SN 54.10

Kimilasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kimilāyaṁ viharati veḷuvane. Tatra kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ kimilaṁ āmantesi: “kathaṁ bhāvito nu kho, kimila, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso”ti?

With Kimbila

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kimbilā in the Freshwater Mangrove Wood. Then the Buddha said to Venerable Kimbila, “Kimbila, how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is very fruitful and beneficial?”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā kimilo tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho bhagavā …pe… tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ kimilaṁ āmantesi: “kathaṁ bhāvito nu kho, kimila, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso”ti? Tatiyampi kho āyasmā kimilo tuṇhī ahosi.

When he said this, Kimbila kept silent. For a second time … And for a third time, the Buddha said to him, “How is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is very fruitful and beneficial?” And a second time and a third time Kimbila kept silent.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “etassa, bhagavā, kālo; etassa, sugata, kālo. Yaṁ bhagavā ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha speak on immersion due to mindfulness of breathing. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”

“Tenahānanda, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi. Bhagavā etadavoca: “kathaṁ bhāvito ca, ānanda, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso? Idhānanda, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. So satova assasati, satova passasati …pe… ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati. Evaṁ bhāvito kho, ānanda, ānāpānassatisamādhi evaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.

“Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied. The Buddha said this: “Ānanda, how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is very fruitful and beneficial? It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. … They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’ That’s how immersion due to mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is very fruitful and beneficial.

Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; rassaṁ vā assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, rassaṁ vā passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— kāye kāyānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Kāyaññatarāhaṁ, ānanda, etaṁ vadāmi yadidaṁ—assāsapassāsaṁ. Tasmātihānanda, kāye kāyānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant is breathing in heavily, and they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’ Breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the physical process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the physical process.’ At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Why is that? Because the breath is a certain aspect of the body, I say. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— vedanāsu vedanānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Vedanāññatarāhaṁ, ānanda, etaṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ—assāsapassāsānaṁ sādhukaṁ manasikāraṁ. Tasmātihānanda, vedanāsu vedanānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant practices like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the mental process.’ At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Why is that? Because careful application of mind to the in-breaths and out-breaths is a certain aspect of feelings, I say. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ …pe… samādahaṁ cittaṁ … ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— citte cittānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Nāhaṁ, ānanda, muṭṭhassatissa asampajānassa ānāpānassatisamādhibhāvanaṁ vadāmi. Tasmātihānanda, citte cittānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant practices like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out freeing the mind.’ At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Why is that? Because there is no development of immersion due to mindfulness of breathing for someone who is unmindful and lacks awareness, I say. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu ‘aniccānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati …pe… virāgānupassī … nirodhānupassī … ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— dhammesu dhammānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. So yaṁ taṁ hoti abhijjhādomanassānaṁ pahānaṁ taṁ paññāya disvā sādhukaṁ ajjhupekkhitā hoti. Tasmātihānanda, dhammesu dhammānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant practices like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’ At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Having seen with wisdom the giving up of covetousness and displeasure, they watch closely over with equanimity. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, catumahāpathe mahāpaṁsupuñjo. Puratthimāya cepi disāyaṁ āgaccheyya sakaṭaṁ vā ratho vā, upahanateva taṁ paṁsupuñjaṁ; pacchimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya … uttarāya cepi disāya … dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya sakaṭaṁ vā ratho vā, upahanateva taṁ paṁsupuñjaṁ. Evameva kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharantopi upahanateva pāpake akusale dhamme; vedanāsu …pe… citte …pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharantopi upahanateva pāpake akusale dhamme”ti.

Suppose there was a large heap of sand at the crossroads. And a cart or chariot were to come by from the east, west, north, or south and destroy that heap of sand. In the same way, when a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the body, feelings, mind, or principles, they destroy bad, unskillful qualities.”