Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

158 Vimuttimaggain and breathing out. That yogin attends to the incoming breath here. Heconsiders the contact of the incoming and the outgoing breath, throughmindfulness that is fixed at the nose-tip or on the lip. Mindfully, he breathesin; mindfully, he breathes out. He does not consider (the breath) when ithas gone in and also when it has gone out. 1 He considers the contact of theincoming breath and the outgoing breath, at the nose-tip or on the lip, withmindfulness. He breathes in and breathes out with mindfulness. It is as if aman were sawing wood. That man does not attend to the going back and forthof the saw. In the same way the yogin does not attend to the perception ofthe incoming and the outgoing breath in mindfulness of respiration. He isaware of the contact at the nose-tip or on the lip, and he breathes in and out,with mindfulness. 2 If, when the breath comes in or goes out, the yogin considersthe inner or the outer, his mind will be distracted. If his mind is distracted,his body and mind will waver and tremble. These are the disadvantages. Heshould not purposely breathe very long or very short breaths. If he purposelybreathes very long or very short breaths, his mind will be distracted and hisbody and mind will waver and tremble. These are the disadvantages.He should not attach himself to diverse perceptions connected with breathingin and breathing out. If he does so, his other mental factors will be disturbed.If his mind is disturbed, his body and mind will waver and tremble.Thus countless impediments arise because the points of contact of the incomingbreath and the outgoing breath are countless. He should be mindful andshould not let the mind be distracted. He should not essay too stienuouslynor too laxly. If he essays too laxly, he will fall into rigidity and torpor. Ifhe essays too strenuously, he will become restless. If the yogin falls intorigidity and torpor or becomes restless, his body and mind will waver andtremble. 3 These are the disadvantages.To the yogin who attends to the incoming breath with mind that is cleansedof the nine lesser defilements the image 4 arises with a pleasant feeling similarto that which is produced in the action of spinning cotton or silk cotton. Also,1. Cp. Pts. 165: Assasadimajjhapariyosdnam satiya anugacchato ajjhattarn vikkhepagatenacittena kayo pi cittam pi sdraddhd ca honti injitd ca phanditd ca, passasadimajjhapariyosdnarhsatiya anugacchato bahiddhd vikkhepagatena cittena kayo pi... .pe... .phanditd ca.2. Cp. Pts. I, 171: Seyyathapi rukkho same bhumibhdge nikkhitto, tamenarh puriso kakacenachindeyya, rukkhe phutthakakacadantdnarh vasena purisassa sati upatthitd hoti, na agatevd gate vd kakacadante manasikaroti, na dgata yd gata vd kakacadantd aviditd honti>padhdnan ca panndyati, payogah ca sadheti, visesam adhigacchati: Yatha rukkho samebhumibhdge nikkhitto, evarh upanibandhand nimittam, yatha kakacadantd evam assasapassasd,yatha rukkhe phutthakakacadantdnarh vasena purisassa sati upatthitd hoti, naagate vd gate vd kakacadante manasikaroti, na dgata vd gata vd kakacadantd aviditdhonti, padhdnan ca panndyati, payogah ca sadheti, visesam adhigacchati—evamevambhikkhu ndsikagge vd mukhanimitte vd satim upatthapetvd nisinno hoti, na agate vd gatevd assasapassase manasikaroti na dgata vd gata vd assasapassasd aviditd honti, padhdnan capanndyati, payogah ca sadheti, visesam adhigacchati.3. Pts. I, 166: Linena cittena kosajjdnupatitena kayo pi cittam pi sdraddhd ca honti injitd caphanditd ca, atipaggahitena cittena uddhaccanupatitena kayo pi... .pe... .phanditd ca.4. Nimitta.