三法」為樞)。 ⁴¹ Cf. Dhp. 173 — 此三行偈中,僅後二行呼應 Dhp 173(「彼照耀此世間,猶如月離雲」;Dhp 173 = 「Yassa pāpaṃ kataṃ kammaṃ kusalena pidhīyati / so imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti abbho mutto va candimā」)。首行 —— 述整套入出息念公式 —— 乃覺音論師之構句再使用並指明出處。註云「Cf.」(=「參照」)而非直引,即反映此再使用模式。 ⁴² 見上文 p. 276;參 Mil. 62。—— 此為對 §221[V i 276] 之長篇《無礙解道》銅鈸引文之壓縮回引,於 §228 此處再使用以說明「細相階階下沉」之要點;《彌蘭陀問經》(62) 中之並行段落,提供相關之教示性意象。 ⁴³ S. v, 337;參 330。—— 世尊對失念、不正知者修習入出息念之禁制。PTS《相應部》本作 ānāpāna-sati-samādhi-bhāvanaṃ(含 -samādhi-);本 pali.md 引文保留較短形 ānāpāna-sati-bhāvanaṃ,依《清淨道論》本系傳統。 ⁴⁴ Vin. Texts, iii, 69, n. 2 —— 即 dīgha-pāmaṅga-sutta(長肩繩)之編輯註,屬牛飾品類,於《律藏典籍》註中所辨;此處作為 §231 諸相現起譬喻之一。 ⁴⁵ Pts. i, 170 f. —— §227(上文 FN ⁴⁰)所引偈頌之重引;覺音論師於此再使用對句,以支持「三所緣 = 安止 / 近行先決條件」之論證(即以入息為所緣之心、以出息為所緣之心、以相為所緣之心,此三非一心之所緣,然三者皆須具足,業處乃達近行與安止)。 ⁴⁶ 參 Sum. V. i, 221。—— 鐵匠鼓風具(kammāra-gaggariyā)譬,說明 karaja-kāya 與 citta 對 assāsa-passāsa 之 paccaya 關係;《善吉祥光明》(長部義疏)中載有並行教示性意象。 ⁴⁷ Pts. i, 186 —— 《無礙解道》對第二四法(vedanānupassanā 受隨觀)逐句釋中「覺知喜」句之出處。 ⁴⁸ Pts. i, 176, 187-191 —— 第三四法(cittānupassanā 心隨觀)諸句(abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ + samādahaṃ cittaṃ + vimocayaṃ cittaṃ)之《無礙解道》出處;覺音論師於第三四法進階中引多處 Pts. 位置。依 Pts. loc. cit. 慣例,Samādahaṃ cittan ti 引用與前文 Abhippamodayaṃ cittan ti 同一 Pts. i, 176, 190 出處。 ⁴⁹ Pts. i, 176, 191-192 —— 第四四法(dhammānupassanā 法隨觀)諸句(aniccānupassī + virāgānupassī + nirodhānupassī)之《無礙解道》出處;paṭinissaggānupassī 句採同一 Pts. 範圍而無顯標出處於源文。依 Pts. loc. cit. 慣例,跨第四四法進階保留。 ⁵⁰ Pts. i, 162 —— 結語句:「十六事入出息念之修習應依四四法之力知」之出處——完成 §215 incipit 所引 MN 118 之四四法釋。 ⁵¹ A. iv, 353 —— 「入出息念應為截斷尋而修習」之經典引文出處。 ⁵² M. iii, 82;cf. S. v, 329 ff. —— 世尊「入出息念→四念處→七覺支→明與解脫」進階引文出處;Saṃyutta 並行段於首段略異。Sʰ 本交叉引回 [V i 288] 上文之 Vuttam h' etam 引長 Pts. 經文;亦 cf. S. v, 335。 ⁵³ M. i, 425 f. —— 世尊對羅睺羅關於carimaka入出息之引文;《大羅睺羅教誡經》(MN 62)。為覺音論師於本節所開展carimaka教義分類之經典出處之一。 ⁵⁴ 結頌二 pāda —— 典籍中未尋得;可能為覺音論師之收尾構作,與本章內部之 Porāṇā 偈頌模式相符(參 §218 第一+第二古人偈、§221 Sāraddhe 偈、§232 古人偈)但此處未顯出處屬。二行排版依 PTS 源保留;參跨 VIII.x 子集群之 chapter-close 偈頌慣例(VIII.1 + VIII.2 章末偈)。 ⁵⁵ Idaṃ ānāpānassatiyaṃ vitthārakathāmukhaṃ —— VIII.3 章末 vitthārakathāmukha 結語(本 pali.md L384)。保留 PTS 經典之雙 -ss- 複合形 ānāpānassati-,依 L384 source-policy 校訂於 commit 2eddcd4(R1.β.8 CSCD-leak 還原後,2026-05-23);章名 canonical 形式 Ānāpānassati(CSCD-aligned 雙 -ss-)為 cluster-internal 結語、H1、GLOSSARY anchor 及章內引用一致性維持。PTS 正文 ānāpānasati(單 -s-)於 §215+§216 incipit 之 subhead-與-註釋體形式出現(保留於 pali.md,並以註釋指 Bʰᵐ °ssati 異讀);章末結語採 canonical 雙 -ss- 形,依 VIII.x 子集群慣例。並行之 chapter-close-formula 結語於 VIII.1 + VIII.2 章末出現,屬 Vism kammaṭṭhāna-niddesa 諸章之跨章 vitthārakathāmukha 慣例。

Master: i have reviewed May 24, 2026

Ānāpānassati (Mindfulness of Breathing) — English Translation

[V i 266]

[§215] Now [we come to] that which the Blessed One praised [thus]: — "This too, bhikkhus, the ānāpānasati-samādhi (concentration through mindfulness¹ of breathing) — when cultivated and made-much-of — is peaceful and excellent; it is an unadulterated abiding-in-ease; and it makes the arisen evil unwholesome states (pāpaka akusala dhammā) vanish on the spot, [bringing them to] subsidence."² Having praised it thus, [he then asked]: — "And how, bhikkhus, is the ānāpānasati-samādhi cultivated? How, when made-much-of, is it peaceful and excellent, an unadulterated abiding-in-ease, and how does it make the arisen evil unwholesome states vanish on the spot, [bringing them to] subsidence?"³ — [And he answered:] — "Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu — gone to the forest (araññagato), or gone to the root of a tree (rukkhamūlagato), or gone to an empty hut (suññāgāragato) — sits down, having folded the legs crosswise, set the body erect, and established mindfulness parimukhaṃ (around the mouth-and-nose area — that is, to the fore).⁴

[V i 267]

"Just mindful (sato) he breathes in (assasati); just mindful he breathes out (passasati). "[1] Breathing in long, he understands: 'I am breathing in long' . . . pe . . . [2] breathing in short . . . pe . . . breathing out short, he understands: 'I am breathing out short.' "[3] He trains thus: 'experiencing the whole body (sabbakāya-paṭisaṃvedī) I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'experiencing the whole body I shall breathe out.' "[4] He trains thus: 'tranquillising the bodily formation (passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ) I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe out.' "[5] [Training thus:] 'experiencing rapture (pīti-paṭisaṃvedī)' . . . pe . . . [6] 'experiencing pleasure (sukha-paṭisaṃvedī)' . . . [7] 'experiencing the mental formation (cittasaṅkhāra-paṭisaṃvedī)' . . . [8–9] 'tranquillising the mental formation (passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāraṃ)' [and] 'experiencing the mind (citta-paṭisaṃvedī)' . . . [10] 'gladdening the mind (abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ)' . . . [11] 'concentrating the mind (samādahaṃ cittaṃ)' . . . [12] 'liberating the mind (vimocayaṃ cittaṃ)' . . . [13] 'contemplating impermanence (aniccānupassī)' . . . [14] 'contemplating fading-away (virāgānupassī)' . . . [15] 'contemplating cessation (nirodhānupassī)' . . . [16] 'contemplating relinquishment (paṭinissaggānupassī) I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'contemplating relinquishment I shall breathe out.'"⁵

Thus has been set forth the meditation subject of mindfulness of breathing in its sixteen bases (solasavatthuka).

[§216] Its method of cultivation now arrives. But since this [method], when expounded by following the [textual] commentary on the Pāli (pāḷivaṇṇanānusāra), becomes complete in every respect, the exposition here is one preceded by the commentary on the Pāli (pāḷivaṇṇanā-pubbaṅgamo niddeso).

There, with regard to "and how, bhikkhus, is the ānāpānasati-samādhi cultivated?" — this is a question expressing the desire to expound in detail the manifold modes of cultivation of the ānāpānasati-samādhi. And with regard to "the ānāpānasati-samādhi is cultivated, bhikkhus"⁶ — this is the indication of the dhamma questioned about, [now to be set forth] in its manifold modes. And with regard to "how, when made-much-of . . . brings to subsidence" — here too the method is just the same.

Among these [terms]: "cultivated (bhāvito)" means: produced, or developed.

"The ānāpānasati-samādhi" means: the concentration conjoined with the mindfulness apprehending the in-and-out breath (ānāpānapariggāhikā sati); or [alternatively], the concentration based upon mindfulness of breathing — [in either case,] the ānāpānasati-samādhi.

"Made-much-of (bahulīkato)" means: done again and again.

"Peaceful and excellent (santo ceva paṇīto cā)" — "peaceful indeed, and excellent indeed": the emphatic restriction is to be understood in both cases by the particle ca. What is being said? In the case of the meditation subject of the unlovely (asubha-kammaṭṭhāna), [the cultivation] is peaceful and excellent only by way of penetration (paṭivedhavasena); but because of the coarse and repulsive nature of its object (ārammaṇa), it is, by way of the object, neither peaceful nor excellent. Not so in this case: there is no respect in which this [meditation] is unpeaceful or unexcellent. On the contrary — peaceful by way of the peaceful nature of its object, [calmed-down,] still, quenched; and peaceful too by way of the peaceful nature of the penetration-factors;⁷ excellent too by way of the excellent nature of its object —

[V i 268]

unsurfeiting (atittikara), and excellent too by way of the excellent nature of [its] factors: thus has it been said: "peaceful and excellent."

"An unadulterated abiding-in-ease (asecanako ca sukho ca vihāro)" — here: "it has no [admixed] sprinkling-in (na-assa secanan)," hence "unadulterated (asecanako)" — unsprinkled, unmixed, separate, distinctive. There is no peacefulness here that comes via preliminary practice (parikamma) or via access (upacāra) [stages]; from the very first attention (ādi-samannāhāra) onward, [it is] of its own nature peaceful and excellent — this is the meaning. But some say: "unadulterated (asecanako)" [should be glossed as] unsprinkled, sap-bearing, of its own nature sweet. And thus this [meditation], being unadulterated, [is] a pleasant abiding (sukho ca vihāro) — to be so understood because at every moment of [its] application, it conduces to the obtaining of bodily and mental pleasure.

"The arisen [evil unwholesome states] (uppannuppanne)" means: the un-suppressed [defilements, time and time again].⁸

"Evil (pāpake)" means: low.

"Unwholesome states (akusale dhamme)" means: states arisen from unskillfulness (akosalla-sambhūta). "Makes [them] vanish on the spot (ṭhānaso antaradhāpeti)" means: in that very moment, [it] makes [them] vanish, suppresses [them].

"Brings to subsidence (vūpasameti)" means: thoroughly stills [them]; or, because of belonging to the part-of-penetration (nibbedhabhāgiya), one progressively, having attained increase in the noble path (ariyamagga), cuts [them] off, makes [them] subside utterly — that is what is being said.

