On the use of future tense in the steps of mindfulness of breathing

Essays
21

I can’t comment on Pali tenses, but can do so on the meditative aspects.

At the start, the meditator has to be just aware of whether the breath is an inhalation or an exhalation.

Then with the body and mind relaxing the breath lengthens (less hurried). With even more relaxation the breath is short, possibly due to needing less oxygen. These two steps happen just by being mindful of the breath, generally.

The short breath is now a suitable object for concentration, as it will allow for the focus of attention on a smaller field of awareness (the shortened ‘body’ of the breath). Not having to move the point of focus over a long breath makes for less disruption, and an opportunity to deepen samadhi even further.

For the entire body of the breath to be felt well on this short and therefore very transient object, an intensifying of the mindfulness is required, which I would now call concentration (in practical and English terms, not as a translation). This step therefore requires will and application of focus (sikkhati), that the previous two steps didn’t require. This concentration leads to a deeper samadhi.

This marks the start of what I would call ‘the Buddha’s mindfulness of breath’, which is an expert instruction on utilising the breath until release of the mind (first jhana), and avoids the meandering journey into samadhi. It is ideal, actually, for practitioners experienced in Mindfulness of breath, such as the gathering of Bhikkhus on the day it was taught as the ‘path’ into samadhi would have already been trodden well and this teaching offers a framework on which to navigate the mind into jhana as adroitly as possible. The teachings offers an glimpse into the the sheer expertise, sophistication and finesse of the Buddha’s skill in Mindfulness of breath.

The fourth step requires calming the body - this could be the physical body (more effective in my opinion) and/or the body of the breath. This added relaxation causes the cessation of the breath. A few seconds later it starts up again.

Jhana is reached at the 12th step (Vimocayaṃ cittaṃ- release of mind).

With metta

Mat

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22

To what extent may the verb sikkhati be analogous in meaning and use to the verb to seek in English?

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23

Hi Gnlaera,

Sikkha is as far as I know, means training.

Seek is (from the SC dictionary): anvesati
to look, for search, seek SN.i.112 (ppr. anvesaṃ = pariyesamāna C.); Cp.iii.11#7 (ppr. anvesanto)
aor anvesi [Sk. anveṣi fr. icchati] Pv.ii.6#20 (? perhaps better with variant reading Pv-a.99 as anventi of anveti).

Sikkha: a sutta discussion from Piya Tan https://scdd.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/uploads/original/3X/0/8/083e44caed50a306db9e15c8006111606970f908.pdf

With metta

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Thanks for that @Mat.

I also checked the etymology of seek and didn’t find any obvious link, it’s proto-Indo-European (PIE) root is *sag-yo-, from root *sag- “to track down, seek out”. Interestingly, it is related to the term sagacity it seems (which in turn isn’t related to sage as I originally assumed).

I couldn’t nevertheless find what is PIE root of sikkhati / śaikṣa (शिक्ष) …

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Hi gnlaera,

Sikkha is connected to Singhalese- as Shiksha, possibly through Sanskrit- trishiksha - three trainings or disciplines.

Sagacity and seek - interesting!

With metta

Matheesha

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[quote=“sujato, post:1, topic:4193”]
‘sabba­kā­yapaṭi­saṃ­vedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati They train, “I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.”…Note that I’m keeping things as literal as possible here, I’m not discussing interpretation of sabbakāya.[/quote]
My view is the subject matter here is the term: “sikkhati” (although I think it cannot be subsequently separated from the later interpretation of ‘sabbakaya’).

The term "sikkhati’ or ‘he trains himself’ seems to mean the mind is training in the Three Trainings of higher morality, higher mind and higher wisdom (per AN 3.88). Thus, BEFORE each knowing of the breath, the mind is establishing (using vitakka) & training itself in this ‘sikkha’.

In other words, as Ajahn Brahmavamso describes in his book, the mind is constantly establishing itself in letting go (vossagga), per the instructions at the end of MN 118 or in SN 48.9 & SN 48.10, in which both refer to establishing concentration by making ‘vossagga’ (‘letting go’) the object.

This ‘sikkha’ as ‘means’, ‘method’ or ‘cause’ is not related to ‘sabbakaya’ (& to the use of the future tense) but is related to ‘sabbakaya’ as future ‘fruit’ or future ‘result’ because there probably must be a higher wisdom or vipassana component in experiencing ‘sabbakaya’ for the experience to qualify as ‘sikkha’.

Therefore, my view is there are two sikkha occurring that are higher wisdom. (1) The sikkha of letting go (vossagga), as AB explains, which establishes the initial quality of samadhi in the present; and (2) the sikkha of vipassana as result, in experiencing ‘sabba kaya’ in the future.

To reiterate, in terms of practise: (1) before each inhalation, the mind establishes itself in letting go; (2) during the subsequent inhalation & exhalation, the mind experiences sabbakaya. There is the constant & continuous practise of training (sikkha) in letting go; again & again & again.

Since there is no inherent wisdom or vipassana in ‘experiencing the whole body of breath’, sabbakaya probably means something different. MN 118 states: “the breathing is a kaya among other kaya” therefore the key to the meaning of “sabbakaya” is probably found in this phrase.

In conclusion, the use of future tense (if I understand its use correctly) is probably about the method, technique or path. First, before knowing the breath, the mind establishes itself in ‘sikkha’ or the ‘right quality of concentration’ (per MN 117). This quality of concentration should have a ‘wisdom component’, i.e., the right view (per MN 117) of abandoning craving or letting go as leading to Nibbana.

Regards :deciduous_tree:

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Hi Deeele,

There are 3 ways in which samatha and vipassana can be combined:

The Anapanasati sutta method is clearly vipassana preceded by samatha. The first three tetrads are Samatha followed by the fourth tetrad which is vipassana. The fourth tetrad has anicca (the contemplation of impermanence) woven into it. It will give rise to insight.

With metta

Matheesha

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I think the words ‘he trains himself’ do not support the view that the Anapanasati sutta method is clearly vipassana preceded by samatha.

I think the view of “Anapanasati sutta method is clearly vipassana preceded by samatha” is a result of both misinterpretation & wrong (‘yogic’) method of practise.

In fact, the Anapanasati sutta ‘method’ is described at the end of the sutta, as follows:

Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the mindfulness enlightenment factor, which is supported by seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and ripens in relinquishment. MN 118

It sounds like the “method” you are referring to is the various idiosyncratic (‘yogic’) methods of various teachers (based in the Visuddhimagga) rather than the method of the Anapanasati Sutta.

Although vipassana obviously predominates in the 4th tetrad, the previous tetrads must be a combination of both samatha & vipassana.

For example, to ‘experience rapture’ obviously means to experience rapture as ‘rapture’; i.e., to experience rapture as not-self (anatta) rather than as ‘self’.

In fact, the 3rd & 7th stages, which are vipassana, precede the 4th & 8th stages, which are samatha. Both the 3rd & 7th stages involve experiencing ‘sankhara’ or interrelated conditioning, which is vipassana.

It seems clearly obviously the 3rd stage is universally mistranslated & misinterpreted (since the translations make little sense) apart from Ajahn Buddhadasa’s translation & explanation, which is the only one that makes sense to me.

In terms of where the phrase ‘he trains himself’ is used, it seems clear that vipassana precedes samatha in the Anapanasati Sutta.

Regards