SN 54.3 Suddhika-sutta

"A Plain Teaching"

Awareness of breathing, when it is developed and practised much, yields much fruit and gives many benefits.

How then is awareness of breathing developed and practised much, so that it yields much fruit and gives many benefits?

When a meditator has gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty hut, they sit down, crossing the legs, making the back straight, and bringing mindful awareness to the fore. With that mindful awareness one breathes in, with that mindful awareness one breathes out.

1. When breathing in a deep breath one knows, "I'm breathing in a deep breath;"
when breathing out a deep breath one knows, "I'm breathing out a deep breath."

2. When breathing in a shallow breath one knows, "I'm breathing in a shallow breath;"
when breathing out a shallow breath one knows, "I'm breathing out a shallow breath."

3. One trains oneself, "Experiencing the whole body I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself "Experiencing the whole body I'll breathe out.

4. One trains oneself, "Stilling reactive bodily movements I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Stilling reactive bodily movements I'll breathe out."

5. One trains oneself, "Experiencing an enhanced body-sensitivity I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Experiencing an enhanced body-sensitivity I'll breathe out."

6. One trains oneself, "Experiencing well-being I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Experiencing well-being I'll breathe out."

7. One trains oneself, "Experiencing reactive movements of heart-and-mind I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Experiencing reactive movements of heart-and-mind I'll breathe out."

8. One trains oneself, "Stilling reactive movements of heart-and-mind I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Stilling reactive movements of heart-and-mind I'll breathe out."

9. One trains oneself, "Experiencing heart-and-mind I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Experiencing heart-and-mind I'll breathe out."

10. One trains oneself, "Gladdening heart-and-mind I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Gladdening heart-and-mind I'll breathe out."

11. One trains oneself, "Composing heart-and-mind I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Composing heart-and-mind I'll breathe out."

12. One trains oneself, "Liberating heart-and-mind I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Liberating heart-and-mind I'll breathe out."

13. One trains oneself, "Observing change I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "observing change I'll breathe out."

14. One trains oneself, "Observing dispassion I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Observing dispassion I'll breathe out."

15. One trains oneself, "Observing endings I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Observing endings I'll breathe out."

16. One trains oneself, "Observing letting-go I'll breathe in;"
one trains oneself, "Observing letting-go I'll breathe out."

When awareness of breathing is developed and made much of in this way, it yields much fruit and gives many benefits.