But this here is the summary meaning: — Bhikkhus, by what mode, by what manner, by what method is the ānāpānasati-samādhi cultivated? By what mode is it made-much-of [so that it is] peaceful and excellent . . . pe . . . brings to subsidence? Then, expounding that meaning in detail, [the Blessed One] said: "Here, bhikkhus" — and so on.⁹

[§217] There, "Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu" means: in this Dispensation (sāsana), bhikkhus, a bhikkhu. For the word "here" (idha) in this context is what illuminates the Dispensation that is the support (sannissaya) of the person who brings forth the ānāpānasati-samādhi in all its modes, and is also what negates [the suggestion] that the same is the case in another teaching (aññasāsana). This indeed has been said: — "Just here, bhikkhus, [is] the recluse (samaṇa) . . . pe . . . the heterodox debates are empty of recluses [to be found] elsewhere."¹⁰ Hence it was said: "in this Dispensation, a bhikkhu."

[§218] "Gone to the forest . . . pe . . . or gone to an empty hut" — this is the indication of his selection of a lodging place (senāsana-pariggaha) suitable for the cultivation of the ānāpānasati-samādhi.

For this bhikkhu's mind, long-wandering among objects such as visible forms (rūpa) and the rest, has no wish to climb up onto the meditation subject of the ānāpānasati-samādhi; it runs only off-the-track, like a chariot yoked to a stubborn ox.¹¹ Therefore, just as a cowherd

[V i 269]

wishing to tame a wild young calf (kūṭavaccha) — one that had grown up drinking the milk of a wild [un-domesticated] cow (kūṭadhenu) — would draw [the calf] away from the cow, plant a great post off to one side, and tie [the calf] there with a rope; and then that calf, struggling this way and that, unable to flee, would lie down or settle down right at that post: even so this bhikkhu too, wishing to tame his ill-disposed mind that has long grown fat on the sap-drink of the objects of visible form and the rest, should draw [it] away from the objects of visible form etc., and having entered "the forest, or . . . pe . . . an empty hut," should there tie it with the rope of mindfulness to the post of the in-and-out breaths.¹² Thus, his mind too — though it struggle this way and that — not finding the objects it formerly resorted to, unable to break the rope of mindfulness and flee, will settle down and lie down right on that very object by way of [its] access and absorption [stages]. Hence the Ancients have said: —

Just as a man would tie a calf to be tamed to a post [planted] here in this world, *even so should one bind one's own mind firmly to the object of mindfulness.*¹³

In this way that lodging place is suitable for his cultivation. Hence it was said: "This is the indication of his selection of a lodging place suitable for the cultivation of the ānāpānasati-samādhi."

Or alternatively (athavā): since this meditation subject of mindfulness of breathing — which stands first among the divisions of meditation subjects (kammaṭṭhānappabhede pubbabhūtaṃ);¹⁴ which is the proximate cause (padaṭṭhāna) of the attainment of distinction (visesādhigama) and of pleasant abiding here-and-now (diṭṭhadhamma-sukha-vihāra) for the all-knowing Buddhas, the paccekabuddhas, and the Buddha's disciples — cannot easily be cultivated without abandoning the village-environs (gāmanta) crowded with the sounds of women, men, elephants, horses and the like, because sound is a thorn to jhāna (saddakaṇṭakattā jhānassa);¹⁵ whereas it can easily be cultivated in a non-village forest, where the practitioner (yogāvacara), having taken up this meditation subject, brings forth the four-jhāna [progression of] mindfulness of breathing (ānāpāna-catukka-jjhāna), making just that the basis (pādaka), and having scrutinised the formations (saṅkhāra), attains the supreme fruit of arahantship (aggaphala arahatta) — therefore the Blessed One, indicating the lodging place suitable for him, said "gone to the forest" and so on.

For the Blessed One is like a master geomancer (vatthu-vijjā-cariya).¹⁶ Just as the geomancer, having inspected

[V i 270]

the ground for a city and carefully examined it, directs: "Found a city here!" — and when the city has been successfully established (sotthinā nidiṭṭhita), receives great honour from the royal family — even so, having examined the lodging place suitable for the practitioner, [the Blessed One] directs: "Practise the meditation subject here!" — and thereafter, when the practitioner has practised the meditation subject there and in due course attained arahantship, [the Blessed One] receives great honour, [the practitioner saying]: "Truly that Blessed One is a Perfectly Awakened One (Sammāsambuddha)."

Moreover, this bhikkhu is said to be like a leopard (dīpisadiso). Just as the great king of leopards (mahā-dīpirāja), depending on a thicket of grass, of forest, or of mountain in the wilds, having concealed himself, seizes [his] prey — wild buffalo, deer, antelope, wild boar and the like — even so, this bhikkhu, practising the meditation subject in the forest and similar [places], should be understood to seize, in due order, the paths of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and arahantship, and the noble fruits. Hence the Ancients have said: —

Just as a leopard, having concealed himself, seizes [his] prey, even so this son of the Buddha — yoked in practice, a discerner — *having entered the forest, seizes the supreme fruit.*¹⁷

Therefore, indicating the forest-lodging-place (arañña-senāsana) — which is the suitable terrain for [the practitioner's] vigour-applied effort (parakkama-java-yogga-bhūmi) — the Blessed One said "gone to the forest" and so on. There, "gone to the forest (araññagato)" means: by way of the [first] characterisation — "the 'forest' is what is outside the city-gate's threshold-pillar (indakhīla): that whole [area] is the 'forest'";¹⁸ and by way of the [second] characterisation — "a 'forest-dweller's' lodging place is at least five-hundred bow-lengths [from the village]";¹⁹ — having gone to whichever forest possessing the seclusion-pleasure (paviveka-sukha) [is described] in such characterised forests, [the practitioner] has thus 'gone to the forest.'

"Gone to the root of a tree (rukkhamūlagato)" means: gone to the vicinity of a tree.

"Gone to an empty hut (suññāgāragato)" means: gone to an empty, secluded place (suñña vivittokāsa). And here, setting aside the forest and the root of a tree, [one who] has gone to any of the remaining seven kinds of lodging-place may also be spoken of as "gone to an empty hut."²⁰

There, having shown the mode (ākāra) suitable for the practitioner regarding the lodging-place — whether in community or apart (saṅgha-senāsana / paviveka-senāsana) — now, to show the lodging-mode suitable for him with regard to the day-and-night period (rātindiva-kāla) of practice-and-cessation, [the text] says "sits down, having folded the legs crosswise" and so on. There, "sits down (nisīdati)" means: having taken a sitting-posture — neither merely standing nor merely lying. "Having folded the legs crosswise (pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā)" means: having taken just that mode in the equally-portioned (samānubhāga) way.²¹ "Setting the body erect (ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya)" means: having set the upper-body erect, having brought tip-to-tip the eighteen vertebrae of the spine. For when [the practitioner is] thus established, [his] skin, flesh, and sinews are not bent; the painful feelings (vedanā) that would arise moment by moment do not arise; in the absence of their arising, his mind becomes one-pointed (ekagga); the meditation subject does not deteriorate, but reaches growth.

[V i 271]

In this way, having indicated the lodging place suitable for the ānāpānasati-bhāvanā — [a place] conducive to the threefold-season (ututtaya) and to the [practitioner's] element-temperament (dhātucariyā) — and now indicating the calm posture (santa iriyāpatha) — belonging neither to the sluggish side nor to the agitated side²² — the [text] said "sits down." Then, indicating the stability of his sitting, the ease of breath-flow, and the means of grasping the meditation object, the [text] said "having folded the legs crosswise" and so on.

There, "crosswise (pallaṅka)" means: the seat-with-thighs-bound on every side.

"Having folded (ābhujitvā)" means: having bound [them so].

"Setting the body erect (ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya)" means: having set the upper-body straight; having brought tip-to-tip the eighteen vertebrae of the spine. For when [he is] thus seated, [his] skin, flesh, and sinews do not bend; thus the feelings (vedanā) that would arise moment by moment from their bending do not arise; in the absence of their arising, the mind becomes one-pointed; the meditation subject does not fall away, but reaches growth and expansion.

[§219] "Having established mindfulness to the fore (parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā)" means: having set up mindfulness directed toward (kammaṭṭhānābhimukha) the meditation subject. Or alternatively: "pari (parī)" carries the sense of taking-up (pariggaha); "mukha" carries the sense of leading-out (niyyāna); "sati" carries the sense of manifestation (upaṭṭhāna) — hence it is said "parimukhaṃ satin." Thus the meaning here should be seen in the manner spoken of in the Paṭisambhidā.²³ This here is the summary: "having made mindfulness a [vehicle for] taking-up [the object] and leading [it] out."

"Just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out" means: that bhikkhu, having sat down thus and having established mindfulness thus, not abandoning that mindfulness, mindful indeed breathes in and mindful breathes out — what is being said is: he is one acting with mindfulness (sato kārī).

Now, to show by what modes (ākāra) he becomes "one acting with mindfulness," [the text] said "breathing in long" and so on. This indeed has been said in the Paṭisambhidā: — "Just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out"²⁴ — in the analysis of just this [formula], by thirty-two modes he becomes one acting with mindfulness: when one understands one-pointedness of mind, undistracted, by way of long in-breaths, mindfulness is established; through that mindfulness, through that knowledge, he is one acting with mindfulness. By way of long out-breaths . . . pe . . . By way of in-breath while contemplating relinquishment, by way of out-breath while contemplating relinquishment, when one understands one-pointedness of mind, undistracted, mindfulness is established; through that mindfulness, through that knowledge, he is one acting with mindfulness.

There, "breathing in long" means: making to flow

[V i 272]

a long in-breath. "Assāsa is the breath going out; passāsa is the breath coming in," — so it is said in the Vinaya commentary (Vinayaṭṭhakathā). But in the Suttanta commentaries (Suttantaṭṭhakathā) the [order] comes inversely.²⁵ There, when all womb-born beings emerge from the mother's womb, the inner breath goes out first, [and] afterward the outer breath, carrying the fine dust [of the outside world], enters within, strikes the palate, and is extinguished: in this way are assāsa and passāsa to be understood. As for their long-or-short nature (dīgha-rassatā), this is to be understood by way of extension (addhāna). For just as standing-water or sand that pervades a long-extension space is called "long water" or "long sand," [and] standing-water or sand [pervading a short space] is called "short water" or "short sand"; even so, the powder-fine in-and-out breaths in the body of an elephant or a snake gradually fill the long extension — reckoned as their selfhood (attabhāva-saṅkhāta) — and gradually issue forth; hence they are called "long." In the bodies of dogs and hares and the like, [breaths] fill the short extension — reckoned as their selfhood — quickly, and issue forth quickly; hence they are called "short." Among humans, some breathe in and out long by way of time-extension, like elephants and snakes; some [breathe] short, like dogs and hares; therefore [for them], by way of time, those issuing-forth-and-entering through a long extension are "long," and those issuing-forth-and-entering through a brief extension are "short" — so it is to be understood. This bhikkhu, breathing in and out long by nine modes (navah' ākārehi), understands "I am breathing in long, I am breathing out long"; and it is to be understood that for him who thus understands, by one mode (ekena ākārena) the cultivation of mindfulness-of-the-body-as-a-foundation-of-mindfulness (kāyānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā) is accomplished.

As is said in the Paṭisambhidā:²⁶ —

"How, breathing in long, does he understand: 'I am breathing in long'; breathing out long, understand: 'I am breathing out long'?

"[1] He breathes in a long in-breath reckoned as [its] extension; [2] he breathes out a long out-breath reckoned as [its] extension; [3] he breathes in and breathes out a long in-and-out-breath reckoned as [its] extension. Of one breathing in and breathing out a long in-and-out-breath reckoned as [its] extension, desire (chanda) arises.

"[4] By way of desire, [he breathes] more subtly than that a long in-breath reckoned as [its] extension; [5] by way of desire, [he breathes] more subtly than that a long out-breath . . . pe . . . [6] a long in-and-out-breath reckoned as [its] extension. Of one breathing in and breathing out, by way of desire, more subtly than that a long in-and-out-breath reckoned as [its] extension, gladness (pāmojja) arises.

