The Related Suttas Collection 54.1

1. One Thing

One Thing

At Sāvatthī.

“Bhikkhus, when one thing is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. What one thing? Mindfulness of breathing.

And how is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial?

It’s when a bhikkhu—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and establishes mindfulness around the opening (of the nostrils).

Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out.

Breathing in heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’ When breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in feeling deeply the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out feeling deeply the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the habitual functioning patterns of the body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the habitual functioning patterns of the body.’

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in feeling deeply the (mental) joy.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out feeling deeply the (mental) joy.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in feeling deeply the (bodily) pleasure.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out feeling deeply the (bodily) pleasure.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in feeling deeply the habitual functioning patterns of the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out feeling deeply the habitual functioning patterns of the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the habitual functioning patterns of the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the habitual functioning patterns of the mind.’

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in feeling deeply the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out feeling deeply the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in watching, again and again, impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out watching, again and again, impermanence.’

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in watching, again and again, fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out watching, again and again, fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in watching, again and again, cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out watching, again and again, cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in watching, again and again, letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out watching, again and again, letting go.’

Mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial.”