Anapanasati is the meditation system expressly taught by the Buddha in which mindful breathing is used to develop both samatha (a serene and concentrated mind), and vipassana (insightful seeing). This practice, said to be the form of meditation used to bring the Buddha to full awakening, is based on the Anapanasati Sutta.
In this clear and detailed teaching, the Buddha presents us with a meditation practice that uses conscious breathing to calm and stabilize the mind so that it is fit to see into itself, to let go into freedom. The first step is to take up our breathing as an exclusive object of attention. We focus our attention on the sensations produced as the lungs quite naturally and without interruption fill up and empty themselves. We can pick up these sensations by stationing our attention at, e.g. the nostrils, chest or abdomen. As our breath awareness practice matures, this attention can be expanded to the body a as whole.
In the Buddha’s words: “Being sensitive to the whole body, the yogi breathes in, being sensitive to the whole body, the yogi breathes out.” It is important to note that what is being talked about are the raw sensations that come about through breathing, free of conceptualization or imagery of any kind. For those of you who have done some hatha yoga and pranayama—can you see that your training has been excellent preparation for this?
Of course, when you direct your attention to the breath, you may find that the mind prefers to be anywhere else. The practice is to keep returning to the breath each time you are distracted. Little by little the mind learns to settle down; it feels very steady, calm and peaceful. At this early stage in the training we are also strongly encouraged to be mindful in all the activities that make up our day. To help us accomplish this we learn to keep the breath in mind in the midst of these activities. Turning to the breathing from time to time can help ground us in the activities we are engaged in. The breath is always with us, helping to cut down on the unnecessary thinking that so often distracts us from the here and now. We continue this practice of mindfulness for the rest of our life!
Concentrating on breathing in such a one pointed manner enables the mind to gather together all its scattered energies. The mind is now much more steady and clear. We are then encouraged to modify the scope of awareness so that it gradually becomes more comprehensive. With awareness anchored in the breathing we begin to include all bodily movements, the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensation that make up sensory experience and the wide variety of mind states that compose so much of our consciousness. We become increasingly familiar and at home with bodily life, emotions and the thought process itself. We are learning the art of self-observation, all along being in touch with the fact that we are breathing in and out. The skill being developed is the ability to widen and deepen the capacity to receive our own experience with intimacy and a lack of bias. The breath becomes like a good friend, accompanying us every step along the way.
We are now in a position to practice pure vipassana meditation. The mind is more able to bring the fullness of mental and physical life into focus. One of the primary meanings of vipassana is insight—insight into the impermanent nature of all mental and physical formations. In the words of the Buddha: “Focusing on the impermanent nature of all formations, the yogi breathes in: focusing on the impermanent nature of all formations, the yogi breathes out.” As we sit and breathe, we observe the arising and passing away of all mental and physical events. The mind empties itself of all its content; the body discloses its transparent and constantly changing nature. Deep penetration into the law of impermanence can profoundly facilitate our ability to let go of the attachments that produce so much unnecessary anguish. A new dimension of living opens up for us, as we learn to let go into freedom.