Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

[418] THE PATH OF FREEDOMFASCICLE THE SEVENTHWRITTENBYTHE ARAHANT UPATISSAWHO WAS CALLEDGREAT LIGHT IN RYOTRANSLATED IN RYOBYTIPITAKA SANGHAPALA OF FUNANCHAPTER THE EIGHTHSection FourMINDFULNESS OF RESPIRATIONQ. What is mindfuiness of respiration? 1 What is the practising of it?What are its salient characteristic, function and near cause? .What are itsbenefits? What is the procedure?A. Inhalation 2 is the incoming breath. Exhalation 3 is the outgoingbreath. The perceiving of the incoming breath and the outgoing breath—thisis being mindful, mindfuiness and right mindfuiness. The undisturbeddwelling of the mind (in this mindfuiness) is the practising of it. To causethe arising of perception as regards respiration is its salient characteristic.Attending to contact 4 is its function. Removal of discursive thought 5 is itsnear cause.BENEFITS"What are its benefits?": If a man practises mindfuiness of respiration, heattains to the peaceful, the exquisite, the lovely, and the blissful life. He causesevil and demeritorious states to disappear and to perish as soon as they arise. 6He is not negligent as regards his body or his organ of sight. His body andmind do not waver or tremble. 7 He fulfils the four foundations of mindfuiness,the seven enlightenment factors and freedom. This has been praised by the1. Anapdnasati. _ 2. Ana. 3. Apdna. 4. Phassa. 5. Vitakka.6. S. V, 321-22: Anapdnasati samddhi bhdvito bahulikato santo ceva panito ca asecanakoca sukho ca vihdro uppannupanne ca pdpake akusale dhamme thdnaso antaradhdpetiviipasameti.7. S. V, 316: Andpdnasatisamddhissa bhikkhave bhdvitattd bahulikatattd neva kdyassainjitattarh vd hoti phanditattam vd na cittassa injitattam vd hoti phanditattam vd.156