Let us follow this along from the beginning of a meditation period.
1. MINDFULNESS OF BREATHING
Herein, monks, a monk, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree or to an empty place, sits down with his legs crossed, keeps his body erect and his mindfulness alert.
Ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, he knows, "I am breathing in a long breath"; breathing out a long breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a long breath"; breathing in a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing in a short breath"; breathing out a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a short breath."
Just as a skillful turner or turner's apprentice, making a long turn, knows, "I am making a long turn," or making a short turn, knows, "I am making a short turn," just so the monk, breathing in a long breath, knows, "I am breathing in a long breath"; breathing out a long breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a long breath"; breathing in a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing in a short breath"; breathing out a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a short breath."
This noting of breathing can be established by either of two methods:
1. The Indian method notes the breath movement at the nostrils.
2. The Burmese method notes the breath by diaphragm movement.
Both are effectively tactile sensations.
2. ESTABLISHING THE DEFENSIVE QI
"Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe in," thus he trains himself. "Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe out," thus he trains himself. "Calming the activity of the (breath-) body, I shall breathe in," thus he trains himself. "Calming the activity of the (breath-) body, I shall breathe out," thus he trains himself.
Thus he lives reflecting upon the body in the body internally, or he lives reflecting upon the body in the body externally, or he lives reflecting upon the body in the body internally and externally. He lives reflecting upon origination factors in the body, or he lives reflecting upon dissolution factors in the body, or he lives reflecting upon origination-and-dissolution factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: "The body exists," to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives reflecting upon the body in the body.
Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: "The body exists," to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he clings to nothing in the world.
Herein, monks, a monk, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree or to an empty place, sits down with his legs crossed, keeps his body erect and his mindfulness alert.
Ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, he knows, "I am breathing in a long breath"; breathing out a long breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a long breath"; breathing in a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing in a short breath"; breathing out a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a short breath."
"Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe in," thus he trains himself. "Experiencing the whole (breath-) body, I shall breathe out," thus he trains himself. "Calming the activity of the (breath-) body, I shall breathe in," thus he trains himself. "Calming the activity of the (breath-) body, I shall breathe out," thus he trains himself.
Just as a skillful turner or turner's apprentice, making a long turn, knows, "I am making a long turn," or making a short turn, knows, "I am making a short turn," just so the monk, breathing in a long breath, knows, "I am breathing in a long breath"; breathing out a long breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a long breath"; breathing in a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing in a short breath"; breathing out a short breath, he knows, "I am breathing out a short breath."
3. REFLECTING UPON THE ORIGIN AND FALLING AWAY OF THE BODY SENSATIONS
And further, monks, a monk knows, when he is going, "I am going"; he knows, when he is standing, "I am standing"; he knows, when he is sitting, "I am sitting"; he knows, when he is lying down, "I am lying down"; or just as his body is disposed so he knows it.
Thus he lives reflecting upon the body in the body internally, or he lives reflecting upon the body in the body externally, or he lives reflecting upon the body in the body internally and externally. He lives reflecting upon origination factors in the body, or he lives reflecting upon dissolution factors in the body, or he lives reflecting upon origination-and-dissolution factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: "The body exists," to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives reflecting upon the body in the body.
4. THE CLEAR ABSORPTION OF SENSATIONS OF THE BODY
Having clearly established by REFLECTION an unclinging attitude towards the body and all sensations, and will be repeated for DISCRIMINATIONS, PERCEPTIONS, CONSCIOUSNESS and the CONTENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, in which there is in each instant a reflecting upon the Repulsiveness of each of these events and viewing the composition of each as illusory material elements. Then with each one the meditator reaches deeper without the cognitive mind.
We are now at a stage where the Sensations, Discriminations, Perceptions, Consciousness and the Contents of that Conscious Mind have all been discerned as fugitive and illusions. All streams of thought can now be examined and there is an unattachment to all.
The useful, in terms of the correct and natural survival free of Identity, is retainable and all else becomes as chaff in the wind.
This effortless instantaneous insight knowledge is the Experience of Nothingness.
IN CONSTRUCTION