Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 159it is likened to the pleasant feeling produced by a breeze. 1 Thus in breathingin and out, air touches the nose or the lip and causes the setting-up of air perceptionmindfulness. This does not depend on colour or form. 2 This iscalled the image. If the yogin develops the image and increases it at the nose-tip,between the eye-brows, on the forehead or establishes it in several places, 3he feels as if his head were rilled with air. Through increasing in this way hiswhole body is charged with bliss. This is called perfection.And again, there is a yogin: he sees several images from the beginning.He sees various forms such as smoke, mist, dust, sand of gold, or he experiencessomething similar to the pricking of a needle or to an ant's bite. If his minddoes not become clear regarding these different images, he will be confused.Thus he fulfils overturning and does not gain the perception of respiration.If his mind becomes clear, the yogin does not experience confusion. Heattends to respiration and he does not cause the arising of other perceptions.Meditating thus he is able to end confusion and acquire the subtle image.And he attends to respiration with mind that is free. That image is free.Because that image is free, desire arises. Desire being free, that yogin attendsto respiration and becomes joyful. Desire and joy being free, he attends torespiration with equipoise. Equipoise, desire and joy being free, he attendsto respiration, and his mind is not disturbed. If his mind is not disturbed,he will destroy the hindrances, and arouse the meditation (jhana) factors.Thus this yogin will reach the calm and sublime fourth meditation, jhana.This is as was fully taught above.COUNTING, CONNECTION, CONTACTING AND FIXINGAnd again, certain predecessors 4 taught four ways of practising mindfulnessof respiration. They are counting, connection, contacting and fixing. 5Q. What is counting? A. A new yogin counts the breaths from one toten, beginning with the outgoing breath and ending with the incoming breath.He does not count beyond ten. Again, it is taught that he counts from oneto five but does not count beyond five. He does not miss. At that time(i.e., when he misses) he should count (the next) or stop that count. Thushe dwells in mindfulness of respiration, attending to the object. Thus shouldcounting be understood."Connection": Having counted, he follows respiration with mindfulness,continuously. This is called connection.1. Vis. Mag. 285: Api ca kho kassaci sukhasamphassam uppadayamdno, tulapicu viya, kappasapicuviya, vdtadhard viya ca upatthatiti ekacce dhu. Ayampana atthakathasu vinicchayo:-....2. Cp. Vis. Mag. 286: Atha'nena tarn nimittam neva vannato manasikdtabbam, nalakkhanato paccavekkhitabbam.3. Cp. Manual of a Mystic (P.T.S. translation) of Yogavacara's Manual 8 ff.4. Possibly Por and.5. Vis. Mag. 278: Tatrdyam manasikaravidhi:- ganand, anubandhand, phusand, thapand.Here it is interesting to note that the Venerable Buddhaghosa Thera does not ascribethis teaching to 'ekacce' as he usually does; nor does he go to the Atthakatha for authority.