[V i 273]

"[7] By way of gladness, [he breathes] more subtly than that a long in-breath reckoned as [its] extension; [8] by way of gladness, [he breathes] more subtly than that a long out-breath . . . pe . . . [9] a long in-and-out-breath reckoned as [its] extension. Of one breathing in and breathing out, by way of gladness, more subtly than that a long in-and-out-breath reckoned as [its] extension, the mind turns away (vivattati)²⁸ from the long in-and-out-breaths; equanimity (upekkhā) is established.

"By these nine modes (imehi navahi ākārehi), the long in-and-out-breaths are body (kāyo) [as] manifestation (upaṭṭhāna); mindfulness (sati) is contemplation (anupassanā) [and] knowledge (ñāṇa). The body is the manifestation, not the mindfulness; mindfulness is both the manifestation and the mindfulness; through that mindfulness, through that knowledge, he contemplates the body. Hence it is said: 'the cultivation of mindfulness-of-the-body-as-a-foundation-of-mindfulness with regard to the body' (kāye kāyānupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā)."

The same method [applies] in the section on the short [breaths]. This, however, is the difference: just as here, [in the long section,] it was said "a long in-breath reckoned as [its] extension" so here, [in the short section,] it has come down as "he breathes in a short in-breath reckoned as [its] brief [duration] (ittara-saṅkhāte)." Therefore, [the gloss-formula] is to be applied by way of "short" up to "hence it is said: 'the cultivation of mindfulness-of-the-body-as-a-foundation-of-mindfulness'." Thus, this [practitioner], understanding the in-and-out breaths by way of [time-]extension (addhāna) and by way of brief duration (ittara) through these modes, should be understood [thus]: "Breathing in long, [he] understands: 'I am breathing in long' . . . pe . . . breathing out short, [he] understands: 'I am breathing out short.'" Thus, for one understanding —

Long and short, the in-breath, and likewise the out-breath: *four kinds [of breath] proceed at the very tip of the nose for the bhikkhu.*²⁷

[§220] "He trains: 'experiencing the whole body (sabbakāya-paṭisaṃvedī) I shall breathe in . . . pe . . . I shall breathe out'"²⁹ — making known, making manifest the beginning, middle, and end of the entire in-breath-body (assāsa-kāya), he trains [thinking]: "I shall breathe in"; making known, making manifest the beginning, middle, and end of the entire out-breath-body (passāsa-kāya), he trains [thinking]: "I shall breathe out." Thus making known, making manifest, he breathes in and breathes out with a mind associated with knowledge (ñāṇa-sampayutta-citta); therefore it is said: "I shall breathe in . . . I shall breathe out — thus he trains."

For one bhikkhu, among the powder-fine [breaths] of the in-breath-body or the out-breath-body, [only] the beginning is manifest, not the middle-and-end. He is able to grasp only the beginning; in the middle-and-end he labours. For another, the middle is manifest, not the beginning-and-end. For another, the end is manifest, not the beginning-and-middle; he is able to grasp only the end,

[V i 274]

[but] in the beginning-and-middle he labours. For [yet] another, the whole is manifest; he is able to grasp the whole, [and] labours nowhere. Indicating that he should be of just such a [whole-grasping] kind, [the text] says: "Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in . . . pe . . . I shall breathe out, thus he trains."

There, "he trains (sikkhati)" means: he strives, he exerts. Or alternatively: whatever restraint (saṃvara) there is for one of such [a kind] — that here is the higher virtue training (adhisīla-sikkhā); whatever concentration (samādhi) there is for one of such — that is the higher mind training (adhicitta-sikkhā); whatever wisdom (paññā) there is for one of such — that is the higher wisdom training (adhipaññā-sikkhā). Thus these three trainings (tisso sikkhā), with respect to that object, through that mindfulness, through that attention, he trains in, cultivates (āsevati), develops (bhāveti), makes-much-of (bahulīkaroti) — in this way the meaning here should be seen.

There, since for that [earlier] method [the practitioner is to] only breathe in and breathe out — nothing else is to be done — but from here onwards effort is to be applied [also] in giving rise to knowledge (ñāṇa-uppādana) and the rest, therefore in that [earlier] [text] said in the present-tense form "he understands 'I am breathing in,' he understands 'I am breathing out'"; whereas from here onwards, in order to show the mode that is to be undertaken — beginning with the giving rise to knowledge — the text has been set up with the future-tense form: "Experiencing the whole body I shall breathe in" and so on. So it should be understood.

[§221] "He trains: 'tranquillising the bodily formation (passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ) I shall breathe in . . . pe . . . I shall breathe out'"³⁰ — making the coarse bodily formation calm-down (passambhento), thoroughly-calmed-down (paṭippassambhento), made-to-cease (nirodhento), brought-to-subsidence (vūpasamento), he trains [thinking]: "I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out."

In this context, both the coarse-and-subtle nature (oḷārika-sukhumatā) and the tranquillity (passaddhi) are to be understood. For this bhikkhu, in the time before [the meditation subject was] taken up, both body and mind are agitated (sadaratha), coarse. When the coarseness of body-and-mind has not subsided, the in-and-out breaths too are coarse: they proceed having become more forceful; the nose does not suffice, [and] he stands breathing in and breathing out through the mouth. But when both his body and mind have been [meditation-]taken-up, then those [body-and-mind] become peaceful, subsided. When they are subsided, the in-and-out breaths proceed having become subtle — to the point of [the practitioner's] questioning: "Are they present or absent?"

Just as for a man who has been running, or has descended from a mountain, or has set down a great burden from the head, [and is now] standing — coarse in-and-out breaths [arise], the nose does not suffice, and he stands breathing in and breathing out through the mouth. But when, having dispelled that fatigue, he has bathed, drunk,

[V i 275]

and lain down in the cool shade with a wet cloth placed on his heart, then for him those in-and-out breaths become subtle — [reaching the point] of [his] questioning: "Are they present or absent?" Even so, for this bhikkhu, in the time before [the meditation subject was] taken up, both body . . . pe . . . have reached the [mode] of being-questionable. Why? Because for him, in the time before being taken up, there is no engaging-of-attention-and-reviewing (ābhoga-samannāhāra-manasikāra-paccavekkhaṇā) [in the form of:] "I shall tranquillise the coarse-coarse bodily formation"; but in the taken-up time there is. Therefore, in the taken-up time the bodily formation is subtler than in the not-yet-taken-up time. Hence the Ancients have said: —

When body and mind are agitated, [the breath] proceeds in excess; *when the body is unagitated, [the breath] proceeds subtly.*³¹

At the [stage of initial] taking-up, [the bodily formation is] coarse; at access to the first jhāna, subtle. There too [at the first-jhāna access stage it is, relative to deeper stages] coarse, [and] at the first jhāna [itself], subtle. At the first jhāna and at access to the second jhāna, [it is] coarse; at the second jhāna, subtle. At the second jhāna and at access to the third jhāna, [it is] coarse; at the third jhāna, subtle. At the third jhāna and at access to the fourth jhāna, [it is] coarse; at the fourth jhāna, [it is] exceedingly subtle — [indeed,] reaching the point of complete non-occurrence (appavatti). This is the view of the Dīgha-reciters (Dīghabhāṇaka) and the Saṃyutta-reciters (Saṃyuttabhāṇaka).³² The Majjhima-reciters (Majjhimabhāṇaka), however, hold: at the first jhāna [it is] coarse, at the access to the second jhāna subtle — and so, by way of each successive lower-jhāna's higher-access, they take [the bodily formation as] subtler still. According to the view of all [reciter-schools alike], the bodily formation that occurred in the not-taken-up time becomes thoroughly tranquillised in the taken-up time. The bodily formation that occurred in the taken-up time [becomes thoroughly tranquillised] at access to the first jhāna . . . pe . . . the bodily formation that occurred at access to the fourth jhāna becomes thoroughly tranquillised at the fourth jhāna.

This, then, is the method with regard to serenity (samatha). With regard to insight (vipassanā), however: the bodily formation that occurs in the not-yet-taken-up [stage] is coarse; at the taking-up of the great elements (mahā-bhūta-pariggaha) [it is] subtle, [yet] that too is coarse; at the taking-up of derived material form (upādā-rūpa-pariggaha), subtle, [yet] that too coarse; at the taking-up of all materiality (sakala-rūpa-pariggaha), subtle, [yet] that too coarse; at the taking-up of the immaterial (arūpa-pariggaha), subtle, [yet] that too coarse; at the taking-up of material-and-immaterial (rūpārūpa-pariggaha), subtle, [yet] that too coarse; at the taking-up of conditions (paccaya-pariggaha), subtle, [yet] that too coarse; at the seeing of conditioned name-and-form (sappaccaya-nāmarūpa-dassana), subtle, [yet] that too coarse; at insight grounded in the [three] characteristics as object (lakkhaṇārammaṇika-vipassanā), subtle, [yet] that too — at weak insight (dubbala-vipassanā) — coarse; at strong insight (bala-vipassanā), subtle. There, in the manner just stated, the thorough-tranquillity (paṭippassaddhi) [of each] earlier [stage] is to be understood [as effected] by [each] later [stage]. In this way too the coarse-and-subtle [nature] and the tranquillity are to be understood here.

[V i 276]

In the Paṭisambhidā, the meaning here is stated together with [Buddhaghosa's own] question-and-answer clarifications³³ as follows: —

"How does he train: 'tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe in . . . pe . . . I shall breathe out'? What are the bodily formations (kāyasaṅkhārā)?³⁴ Long in-breath . . . out-breath — these things, [being] bodily and bound-up with the body (kāya-paṭibaddha), are bodily formations. He trains in tranquillising, ceasing, calming these bodily formations . . . pe . . .

"Whatever kinds of bodily formations [there are] by which there is bending, twisting, leaning, drawing-down (ānamanā, vinamanā, sannamanā, paṇamanā), trembling, shaking, moving, quivering (iñjanā, phandanā, calanā, kampanā) of the body — he trains: 'tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe in'; he trains: 'tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe out.'

"Whatever kinds of bodily formations [there are] by which there is no bending, no twisting, no leaning, no drawing-down, no trembling, no shaking, no moving, no quivering of the body — he trains [thinking]: 'tranquillising the peaceful, subtle bodily formation I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out.'

"Thus indeed (iti kira), [if] he trains: 'tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe in, tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe out' [understood as the cessation-meaning only], then [it would follow that] there is no bringing-forth (pabhāvanā) of the perception-of-air (vātūpaladdhi), no bringing-forth of in-and-out breaths, no bringing-forth of mindfulness of breathing, no bringing-forth of the ānāpānasati-samādhi — and the wise ones (paṇḍitā) neither enter nor emerge from that attainment.

"Thus indeed [if] he [correctly] trains: 'tranquillising the bodily formation I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out' [in the right sense], then there IS bringing-forth of the perception-of-air, there is bringing-forth of in-and-out breaths, there is bringing-forth of mindfulness of breathing, there is bringing-forth of the ānāpānasati-samādhi — and that very attainment the wise ones do enter and do emerge from.

"Likened to what? Just as when a bronze plate (kaṃsa) has been struck, first the coarse sounds proceed; through having well-grasped (suggahitatta), well-attended (sumanasikatatta), and well-comprehended (sūpadhāritatta) the sign of the coarse sounds, even when the coarse sounds have ceased, afterwards the subtle sounds proceed; through having well-grasped, well-attended, and well-comprehended the sign of the subtle sounds, even when the subtle sounds have ceased,

[V i 277]

"afterwards the mind proceeds with the sign-of-subtle-sound itself as object — even so, first the coarse in-and-out breaths proceed; through having well-grasped, well-attended, and well-comprehended the sign of the coarse in-and-out breaths, even when the coarse in-and-out breaths have ceased, afterwards the subtle in-and-out breaths proceed; through having well-grasped, well-attended, and well-comprehended even the sign of the subtle in-and-out breaths, even when the subtle in-and-out breaths have ceased, afterwards the mind, [with] the sign-of-subtle-in-and-out-breaths as object, does not undergo distraction (vikkhepa).

