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Mindfulness of breathing
Earthninja
WandererWest Australia Veteran
in Meditation
Hi guys! How are you?
I am currently doing mindfulness of breathing meditation and metta meditation.
Is mindfulness of breathing Samatha or Vipassana meditation?
I was under the impression it was insight meditation but I've also read it is tranquility meditation. Is it both?
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To clarify, my understanding is insight is focussing on reality. So not the concept of breath but the feeling that comes at the nostrils.
Samatha is focusing on an Unchanging object? For stilling and focussing the mind. So why the breath? It changed.
I know of the 40 objects in the texts. As well as outer objects.
That depends @Earthninja on the precise nature of what you are practising.
In Samatha ( tranquility ) meditation there is a simple concentration on the in and out breath, either its passage through the nostrils, or as it strikes the top lip...there are other variations.
If you are practising Vipassana meditation there are a number of techniques, the ones involving the breath often ( but not exclusively ) focus on the rise and fall of the abdomen.
Its usually considered that the latter requires hands-on instruction.
@Citta currently I am practicing on focusing attention on the spot as the air strikes the nostrils. I've also read about the abdomen but I found that it's easier for me to note the air. I then just note what ever arises and bring my focus back to the site of contact. ?
Samatha means calm. So when you do samatha meditation you are attempting to calm the mind, and in doing so the mental formations, by bringing about a state of intense concentration known as samadhi (however, this does not mean you have to go at it in an intense way, you should be relaxed and at ease but alert in your meditation). This is achieved by bringing the mind to a single focus, which is usually and very effectively the breath, although other objects may be used. The result of calmly abiding in this state of meditation is the ability to observe and understand the 5 hindrances, and learn how to deal with them, which brings insight, and ultimately, one hopes, wisdom.
Vipassana means to see things as they really are, and this might be more helpful than what I can say on the matter.
@anatman I think I see now. Thank you so much.
I'm actually doing that course in your link in 3 weeks. Probably a good thing!
Thanks that clarifies a lot. They are both very related in some regards
Have a great night guys!
That is Samatha @Earthninja.
What you will learn at a Goenka type course is the Burmese Satipathanna Method..usually known as Vipassana with a capital 'v '.
Samatha and Vipassana are not the same , they have different results, but they are completely compatible.
Let us know how the course goes ?
@Citta oh ok great! That will explain the tranquil stillness that arises during the meditation. I tend to reach this stage and then begin to focus on sounds, pain, temperature. Etc.
I will let you guys know how it goes! I feel so blessed to have an opportunity to do this retreat.
The sangha is a truly amazing thing, I can only wish to give back at some stage.
Many of us find that a retreat furthers our understanding generally in a way that discussion or reading or watching vids never can @Earthninja.
At your level, I assume you are a beginner, it is neither
calm nor insight meditation.
You are just trying to observe your breath.
I will bet you cant do it for more than a couple of minutes before
your mind drifts off.
Dont worry, it's normal.
May I suggest you practise the 3rd meditation method,
the one taught by the Buddha.
It is called Panna Meditation or wisdom meditation.
That is the one I practise.
From my many years of experience, it is THE best.
There is no best.
There is no cookie cutter technique that suits everyone.
Not only that, but a meditation method that suits one person can actually damage another person.
We are all different in temperament and in needs.
@hermitwin: Could you please explain what Panna Meditation is about and the technique you use?
I think it is shamata but when you have a subtle enough consciousness you can start noticing what your mind is doing which is vipashyana.
Though not the most user-friendly description for mindfulness of breathing, the Anapanasati Sutta is the traditional reference in Theravada Buddhism:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/ariyadhamma/bl115.html
The Buddha taught the 16 steps of anapanasati which allow you to cultivate vipassana and Samatha in tandem.
Please learn about Anapanasati, the anapanasati sutta is important but if you want more detail on how to practice the 16 steps of anapanasati then I recommend reading the Visuddhimagga on the section of mindfulness of breathing which goes into much great detail explaining the Anapanasati Sutta.
@hermitwin how did you know? Hahah. Thanks for the info. I will look into it! My meditation is getting better daily which is great.
@dharmamom & @bookworm thanks for the reference. Actually the Visuddhimagga is on my to order list! That is a great book on samatha right?
Thanks for the advice all, this is the best journey!
If you go on google and type Visuddhimagga you will see the Visuddhimagga PDF by access to insight, click on it and go on page 259 on mindfulness of breathing, and yes Visuddhimagga is a great book for samatha and vipassana meditation and more.
Which one is that?
It can be a basis for both. Note that samatha and vipassana are qualities, not methods.
That depends...vipassana is a result. Vipassana is a method.
Specifically, Vipassana with a capital has become the recognised shorthand for the Burmese Satipatthana Method.
Ok I can grasp that both have qualities.
It seems to me that Vipassana is targeted at creating direct insight?
And Samatha is to create one pointedness/ tranquility in the mind.
So Samatha is not a means to realise reality as it's on a fixed object. But is useful for quieting the mind? Like a precursor for Vipassana?
What is your meditation routine like? @ everyone
I not not sure that Samatha is merely a precursor to Vipassana @Earthninja.
Many people practice Samatha for many years or a whole lifetime and see the results of that.
Just to clear up a point. vipassana is mentioned in the Suttas. It has been described since ancient times.
In the early 20th century a particular method emerged from Burma, now known as Myanmar.
It was a powerful method that produced results quickly..it was known as the Burmese Method.
As it spread across the world, and it reached the west in the 1960's , where it became known as " Vipassana " with a capital V.
So whether the term means the ancient understanding of vipassana, or whether it refers to The Burmese Method needs to be gleaned from context.
Most courses or retreats that label themselves Vipassana are in fact the Burmese Method, and I suspect that your upcoming course may be.
I am sure you will let us know. ?
It's all over the place @Earthninja! I meditate when and where I can, but that don't really matter as it's all in the same moment anyway.
@Citta
I meant from a Therevada Buddhist seeking enlightenment point of view. Insight is what we are after right?
I can imagine there are some incredibly accomplished Hindus and Buddhists who are masters of Samatha. I didn't mean that any is greater or lesser. Just different purposes.
I will let you know! Thanks again @Citta I did not realise the capital letter was a different style all together!
The course outline is 3 days concentration, then subsequent days doing mindfulness of body and closing with metta.
Cheers guys
Hope it goes well.
_/_
I find the teaching of the five indriyas to have some insight into the relationship between calm concentration and wisdom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indriya
Wiki link (above) is a theravada view and I have learned from a mahayana view ('flavored' with vajrayana).
If you only pay attention to the breath alone, it is samatha (calm) meditation. If you use it as a base for exploring the nature of things it becomes vipassana ( insight).
He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.'[3] He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.'
He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming mental fabrication.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming mental fabrication.'
He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to the mind.'
He trains himself, 'I will breathe in focusing on inconstancy.'
He trains himself, 'I will breathe in focusing on cessation
But @pegembra thats only partial Anapanasati, it isn't complete until all 16 bases are practiced.
That is true.
Ooops sorry i spelled your user name wrong @pegembara, anyway i'm actually not good at Anapanasati, i'm practicing one step at a time and I can't seem to get the first tetrad right lol, I got ways to go myself, I just tell myself there is only so many times I can fail until i'm bound to get it right, eventually one day.
Broadly I'd agree. Though in practice I think samatha and vipassana are 2 sides of the same coin, so if you have one then you have the other. So with greater calm there is inevitably greater clarity. You can look at the 4 tetrads of anapanasati as a progression from calm to insight, but IMO it's a natural progression, not a change of method.