"Thus indeed there is bringing-forth of the perception-of-air, of in-and-out breaths, of mindfulness of breathing, of the ānāpānasati-samādhi — and that very attainment the wise ones do enter and do emerge from. [In this way:] for one tranquillising the bodily formation, the in-and-out breaths are body [as] manifestation; mindfulness is contemplation [and] knowledge. The body is the manifestation, not the mindfulness; mindfulness is both the manifestation and the mindfulness; through that mindfulness, through that knowledge, he contemplates the body. Hence it is said: 'the cultivation of mindfulness-of-the-body-as-a-foundation-of-mindfulness with regard to the body.'"

This here, then, is the sequential word-commentary on the first tetrad (paṭhama-catukka) spoken by way of body-contemplation (kāyānupassanā).

[§222] Now since here this tetrad alone is spoken of by way of meditation-subject for the beginner (ādikammika), whereas the remaining three tetrads have been spoken of — for one who has attained jhāna here — by way of feeling-, mind-, and dhamma-contemplation (vedanā- / citta- / dhammānupassanā), therefore by a clansman just beginning [the meditative work] (ādikammika kulaputta) — desiring to cultivate this meditation subject, [and] to attain arahantship together with the [four] discriminative knowledges (paṭisambhidā) through the insight (vipassanā) whose proximate cause is the four-jhāna-progression of mindfulness of breathing — having done all the preliminary tasks beginning with the purification of virtue (sīla-parisodhana) in the manner stated earlier, the meditation subject having five connections (pañcasandhika kammaṭṭhāna) is to be taken up in the presence of a teacher of the kind described.

Of these, here are the five connections: — uggaho (learning-grasp), paripucchā (inquiring), upaṭṭhānaṃ (manifestation), appanā (absorption), lakkhaṇaṃ (characterisation).

There: uggaho means: the learning-grasp of the meditation subject. Paripucchā means: the inquiring-of (interrogation regarding) the meditation subject. Upaṭṭhānaṃ means: the manifestation of the meditation subject. Appanā means: the

[V i 278]

absorption regarding it (matthānass' appanā). Lakkhaṇaṃ means: the characterisation of the meditation subject. "Such-and-such is the characteristic of this meditation subject" — the grasping-of-the-meditation-subject's-essential-nature (kammaṭṭhāna-sabhāva-upadhāraṇa) — that is what is being said.

Thus learning the meditation subject with [these] five connections, one neither tires oneself nor troubles the teacher. Therefore, having asked little [at one time] and recited much [for long periods], having thus learnt the meditation subject with these five connections, dwelling in the presence of the teacher or elsewhere in a lodging place of the kind described above, having cut off the minor obstacles (khuddaka-palibodha), having taken his meal and dispelled the meal-drowsiness, having sat down comfortably and gladdened the mind by recollecting the qualities of the Triple Gem (ratanattaya-guṇa-anussaraṇa) — without confusion regarding even a single phrase received from the teacher — this ānāpānassati-meditation-subject is to be attended to.

There, here is the manner of attention (manasikāra-vidhi): — *counting (gaṇanā), following-after (anubandhanā), touching (phusanā), settling (ṭhapanā), discernment (sallakkhaṇā), turning-away (vivaṭṭanā), purification (pārisuddhi), and their reviewing (paṭipassanā).*³⁵

There: counting (gaṇanā) means just counting. Following-after (anubandhanā) means following-along (anuvahanā). Touching (phusanā) means the touch-place (phuṭṭhaṭṭhāna). Settling (ṭhapanā) means absorption (appanā). Discernment (sallakkhaṇā) means insight (vipassanā). Turning-away (vivaṭṭanā) means the path (maggo). Purification (pārisuddhi) means the fruit (phalaṃ). Their reviewing (tesañ ca paṭipassanā) means [reviewing-]reflection (paccavekkhaṇā).³⁶

[§223] There, by this clansman just beginning [meditative work], this meditation subject is to be attended to first by way of counting. And in counting, one should not stop below five, one should not go above ten, one should not show any break in between. For one who stops below five, his mind-arising trembles in [too] narrow a space, like a cattle-herd shut into a narrow pen (sambādhe vaje sanniruddha-gogaṇa). For one who [also] goes above ten, his mind-arising becomes counting-dependent (gaṇana-nissitaka). For one who shows a break in between, [his] mind shakes [with the thought]: "Has my meditation subject reached its peak, or not?" — therefore, avoiding these faults, one should count.

In counting, one should at first count by the slow grain-measurer's counting (dhaññamāpaka-gaṇanā). For the grain-measurer fills a measure-vessel, says "one," and pours it out; while filling it again, seeing some chaff, he throws it aside, saying "one — one"; and so on with "two — two," and the rest. Even so, this [practitioner] too, taking whatever in-or-out breath becomes manifest, should count "one — one"

[V i 279]

up to "ten — ten," noting each [breath] as it goes by. As he counts in this way, the in-going and out-going in-and-out breaths become manifest to him. Then, abandoning that slow grain-measurer's counting, he should count by the fast cowherd's counting (sīgha-gaṇanā gopālaka-gaṇanā). For a skilled cowherd takes pebbles and the like in his lap and, holding a rope-staff in his hand, goes early to the cattle-pen, strikes the back of the cows, sits down on the top of a cross-bar pillar at the gate, and counts each cow that reaches the gate by tossing down a pebble — "one, two" [and so on]. The cattle-herd, having spent the night confined in a narrow place [reaching the point of] distress, comes pouring out cluster by cluster, jostling one another, rushing forth. He counts quickly: "three, four, five, ten." Even so, for this [practitioner] too, counting by the prior method, the in-and-out breaths become manifest, going back and forth quickly, again and again. Then, knowing that "they go back and forth again and again," not grasping [them] within [the body] or without, but grasping only those that have reached the [breath-]gate (dvāra), he should count quickly: "one, two, three, four, five; one, two, three, four, five, six; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven . . . pe . . . eight . . . nine . . . ten." For when the meditation subject is bonded with counting (gaṇana-paṭibaddha), it is by the strength of counting alone that the mind becomes one-pointed — like stationing a boat in a strong current by means of a rudder-prop (aritta-upatthambhana). As he counts quickly in this way, the meditation subject manifests to him as if it were proceeding without interruption. Then, knowing that "it is proceeding without interruption," not grasping the air within [the body] or without, he should count quickly by just the prior method. For of one who lets the mind enter together with the in-going air, the interior of the body becomes as if struck-by-wind, filled with fat. Of one who draws the mind out together with the out-going air, the mind is distracted [from the meditation subject] toward externally-multifarious objects. But cultivation succeeds only for one who, establishing mindfulness on the touched-touched place (phuṭṭha-phuṭṭha-okāsa), develops [the subject]. Hence it was said: "not grasping the air within or without, one should count quickly by just the prior method."

"And how long should one count [thus]?" — Until, without [further] counting,

[V i 280]

mindfulness becomes established on the in-and-out breath as object. For counting is just for the purpose of cutting off externally-scattered discursive thought (bahi-visaṭa-vitakka) and establishing mindfulness on the in-and-out breath as object.

Having attended thus by counting, one should attend by following-after (anubandhanā).

[§224] Following-after (anubandhanā) means: having set aside counting, the continuous following-along of the in-and-out breaths by mindfulness. And that not by way of following the beginning-middle-end (ādi-majjha-pariyosāna). For of the out-going breath, the navel (nābhi) is the beginning, the heart (hadaya) is the middle, the tip of the nose (nāsikagga) is the end; of the in-coming breath, the tip of the nose is the beginning, the heart is the middle, the navel is the end. For one following these [from beginning to end], the mind, gone into distraction, becomes both strained and disturbed (sāraddha ca iñjana ca). As is said:³⁷

"Of one following with mindfulness the beginning-middle-end of the in-breath, the mind gone into internal distraction — both body and mind become strained, both disturbed and trembling. Of one following with mindfulness the beginning-middle-end of the out-breath, the mind gone into external distraction — both body and mind become strained, both disturbed and trembling."

Therefore, by one attending through anubandhanā, the attention should not be by way of beginning-middle-end; rather, [it should be] by way of touching (phusanā) and settling (ṭhapanā). For unlike counting and following-after [which are taken up as separate stages], there is no separate attention by way of touching and settling. Rather, while counting at the touched-touched place itself (phuṭṭha-phuṭṭha-ṭhāna), he attends by way of both counting and touching; setting aside the counting at just that [same place] and following [the breaths] by mindfulness, [and] stationing the mind by way of absorption — he is said to attend by way of anubandhanā, phusanā, and ṭhapanā [together].

This meaning is to be understood by the paṅgula-and-dovārikūpamā spoken in the Aṭṭhakathā,³⁸ and by the kakacūpamā spoken in the Paṭisambhidā.³⁹

[§225] There, this is the paṅgulopamā (cripple-with-swing simile):— just as a cripple (paṅgula) — having set in motion the swing (dolaṃ khipitvā) for the mother-and-children playing with the swing (mātāputtānaṃ dolāya kīḷantānaṃ) — sits down right there at the foot of the swing-post (dolā-thambha-mūle), and gradually sees both ends and the middle of the swing-plank (dolāphalakassa ubho koṭiyo majjhañ ca) as it comes-and-goes, but is not engaged in seeing the two-ends-and-middle (na ca ubho-koṭi-majjhānaṃ dassanatthaṃ vyāvaṭo hoti) —

[V i 281]

even so this bhikkhu, having taken his stand at the foot of the post-of-binding by means of mindfulness (sati-vasena upanibandhana-tthambha-mūle ṭhatvā), having set in motion the in-and-out-breath-swing (assāsa-passāsa-dolaṃ khipitvā), sitting down right there on the sign by mindfulness, following with mindfulness the beginning-middle-end of the in-and-out breaths gradually coming and going at the touched-place (phuṭṭhaṭṭhāne), and stationing the mind there, sees [them], but is not engaged in seeing them: — this is the paṅgulopamā.

[§226] Now this is the dovārikūpamā (gatekeeper simile):— just as a gatekeeper (dovārika) does not investigate the persons inside or outside the city (nagarassa anto ca bahi ca purise) — "Who are you? Whence have you come? Where are you going? What is in your hand?" — for these are not his burden (na hi tassa te bhārā); rather, he investigates only the door-arrived (dvārappattaṃ dvārappattaṃ yeva): even so for this bhikkhu, the airs entered within and the airs gone outside are not [his] burden, but only the door-arrived [airs] are [his] burden — this is the dovārikūpamā.

[§227] The kakacūpamā (saw simile), however, is to be understood from the beginning thus. This indeed has been said:⁴⁰ —

The sign, the in-and-out breaths — [these are] not the object of a single mind; and for one not knowing the three things, the cultivation is not obtained. The sign, the in-and-out breaths — not the object of a single mind; but for one knowing the three things, the cultivation is indeed obtained.

How are these three things not objects of a single mind, yet these three things [are] not unknown, and the mind does not go to distraction, [and] effort (padhāna) is manifest, exertion (payoga) accomplished, [and] special-attainment (visesa) reached? Just as a tree laid on level ground (rukkho same bhūmibhāge nikkhitto): a man would cut it with a saw. By means of the saw-teeth touching the tree (rukkhe phuṭṭha-kakacadantānaṃ vasena), the man's mindfulness is established; he does not attend to the saw-teeth coming-and-going, yet the coming-and-going saw-teeth are not unknown to him; effort is manifest, exertion is accomplished, special-attainment is reached. As the tree laid on level ground, even so [is] the upanibandhana-sign (upanibandhana-nimitta). As the saw-teeth, even so [are] the in-and-out breaths. Just as in respect of the tree the man's mindfulness is established by way of the saw-teeth touching it — he does not attend to the saw-teeth coming-and-going, yet the coming-and-going saw-teeth are not unknown to him, effort is manifest, exertion accomplished, special-attainment reached —

[V i 282]

even so this bhikkhu, having established mindfulness at the nose-tip or at the mouth-sign (nāsikagge vā mukhanimitte vā satim upaṭṭhapetvā), sits, [and] does not attend to the in-and-out breaths coming-and-going, yet the coming-and-going in-and-out breaths are not unknown to him; effort is manifest, exertion accomplished, special-attainment reached.

What is the effort (padhāna)? For one of stirred-up energy (āraddha-viriya), both body and mind become serviceable (kammaniya) — this is the effort. What is the exertion (payoga)? For one of stirred-up energy, the defilements (upakkilesa) are abandoned, [discursive] thoughts (vitakka) are calmed — this is the exertion. What is the special-attainment (visesa)? For one of stirred-up energy, the fetters (saṃyojana) are abandoned, the underlying-tendencies (anusaya) are eradicated — this is the special-attainment. Thus these three things are not objects of a single mind, yet these three things are not unknown; the mind does not go to distraction; effort is manifest, exertion accomplished, special-attainment reached.

For whom mindfulness of breathing is fulfilled (paripuṇṇā), well-cultivated (subhāvitā), gradually practised (anupubbaṃ paricitā) just as taught by the Buddha:— *He illuminates this world like the moon released from cloud.*⁴¹

This is the kakacūpamā. Here, however, only the non-attention by way of [the breaths'] coming-and-going (āgatāgatavasena amanasikāramattam eva) should be understood as the [practitioner's] aim.

[§228] For one attending to this meditation subject, for some [practitioners] before long the sign arises and the appanā-called ṭhapanā (settling) — adorned with the remaining jhāna-factors (avasesa-jhānaṅga-paṭimaṇḍitā) — comes about. For some, however, starting from the time of attention by way of counting alone (gaṇanāvasen' eva manasikārakālato pabhuti), through the gradual cessation of coarse in-and-out breaths (olārika-assāsa-passāsa-nirodha) by way of body-agitation (kāyadaratha) being calmed (vūpasanta), both body and mind become light (lahuka), [and] the body becomes as if it had reached the mode of leaping in the sky (ākāse laṅghanākāra-ppattaṃ viya). Just as for one with a strained body (sāraddha-kāyassa) sitting on a bed or chair, the bed-chair sags, creaks, [and] the bed-cover gathers wrinkles (mañcapīṭhaṃ onamati, vikūjati, paccattharaṇaṃ valiṃ gaṇhāti); but for one with a non-strained body (asāraddha-kāyassa) sitting [on it], the bed-chair neither sags nor creaks, nor does the bed-cover gather wrinkles — the bed-chair becomes as if filled with cotton-down (tūlapicu-pūritaṃ viya mañcapīṭhaṃ hoti).

[V i 283]

Why? Because the non-strained body is light (asāraddho kāyo lahuko). Even so, by way of attending from the time of counting onward, through the gradual cessation of coarse in-and-out breaths by way of body-agitation being calmed, both body and mind become light, [and] the body becomes as if it had reached the mode of leaping in the sky. For him with the coarse in-and-out breaths ceased, the mind proceeds with the subtle-in-and-out-breath-sign as object (sukhuma-assāsa-passāsa-nimittārammaṇaṃ cittaṃ pavattati); and when that too has ceased, again and again [the mind] proceeds with [an] ever subtler-and-subtler sign-object.

How [so]? Just as a man would strike a bronze plate (kaṃsa-thālaṃ) with a great iron rod (mahatī lohasalākā), [and] by a single stroke (ekappahārena) a great sound would arise, his mind would proceed with the coarse-sound-as-object; when the coarse sound has ceased, then afterwards [his mind would proceed] with the subtle-sound-sign-as-object; when that too has ceased, again and again [the mind] proceeds with [an] ever subtler-and-subtler sound-sign-as-object — even so it should be understood.

This too indeed has been said: "Just as when a bronze plate has been struck . . ."⁴² — by way of expansion. For just as other meditation subjects (aññāni kammaṭṭhānāni) become more-and-more manifest (uparūpari-vibhūtāni) [stage upon stage], not so this one. Indeed for one cultivating this above-and-above (uparūpari-bhāventassa), [it] goes to subtleness (sukhumattaṃ gacchati); [it] does not even go to manifestation (upaṭṭhānaṃ pi na gacchati). When [the meditation subject] is thus non-manifest for him, that bhikkhu should not, rising from his seat shaking out the leather sitting-cloth (uṭṭhāya-āsanā cammakhaṇḍaṃ papphoṭetvā), depart. What is to be done? He should not rise [thinking]: "I shall go ask the teacher (ācariyaṃ pucchissāmī)," or "Now my meditation subject is lost (naṭṭhaṃ dāni me kammaṭṭhānan)." For the meditation subject becomes ever-new (nava-navam eva hoti) for one who breaks the posture and goes; therefore one should fetch [it] back from [the same] seat just as [one is] sitting, by way of [mental] adverting (yathā nisinnen' eva desato āharitabbaṃ).

There, this is the method of fetching back (āharaṇūpāya):— that bhikkhu, knowing the non-manifestation-state (anupaṭṭhānabhāva) of the meditation subject, should reflect (paṭisañcikkhitabba) thus:— "These so-called in-and-out breaths — where do they exist? where do they not exist? for whom do they exist? for whom not?" — Thus reflecting, [he] knows:— "These do not exist (a) within the mother's womb (antomātukucchiyaṃ), (b) for those plunged in water (udake nimuggānaṃ), likewise (c) for those become unconscious (asaññī-bhūtānaṃ), (d) for the dead (matānaṃ), (e) for those attained to the fourth jhāna (catutthajjhāna-samāpannānaṃ), (f) for those existing in form-or-formless existence (rūpārūpa-bhava-samaṅgīnaṃ), [and] (g) for those attained to cessation (nirodha-samāpannānaṃ)" — thus knowing, he should chastise himself by himself thus:— "Are you not, wise one (paṇḍita)! — neither one gone into the mother's womb, nor plunged in water, nor become unconscious, nor dead, nor attained to fourth jhāna, nor existing in form-or-formless existence, nor attained to cessation; surely your in-and-out breaths do exist; but due to weak wisdom (manda-paññatā) you are unable to grasp them." Then by him, having stationed the mind by way of the habitually-touched-place (pakati-phuṭṭha-okāsa), the attention is to be set in motion.

[§229]

[V i 284]

For these [breaths] proceed striking — for the long-nosed person, the nose-wing (dīgha-nāsikassa nāsa-puṭa); for the short-nosed person, the upper lip (rassa-nāsikassa uttaroṭṭha). Therefore by him, the nimitta should be placed [thinking]: "they strike at this place called such-and-such." And for this very reason it was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, I do not declare there is mindfulness-of-breathing cultivation for one whose mindfulness is confused (muṭṭhassati) and who lacks clear comprehension (asampajāna)."⁴³

For although any other meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna) succeeds [only] for one already endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension (satassa sampajānass' eva), it becomes manifest [also] when attending to something other [than the meditation subject itself]. This ānāpānassati-meditation-subject, however, is weighty (garuka) [and demands] weighty cultivation (garuka-bhāvanā): it is the field of attention only for great persons (mahāpurisa) — Buddhas, paccekabuddhas, and the Buddha's sons (buddhaputta); not for the minor [practitioner], nor practised by minor beings. The more it is attended to, the more it becomes peaceful and subtle; therefore here, strong mindfulness and wisdom (balavatī sati ca paññā ca) are required.

For just as in the time of doing needlework on a fine cloth (maṭṭha-sāṭaka), the needle (sūci) [too] should be subtle, [and] the thread for the needle's eye (sūci-pāsa-vedhana) [should be] even more subtle than that — even so, in the time of cultivating this fine-cloth-like meditation subject, both mindfulness [as] the needle-counterpart (sūci-paṭibhāgā sati) and the wisdom conjoined with it [as] the needle-thread-counterpart (sūci-pāsa-vedhana-paṭibhāgā paññā) should be strong. For by a bhikkhu endowed with such mindfulness-and-wisdom, those in-and-out breaths should not be sought elsewhere than at the habitually-touched-place (pakati-phuṭṭha-okāsa).

[§230] Just as a farmer (kassaka), having ploughed (kasitvā), having unyoked the oxen (balivadda), having set them at the pasture-mouth (gocara-mukha), would sit in the shade and rest — and then his oxen would rush at speed into the forest [in flight]; the skilful farmer (cheko kassako), wishing to take them again and yoke them, does not [run] following their tracks wandering in the forest, but rather, taking the rope (rasmi) and the goad (patoda), [goes] straight to their drinking-ford-and-resting-spot (nipātana-tittha) and sits or lies down [there]; then those oxen, having roamed for part of the day, [and] descending to the drinking-ford-and-resting-spot, having bathed and drunk and emerged, when [the farmer] sees them standing [there], having bound [them] with the rope, prodding [them] with the goad, brings [them], yokes [them], [and] does the work again — even so by this bhikkhu the in-and-out breaths should not be sought elsewhere than at the habitually-touched-place; rather, taking the rope-of-mindfulness (sati-rasmi) and the goad-of-wisdom (paññā-patoda), [he should] station the mind at the habitually-touched-place, and the attention is to be set in motion.

[V i 285]

For [him] thus attending, before long [the breaths] manifest, like the oxen at the drinking-ford-and-resting-spot. Then by him, having bound [them] with the rope-of-mindfulness, having yoked [them] in that very place, prodding [them] with the goad-of-wisdom, the meditation subject is to be undertaken again and again. For him undertaking thus, before long the nimitta manifests.

[§231] But this [nimitta] is not the same for all. Rather, some [teachers] say: "For some [practitioners], it manifests producing a pleasant touch (sukha-samphassa) — like a cotton-down [puff] (tūlapicu), like a silk-cotton [puff] (kappāsapicu), like a stream of wind (vātadhārā)."

But this is the Aṭṭhakathās' decision (Aṭṭhakathāsu vinicchayo):— for some, it manifests like a star-form (tārakarūpa), like a gem-ball (maṇi-guḷikā), like a pearl-ball (muttā-guḷikā); for some, becoming rough to the touch (khara-samphassa), like a cotton-seed (kappāsaṭṭhi), like a heartwood-needle (dārusāra-sūci); for some, like a long shoulder-cord (dīgha-pāmaṅga-sutta),⁴⁴ like a flower-garland (kusuma-dāma), like a smoke-plume (dhūma-sikhā); for some, like a spread spider-thread (vitthata-makkaṭaka-sutta), like a cloud-mass (valāhaka-paṭala), like a lotus-flower (paduma-puppha), like a chariot-wheel (ratha-cakka), like the moon-disc (canda-maṇḍala), [or] like the sun-disc (suriya-maṇḍala).

And this [variance] is like the case where, among many bhikkhus who have recited a sutta together and are seated [together], one bhikkhu asks: "How did this sutta appear (upaṭṭhāti) to you [each]?" — one says: "To me it appeared as a great mountain-river (mahatī pabbateyyā nadī)"; another: "To me [it appeared as] a forest-row (vanarājī)"; another: "To me [it appeared as] a tree with cool shade, well-foliaged, weighed down with fruit (sītacchāyo sākhā-sampanno phala-bhāra-bharito rukkho)". For them indeed, that one and the same sutta — by [their] perception-difference (saññā-nānatā) — appears differently (nānato upaṭṭhāti). Even so, one and the same meditation subject — by perception-difference — appears differently; for this [nimitta] is perception-born (saññā-ja), perception-rooted (saññā-nidāna), [and] perception-arisen (saññā-pabhava); therefore by perception-difference it appears differently — so it should be understood.

And here, the in-breath-object [mind] is one, the out-breath-object [mind] another, the nimitta-object [mind] yet another (aññaṃ eva assāsārammaṇaṃ cittam, aññaṃ passāsārammaṇam, aññaṃ nimittārammaṇam). For one who does not have these three things (tayo dhammā), the meditation subject reaches neither absorption (appanā) nor access (upacāra). But for one who has these three things, his meditation subject reaches both access and absorption. This indeed has been said:⁴⁵ —

The sign, the in-and-out breaths — [these are] not the object of a single mind; and for one not knowing the three things, the cultivation is not obtained. The sign, the in-and-out breaths — not the object of a single mind; but for one knowing the three things, the cultivation is indeed obtained.

[§232]

[V i 286]

When the nimitta has thus manifested, that bhikkhu should go to the teacher's presence (ācariyassa santikam) and report: "Bhante, such-and-such [a nimitta] manifests to me." But the teacher should not say either "This is the nimitta" or "This is not the nimitta"; he should say: "It is so, friend (āvuso) — attend [to it] again and again." For if it is said: "This is the nimitta," he would fall into complacency (vosānaṃ āpajjeyya); if it is said: "This is not the nimitta," he would lose heart and sink down [into despondency] (nirāso visīdeyya). Therefore, saying neither, [the teacher] should enjoin [him] to attention itself: — thus, indeed, [hold] the Dīgha-reciters (Dīghabhāṇakā). But the Majjhima-reciters (Majjhimabhāṇakā) hold: "He is to be told: 'This, friend, is the nimitta of the meditation subject; attend to it again and again, [you] worthy person (sappurisa).'" Then by him the mind should be stationed at the nimitta itself; thus for him, from this point onward (ito-pabhuti), the cultivation [proceeds] by way of settling (ṭhapanā-vasena bhāvanā). This has been said by the Ancients (Porāṇā):—

Stationing the mind in the nimitta, making its various aspects manifest, the wise one binds his own mind to the in-and-out breaths.

For him, from the moment of the nimitta's manifestation onward, the hindrances (nīvaraṇa) are suppressed (vikkhambhita); the defilements (kilesa) are settled (sannisinna); mindfulness is established (upaṭṭhita); the mind is well-concentrated by access-concentration (upacāra-samādhi).

Then by him that nimitta should not be attended to by way of colour (vaṇṇato), nor reviewed by way of characteristics (lakkhaṇato). Rather, like the queen-consort [protecting] a wheel-turner-fetus (khattiya-mahesiyā cakkavatti-gabbho viya), and like the farmer [protecting] a rice-and-barley-fetus (kassakena sāli-yava-gabbho viya), [the bhikkhu] should well-protect [the nimitta] by avoiding the seven unsuitables (satta asappāya) beginning with dwelling-place (āvāsa) and by resorting to those very seven suitables (satta sappāya).

Then, having protected it thus, by repeated attention causing [it] to grow and to develop, [he] should accomplish the tenfold absorption-skill (dasavidha appanā-kosalla), [and] apply energy-balance (viriya-samatā). For him striving thus, in the same sequence as set forth [in the explanation] of the earth-kasiṇa (pathavī-kasiṇe vuttānukkamena), the 4-fold and 5-fold jhānas (catukka-pañcaka-jjhāna) arise in that nimitta. Then this bhikkhu — having brought forth the 4-fold and 5-fold jhānas, [and] wishing to attain purification (pārisuddhi) by way of cultivating the meditation subject through sallakkhaṇā (discernment) [and] vivaṭṭanā (turning-away) — having made that very jhāna proficient by mastery in five aspects (pañcahi ākārehi visippattaṃ paguṇaṃ katvā), [and] having determined name-and-form (nāmarūpaṃ vavatthapetvā), establishes insight (vipassanā).

How? For he, having emerged from the attainment (samāpattito vuṭṭhāya), sees: "The arising of in-and-out-breaths is the kamma-born body (karaja-kāya) and the mind." For just as when a smith's bellows (kammāra-gaggariyā) are being blown, by way of the bellows-skin (bhastā) and the person's appropriate effort (tajjaṃ vāyāmaṃ paṭicca), air moves (vāto sañcarati) — even so, by way of the body and the mind, [there are] in-and-out breaths.⁴⁶ Then [he] determines: "The in-and-out breaths and the body are material form (rūpa); the mind and its conjoined factors (tam-sampayutta-dhamme) are immaterial (arūpa)."

This here is the summary; the detailed [exposition] of name-and-form-determination will appear later (vitthārato pana nāmarūpa-vavatthānaṃ parato āvibhavissati).

[V i 287]

Having thus determined name-and-form, he searches for its conditioning factor (paccaya); searching, [and] seeing it, he transcends doubt (kaṅkhaṃ vitarati) regarding the proceeding of name-and-form across all three time-periods (tīsu pi addhāsu).

Having transcended doubt, by way of comprehension-by-groups (kalāpa-sammasana) [he] raises up the three characteristics (ti-lakkhaṇa); in the preliminary part of the contemplation of arising-and-passing-away (udayabbayānupassanāya pubbabhāge), abandoning the ten insight-defilements beginning with luminosity (obhāsa-ādayo dasa vipassan'-upakkilese); determining the path-of-practice-knowledge freed from defilements as the path (upakkilesa-vimuttaṃ paṭipadā-ñāṇaṃ maggo ti vavatthapetvā); abandoning [the contemplation of] arising and reaching the contemplation of dissolution (bhaṅgānupassanā); [and] continuously, by the contemplation of dissolution, when all formations (sabba-saṅkhāra) are manifested as passing-away (vayato upaṭṭhitesu) — becoming disenchanted (nibbindanto), fading away (virajjanto), [and] being liberated (vimuccanto) — sequentially attaining the four noble paths (cattāro ariya-magge), [and] established in the fruit of arahantship (arahatta-phale patiṭṭhāya), [he] reaches the limit of the nineteen-fold reviewing-knowledge (ekūnavīsati bhedassa paccavekkhaṇa-ñāṇassa), [and] becomes the supreme one-worthy-of-offerings (aggadakkhiṇeyya) of the world together with its gods (sadevakassa lokassa).

By this much, for him — beginning from counting (gaṇanā) and culminating in [reviewing-]reflection (paṭipassanā) — the cultivation of the ānāpānassati-samādhi is completed. — This is the all-around exposition of the first tetrad (sabbākārato paṭhama-catukka-vaṇṇanā).

[§233] As for the remaining three tetrads, since there is no separate method-of-cultivation-of-the-meditation-subject (visuṃ kammaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā-naya), their meaning is to be understood through word-by-word commentary alone (anupada-vaṇṇanā-naya):— "Pīti-paṭisamvedī ti" — making rapture experienced, [making it] manifest — "I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains."⁴⁷

There, rapture is experienced in two modes (dvīhi ākārehi): by way of object (ārammaṇato) and by way of non-confusion (asammohato). How is rapture experienced by way of object? He attains the two jhānas accompanied by rapture (sappītika dve jhāne); at the moment of attainment, by the gaining-of-jhāna (jhāna-paṭilābha), rapture is experienced by way of object — because the object is experienced. How by way of non-confusion? Having attained the two jhānas accompanied by rapture and emerged, he investigates as ceasing-and-passing-away (khaya-vaya) the rapture conjoined with jhāna;

[V i 288]

at the moment of insight, by penetration of the characteristic (lakkhaṇa-paṭivedha), rapture is experienced by way of non-confusion. This indeed has been said in the Paṭisambhidā: — "Of one who, by way of long in-breath, knows the one-pointedness, non-distraction of the mind, mindfulness is established; through that mindfulness, through that knowledge, that rapture is experienced. By way of long out-breath . . . by way of short in-breath . . . by way of short out-breath . . . by way of experiencing the whole body — in-and-out-breath; by way of tranquillising the bodily formation — in-and-out-breath, of one who knows the one-pointedness, non-distraction of the mind, mindfulness is established; through that mindfulness, through that knowledge, that rapture is experienced. Through [mind's] adverting (āvajjana), that rapture is experienced; of one knowing, seeing, reviewing, of one who fixes the mind, who resolves through faith, who exerts energy, who establishes mindfulness, who concentrates the mind, who understands through wisdom, of one who comes to know [what is to be] directly known, . . . [what is to be] fully known, . . . [what is to be] abandoned, . . . [what is to be] developed, [and what is to be] realised — that rapture is experienced. Thus that rapture is experienced."

By this very method, the remaining clauses (avasesa-pada) too are to be understood in meaning. Here is what is particular: "sukha-paṭisamviditā" is to be understood by way of three jhānas; "cittasaṅkhāra-paṭisamveditā" by way of all four. "Cittasaṅkhāro ti" — [means] the two aggregates beginning with feeling (vedanā-ādayo dve khandhā). In the sukha-paṭisamvedī clause here, for the purpose of showing the insight-ground (vipassanā-bhūmi-dassanattha), it has been said in the Paṭisambhidā: "Sukha is twofold: bodily sukha and mental sukha (kāyikaṃ ca sukhaṃ cetasikaṃ ca)." "Passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāran ti" means: tranquillising, ceasing the gross cittasaṅkhāra. Its detailed [exposition] is to be understood in the same way as for the kāyasaṅkhāra (above at §221). And here, in the pīti-clause, feeling has been spoken-of under the heading-of-rapture (pīti-sīsa); in the sukha-clause, feeling [is spoken-of] in its own form; in the two cittasaṅkhāra-clauses, [following] the saying — "Perception-and-feeling (saññā ca vedanā ca) are mental-factors (cetasika); these states bound-up-with-the-mind (citta-paṭibaddha) are cittasaṅkhāra" — perception-conjoined feeling

[V i 289]

(saññā-sampayutta vedanā) [is understood]. Thus this tetrad is spoken by way of feeling-contemplation (vedanānupassanā) — so it should be understood.

[§234] In the third tetrad too, citta-paṭisamveditā is to be understood by way of all four jhānas.

"Abhippamodayaṃ cittan ti"⁴⁸ — gladdening, rejoicing, delighting, gratifying the mind — "I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains." There, abhippamoda (gladdening) is twofold: by way of concentration (samādhi) and by way of insight. How by way of concentration? He attains the two jhānas accompanied by rapture; at the moment of attainment, by the conjoined rapture, [he] makes the mind glad, gladdens [it]. How by way of insight? Having attained the two jhānas accompanied by rapture and emerged, he investigates as ceasing-and-passing-away the rapture conjoined with jhāna. Thus at the moment of insight, having made the jhāna-conjoined rapture the object, [he] makes the mind glad, gladdens [it]. One who has practised thus is said: "Gladdening the mind, I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains."

"Samādahaṃ cittan ti" — evenly placing (samaṃ ādahanto), evenly stationing (samaṃ ṭhapento) the mind on the object by way of the first jhāna and so on; or, having entered those jhānas and emerged, observing the jhāna-conjoined mind as ceasing-and-passing-away — at the vipassanā-moment, through penetration of the characteristic, momentary one-pointedness of mind (khaṇika-citt'-ekaggatā) arises. Through such arisen momentary one-pointedness too, evenly placing, evenly stationing the mind on the object — [one] is said: "Concentrating the mind, I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains."

"Vimocayaṃ cittan ti" — releasing and liberating the mind from the hindrances by the first jhāna; from applied-and-sustained-thought by the second; from rapture by the third; from pleasure-and-pain (sukha-dukkha) by the fourth — releasing and liberating the mind; or having entered those jhānas and emerged, investigating as ceasing-and-passing-away the jhāna-conjoined mind. At the vipassanā-moment, releasing and liberating the mind from the perception-of-permanence (nicca-saññā) through aniccānupassanā; from the perception-of-pleasure (sukha-saññā) through dukkhānupassanā (contemplation of dukkha); from the perception-of-self (atta-saññā) through anattānupassanā (contemplation of not-self); from delight (nandi) through nibbidānupassanā (contemplation of disenchantment); from passion (rāga) through virāgānupassanā; from origination (samudaya) through nirodhānupassanā; from clinging (ādāna) through paṭinissaggānupassanā — releasing and liberating the mind, he breathes in and breathes out; therefore it is said: "Lib-

[V i 290]

erating the mind, I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains." Thus this tetrad is spoken by way of mind-contemplation (cittānupassanā) — so it should be understood.

[§235] In the fourth tetrad, however, with regard to "aniccānupassī ti"⁴⁹ — here first, the impermanent (anicca), impermanence (aniccatā), the contemplation-of-impermanence (aniccānupassanā), and the contemplator-of-impermanence (aniccānupassī) are [each] to be understood. There: anicca = the five aggregates (pañca-kkhandhā). Why? Because of [their] state of arising-passing-changing (uppāda-vaya-aññathatta-bhāva). Aniccatā = the very arising-passing-changing of those, or the non-existence [of what has] arisen; [it] means: dissolution by moment-breaking without remaining-thus-in-that-mode (ten' ev' ākārena aṭṭhatvā khaṇa-bhaṅgena bheda). Aniccānupassanā = the contemplation as "impermanent" with respect to materiality and so on (rūp'-ādisu), by way of that impermanence. Aniccānupassī = one endowed with that contemplation; therefore, being of such a kind, breathing in and breathing out, [he] is to be understood here as: "Aniccānupassī, I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains."

"Virāgānupassī ti" — here there are two fadings-away (virāga): perishing-fading (khaya-virāga) and final-fading (accanta-virāga). There, khaya-virāga = the perishing-dissolution (khaya-bhaṅga) of formations (saṅkhārā). Accanta-virāga = nibbāna. Virāgānupassanā = the [contemplation] that proceeds by way of seeing both, [namely] vipassanā and magga (vipassanā ca maggo ca). With both kinds of such contemplation, one endowed [therewith], breathing in and breathing out, is to be understood as: "Virāgānupassī, I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains."

In the Nirodhānupassī clause [too], this very same method [applies].

"Paṭinissaggānupassī ti" — here too there are two relinquishments (paṭinissagga): relinquishment-as-letting-go (pariccāga-paṭinissagga) and relinquishment-as-springing-forth (pakkhandana-paṭinissagga). Relinquishment itself [is] contemplation [— hence] paṭinissaggānupassanā: this is a designation (adhivacana) for vipassanā-and-magga (vipassanā-magga). For vipassanā, by way of the corresponding-factors (tad-aṅga-vasena), relinquishes the defilements together with the formations-and-fabrications (khandh'-ābhi-saṅkhāra); and through seeing the danger of the conditioned (saṅkhata-dosa-dassana), being inclined toward the opposite-of-it nibbāna (tab-biparīta nibbāna) by inclination-toward-it, springs forth — therefore [it] is called both pariccāga-paṭinissagga and pakkhandana-paṭinissagga. The path, by way of cutting-off (samuccheda-vasena), relinquishes the defilements together with the formations-and-fabrications: by making nibbāna its object (ārammaṇa-karaṇa), [it] springs forth to nibbāna — therefore [it] is called both pariccāga-paṭinissagga and pakkhandana-paṭinissagga. Both, however, being repeated-contemplation (anu-anupassanā) of the earlier knowledges (purima-ñāṇa), are called contemplation (anupassanā).

[V i 291]

Endowed with both kinds of paṭinissagga-contemplation, breathing in and breathing out, [one] is to be understood as: "Paṭinissaggānupassī, I shall breathe in, I shall breathe out — thus he trains."

This fourth tetrad is spoken by way of pure-vipassanā (suddha-vipassanā) alone. The previous three, however, by way of serenity-and-vipassanā (samatha-vipassanā). Thus, by way of the four tetrads, the cultivation of mindfulness-of-breathing in its sixteen bases (solasa-vatthukāya ānāpānasatiyā bhāvanā) is to be understood.⁵⁰

[§236] Furthermore, by way of the sixteen bases, this mindfulness-of-breathing has great fruit (mahapphala) [and] great benefits (mahānisaṃsa). With regard to it: from the opening statement (see above, p. 266; S. v, 321) — "This too, bhikkhus, the ānāpānasati-samādhi when cultivated and made-much-of, is peaceful and excellent . . ." — its great-benefit-ness should be understood by way of its peaceful-state and so on, [and] by way of its capability to cut-off [discursive] thought (vitakkupaccheda-samatthatā). For this concentration, being a peaceful, excellent, unadulterated abiding-in-ease, by way of the obstructing thoughts (antarāyakara vitakka), having cut off the mind's running-here-and-there (ito c' ito ca cittassa vidhāvana), makes the mind face only the ānāpāna-object. For this very reason it was said: "Ānāpānasati is to be cultivated for the cutting-off of [discursive] thought."⁵¹

Its great-benefit-ness is also to be understood by way of [its] root-state (mūla-bhāva) for the fulfilment (pāripūri) of true-knowledge-and-liberation (vijjā-vimutti). This indeed has been said by the Blessed One: "Ānāpānasati, bhikkhus, when cultivated and made-much-of, fulfils the four foundations of mindfulness (cattāro satipaṭṭhānā); the four foundations of mindfulness, when cultivated and made-much-of, fulfil the seven factors of enlightenment (satta bojjhaṅgā); the seven factors of enlightenment, when cultivated and made-much-of, fulfil true-knowledge-and-liberation."⁵²

[§237] Furthermore, its great-benefit-ness is to be understood by way of the bringing-to-known-ness (viditabhāva-karaṇa) of the final (carimaka) in-and-out breaths. This indeed has been said by the Blessed One: "Thus, Rāhula, when ānāpānasati has been thus cultivated, thus made-much-of, those final (carimaka) in-and-out breaths cease known, not unknown."⁵³

There, by way of cessation (nirodha-vasena), there are three [kinds of] carimakā: existence-final (bhava-carimaka), jhāna-final (jhāna-carimaka), [and] death-final (cuti-carimaka). For among existences (bhava), the in-and-out breaths proceed in the sense-sphere existence (kāma-bhava), [but] do not proceed in the form-or-formless existences (rūpārūpa-bhava); therefore those [breaths] are existence-final. Among jhānas, [they] proceed in the first three jhānas (purime jhānattaye), [but] do not proceed in the fourth — therefore those [breaths] are jhāna-final. But those that, having arisen together with the 16th-mind-moment (solasama-citta) before the death-consciousness (cuti-citta),

[V i 292]

cease together with the death-consciousness — these are called death-final (cuti-carimakā). These [last] here are [the ones] intended as carimakā [in the Buddha's quote above].

For the bhikkhu engaged-in this meditation subject, because of his having well-grasped the ānāpāna-object (ānāpānārammaṇa-suṭṭhu-pariggahitatā), when adverting (āvajjayati) to the arising (uppāda) of the 16th-mind-moment before the death-consciousness at its arising-moment (uppādakkhaṇa), its arising too is manifest to him; adverting to its standing (ṭhiti) — its standing too is manifest to him; adverting to its dissolution (bhaṅga) — its dissolution too is manifest to him.

[§238] For the bhikkhu who has cultivated another meditation subject and attained arahantship, the life-span (āyu) may be definite or indefinite (paricchinna or aparicchinna). But for the bhikkhu who has cultivated this 16-base ānāpānasati and attained arahantship, the life-span is definite indeed (paricchinnam eva). He, knowing: "Thus much will my life-formations (āyu-saṅkhāra) proceed — not beyond," by his own nature (attano dhammatāya), having done all duties (sabba-kicca) — caring for the body (sarīra-paṭijaggana), the lower-robe (nivāsana), the upper-robe (pārupana), and the rest — closes his eyes [in parinibbāna]; like the Elder Tissa who dwelt at Koṭapabbata-vihāra (Koṭapabbatavihāravāsī Tissatthera), like the Elder Mahā-Tissa who dwelt at Mahākarañjiya-vihāra (Mahākarañjiyavihāravāsī Mahā-Tissatthera), like the alms-mendicant Elder Tissa in the great country of Devaputta (Devaputta-mahāraṭṭhe Piṇḍapātika-Tissatthera), and like the two brother-Elders who dwelt at Cittalapabbata-vihāra (Cittalapabbatavihāravāsino dve bhātiya-therā).

Here is one anecdote-illustration (eka-vatthu-dīpana): It is said that, of the two brother-Elders, one of them, on a full-moon uposatha day (puṇṇam-uposatha-divasa), having recited the Pātimokkha (Pātimokkhaṃ osāretvā) and being surrounded by the bhikkhu-saṅgha (bhikkhu-saṅgha-parivuta), having gone to his own dwelling-place, standing on the walking-path (caṅkama) [and] gazing at the moonlight (candāloka), having determined his life-formations, addressed the bhikkhu-saṅgha: "By you, in what manner have bhikkhus been previously seen attaining parinibbāna (parinibbāyantā)?" There, some said: "By us, [bhikkhus] seated on a seat (āsane nisinnakā) have been previously seen attaining parinibbāna." Some [said]: "By us, [bhikkhus] sitting cross-legged in the air (ākāse pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā nisinnakā) [have been seen]." The Elder said: "Now I will show you one attaining parinibbāna while walking-on-the-caṅkama itself (caṅkamantam eva)." Then, having made a mark (lekhaṃ) on the caṅkama: "I will go from this end of the caṅkama (caṅkama-koṭi) to the other end, [and] returning, [right when] reaching this mark, attain parinibbāna" — having said this, descending onto the caṅkama, going to the far side, returning — at the very moment of stepping on the mark with one foot (ekena pādena lekhaṃ akkanta-kkhaṇa), he attained parinibbāna.

[V i 293]

Therefore indeed the wise one (paṇḍita), being heedful (appamatta), *should always practise (anuyuñjeyya) this ānāpānasati of so-many-benefits (anekānisaṃsa).*⁵⁴

This is [the close of] the detailed exposition on mindfulness of breathing.⁵⁵

Idaṃ ānāpānassatiyaṃ vitthārakathāmukhaṃ.

Footnotes

¹ sati — "mindfulness" rendered following Bodhi/Sujato register; not the deracinated secular "mindfulness" of contemporary therapeutic usage. The Pāli sati in Theravāda commentarial use carries the technical sense of anussati / non-forgetfulness (asammoha) with the object held vividly present. First occurrence per chapter (GLOSSARY discipline §I). ² S. v, 321. ³ Ibid. 322. For the following [16-base formula] see ibid. p. 311 f. ⁴ parimukhaṃ — literally "around the face/mouth"; commentarial tradition takes this as the area around the nose-tip where the breath is felt entering and leaving. ⁵ S. v, 322; also 316. Sixteen-base formula. The PTS text uses . . . pe . . . to mark stock abbreviation; the bracketed numerals [1]–[16] are editorial-aid for the reader, not in the Pāli; their canonical four-tetrad grouping is supplied by the commentary itself at §233 below (catukka 1: steps 1–4 kāyānupassanā / catukka 2: steps 5–8 vedanānupassanā / catukka 3: steps 9–12 cittānupassanā / catukka 4: steps 13–16 dhammānupassanā). ⁶ So all editions. ⁷ paṭivedha — "penetration," the standard technical commentarial term for breaking-through-by-insight. ⁸ Sʰᵇ do not repeat [that is, give the gloss only once, not "avikkhambhite avikkhambhite"]. ⁹ S. v, 311. ¹⁰ M. i, 63; A. ii, 238. ¹¹ kūṭagoṇa — "stubborn ox," literally "cheating/tricky ox"; the bovine that pulls against the yoke rather than along it. The same morpheme kūṭa recurs in kūṭadhenu / kūṭavaccha ("wild cow" / "wild calf") below. ¹² Sᵇ reads pavitthā; Sʰ reads pavisitvā [both meaning "having entered"]. ¹³ Not traced [in the canon]. ¹⁴ Bʰᵐ reads muddhabhūtaṃ ("foremost / topmost"); Sʰ records a Burmese-edition reading khuddhabhūtaṃ. PTS pubbabhūtaṃ ("foremost / pre-eminent") preserved. ¹⁵ A. v, 133–135. Cf. Points of Controversy, p. 331. ¹⁶ Cf. D. i, 9, 12; ii, 87 — references to vatthu-vijjā among the worldly sciences (tiracchāna-vijjā) the Buddha did not practise for livelihood. Buddhaghosa's metaphor is deliberately ironic: the Blessed One is likened to a master of the very divinatory art he refused to practise as monastic livelihood — deploying its practical site-selection wisdom without practising it as a livelihood-divination. ¹⁷ Not traced [in the canon]. — The second Porāṇā verse of §218. Three-line layout preserved per PTS source; the first Porāṇā verse above is two-line anuṭṭhubha (4-pāda collapsed), whereas this verse extends across three pāda-clauses with a final particle (ti) — meter-variation noted; layouts preserved per source-fidelity. ¹⁸ Vibh. 529 — the analytic-text definition (sutta-method): "the forest is what is outside the city-gate's threshold-pillar (indakhīla)." ¹⁹ Vin. iv, 183 (Pār. 654) — the Vinaya-method definition: "five-hundred bow-lengths" as the minimum-distance criterion for āraññaka lodging. ²⁰ The eight kinds of lodging-place (senāsana) per the Vinaya / commentary canonical list: vihāra (monastery), aḍḍha-yoga (half-gabled house), pāsāda (storied building), hammiya (flat-roofed house), guhā (cave), rukkha-mūla (root of a tree), arañña (forest), suññāgāra (empty hut). After setting aside the arañña and rukkha-mūla named in the sutta-formula triad, the remaining six (1–5, 8) are subsumed under suññāgāra — hence "the remaining seven." ²¹ That is, the cross-legged posture with both thighs equally bent. ²² Bʰᵐ reads alīnuddhacca-; PTS alīnānuddhacca-pakkhika preserved [= "belonging neither to the sluggish [līna] side nor to the agitated [uddhacca] side"]. ²³ Pts. i, 176 — the Paṭisambhidā's tripartite gloss of parimukhaṃ satim. ²⁴ Pts. i, 177 ff. — the analytic-text passage that supplies the 32-mode enumeration of "acting with mindfulness." ²⁵ Buddhaghosa flags a vocabulary divergence between the Vinaya and Suttanta commentarial traditions: the Vinaya-aṭṭhakathā takes assāsa = out-breath / passāsa = in-breath, whereas the Suttanta-aṭṭhakathās reverse the assignment (assāsa = in / passāsa = out). The Vism here follows the Vinaya assignment. ²⁶ Pts. i, 177 — the 9-mode analytic enumeration of long in-and-out breathing under the kāyānupassanā tetrad. ²⁷ Verse-citation [source not traced]; renders the bhikkhu's four-fold breath-discernment localised at the nose-tip touch-point. ²⁸ Bʰᵐ reads vivaṭṭati (in place of PTS vivattati) in the closing 9-mode body-cascade citation above [V i 273]. PTS reading preserved. ²⁹ See above, p. 267; cf. Pts. i, 175 — the Sabbakāya-paṭisaṃvedī sutta-phrase from MN 118 at §215 + the Paṭisambhidā commentary cross-reference. ³⁰ See above, p. 267; cf. Pts. i, 184 — the Passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāram sutta-phrase from MN 118 at §215 + the Paṭisambhidā commentary cross-reference. Bʰᵐ inverts the order of nirodhento vūpasamento (= "making-to-cease, bringing-to-subsidence") in this passage. ³¹ Porāṇā verse — not traced in the canon. The maxim correlates the breath's coarseness with the body-mind's agitation-state, foreshadowing the 4-jhāna progression below. ³² The three bhāṇaka recitation-schools (Dīghabhāṇaka / Saṃyuttabhāṇaka / Majjhimabhāṇaka) are first surfaced here; they recur at §232 ācariya-consult dialogue. The reciter-schools were monastic sub-traditions specialising in the recitation-transmission of one of the principal Sutta-Piṭaka Nikāyas. Buddhaghosa preserves their disagreement on the precise locus of the bodily-formation's subtilisation-progression across the 4 jhāna stages. ³³ Pts. i, 184-86 — the Paṭisambhidā analytic-text passage clarifying passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ. ³⁴ So all editions read plural; P.T.S. reads singular Katamo kāyasaṅkhāro? The plural form is preserved here per CSCD/Bʰᵐ/Sʰ convergence and for internal coherence with the multi-instance enumeration that follows ("Long in-breath . . . out-breath — these things . . ."). This is a documented deviation from the source-policy default (METHODOLOGY §4.1, PTS-base), justified by the multi-instance answer-content; logged at 譯者校記F. ³⁵ Sʰb gives these eight terms as two verses [reflecting the standard 8-stage manasikāra-vidhi methodology cluster, foundational to Buddhaghosa's ānāpānassati exposition]. ³⁶ The locked equivalence-mapping at the close of the 8-stage gloss — sallakkhaṇā = vipassanā (insight), vivaṭṭanā = maggo (path), pārisuddhi = phalaṃ (fruit), paṭipassanā = paccavekkhaṇā (reviewing-reflection) — is Buddhaghosa's own inline equivalence-declaration, mapping the gradual bhāvanā-stage vocabulary onto the canonical magga / phala / paccavekkhaṇā sequence. Preserved verbatim per source-fidelity. ³⁷ Pts. i, 165. Sʰ prints this citation as if it were ten lines of verse. ³⁸ Pts. Aṭṭhakathā called Sadhammappakāsinī — the Paṭisambhidā-magga commentary attributed to Mahānāma Thera. The paṅgula and dovārika similes are cited per Buddhaghosa as coming from this commentarial source; the actual text remained unedited at PTS's time. ³⁹ Pts. i, 170 ff. — the kakaca (saw) simile-source identified as Paṭisambhidā-proper, not commentarial. ⁴⁰ Pts. i, 170 f. — the opening 4-pāda kakaca-simile verse (negative / positive contrast pair on nimitta + assāsa + passāsa as not-single-mind-object yet not-unknown when "the three things" are known). ⁴¹ Cf. Dhp. 173 — only the second-and-third line of this 3-pāda verse echo Dhp 173 (so imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti abbho mutto va candimā; Dhp 173 = "Yassa pāpaṃ kataṃ kammaṃ kusalena pidhīyati / so imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti abbho mutto va candimā"). The first line — predicating the full ānāpānassati formula — is Buddhaghosa's compositional re-deployment with cited attribution. Cf. (= "compare") rather than direct citation per this re-deployment pattern. ⁴² See above, p. 276; cf. Mil. 62. — Back-reference (compressed) to the longer Paṭisambhidā bronze-plate citation at §221 [V i 276] re-deployed here at §228 to make the subtle-sign-cascade point; the parallel passage in the Milindapañha (62) supplies a related didactic image. ⁴³ S. v, 337; cf. 330. — The Buddha's muṭṭhassati-asampajāna prohibition concerning ānāpāna-sati-bhāvanā. The PTS-text of the Saṃyutta reads ānāpāna-sati-samādhi-bhāvanaṃ (with -samādhi-); the citation in our pali.md preserves the shorter form ānāpāna-sati-bhāvanaṃ per the Visuddhimagga source-text reading. ⁴⁴ Vin. Texts, iii, 69, n. 2 — editorial note on dīgha-pāmaṅga-sutta (long shoulder-cord), a bovine-ornament class identified at the Vinaya-Texts note; cited here as one of the §231 nimitta-manifestation similes. ⁴⁵ Pts. i, 170 f. — re-citation of the verse first cited at §227 (FN ⁴⁰ above); Buddhaghosa re-deploys the contrast-pair here to support the three-objects = appanā/upacāra-precondition argument (the in-breath-object mind, out-breath-object mind, and nimitta-object mind being three distinct mind-objects, all three needing to be present for the meditation subject to reach access or absorption). ⁴⁶ Cf. Sum. V. i, 221. — The smith's-bellows (kammāra-gaggariyā) simile for the karaja-kāya + citta conditioning-relation to assāsa-passāsa; parallel didactic image in the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī (Dīgha-aṭṭhakathā). ⁴⁷ Pts. i, 186 — opening of the pīti-paṭisamvedī clause in the Paṭisambhidā's word-by-word analysis of catukka 2 (vedanānupassanā). ⁴⁸ Pts. i, 176, 187-191 — combined Pts. source-cluster for catukka 3 (abhippamodayaṃ cittaṃ + samādahaṃ cittaṃ + vimocayaṃ cittaṃ clauses); Buddhaghosa cites multiple Pts. loci across the catukka-3 progression. Per Pts. loc. cit. convention, Samādahaṃ cittan ti references the same Pts. i, 176, 190 locus as the prior Abhippamodayaṃ cittan ti. ⁴⁹ Pts. i, 176, 191-192 — combined Pts. source-cluster for catukka 4 (aniccānupassī + virāgānupassī + nirodhānupassī clauses); the paṭinissaggānupassī clause draws on the same Pts. range without explicit Pts. citation in the source-text. Per Pts. loc. cit. convention preserved across the catukka-4 progression. ⁵⁰ Pts. i, 162 — closing summary statement that the 16-base ānāpānasati bhāvanā is to be understood by way of the four tetrads (catunnaṃ catukkānaṃ vasena) — completing the 4-catukka exposition opened at the §215 incipit-citation of MN 118. ⁵¹ A. iv, 353 — canonical citation that ānāpānasati is to be cultivated for the cutting-off of [discursive] thought (vitakkupaccheda). ⁵² M. iii, 82; cf. S. v, 329 ff. — the Blessed One's ānāpānasati → 4-satipaṭṭhāna → 7-bojjhaṅga → vijjā-vimutti progression-quote; minor variance in the Saṃyutta parallel at first segment. The Sʰ edition cross-references back to the longer Pts. citation introducing Vuttam h' etam at [V i 288] above; cf. S. v, 335 also. ⁵³ M. i, 425 f. — the Blessed One's quote to Rāhula on carimaka in-and-out breaths; Mahā-Rāhulovāda-sutta (MN 62). One of the canonical citations grounding the carimaka doctrinal classification developed by Buddhaghosa in this section. ⁵⁴ Closing 2-pāda verse — source not traced in the canon; likely Buddhaghosa-compositional close-formula matching the chapter-internal Porāṇā-verse pattern (cf. §218 first + second Porāṇā verses, §221 Sāraddhe verse, §232 Porāṇā verse). 2-line layout per PTS source preserved; cf. parallel chapter-close verse-formulae across the VIII.x sub-cluster (VIII.1 + VIII.2 close-verses). ⁵⁵ Idaṃ ānāpānassatiyaṃ vitthārakathāmukhaṃ — chapter-internal vitthārakathāmukha close-formula colophon at the close of VIII.3 (pali.md L384). Preserved with PTS-canonical double-s compound form ānāpānassati- per L384 source-policy ratification at commit 2eddcd4 (post-R1.β.8 CSCD-leak revert, 2026-05-23); chapter-name canonical form Ānāpānassati (CSCD-aligned double-s) maintained for cluster-internal close-formula consistency with H1 + GLOSSARY anchor + chapter-internal references. PTS body ānāpānasati (single-s) appears in the §215+§216 incipit subhead-and-commentary-body forms (preserved in pali.md with footnote noting Bʰᵐ °ssati variant); the close-formula uses the canonical double-s per VIII.x sub-cluster convention. Parallel chapter-close-formula colophons appear at VIII.1 + VIII.2 chapter-closes per the cross-cluster vitthārakathāmukha convention established for the Vism kammaṭṭhāna-niddesa chapters.