Breathe! You Are Alive - good interpretation?

[Mojo]

I already have Breathe! You Are Alive by Thich Nhat Hanh. Would I be better served to buy someone else's interpretation of the Anapanasati Sutta?

Thank you.

Mojo

[LonesomeYogurt]

From what I've read, his writings on anapanasati are more "interpretation" than "translation." Helpful stuff, but it definitely lacks the nuance of a more scholarly approach.


This is a strictly line-by-line, word-by-word examination of the sutta by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.

[Aloka]

Hi mojo,

There's the sutta itself:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html

There's an Anapanasati pdf book by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu:

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/anapanasati.pdf

An article about Anapanasati by Ajahn Sumedho:

http://www.buddhanet.net/nowknow2.htm

with kind wishes

Aloka

[Mojo]

From what I've read, his writings on anapanasati are more "interpretation" than "translation." Helpful stuff, but it definitely lacks the nuance of a more scholarly approach.

Thank you for helping me to clarify my question. I edited the topic to reflect interpretation instead of translation.

I'm no scholar and would not know the nuances of Pali to discern what certain expressions really mean in a literal translation.

I suppose I just really want to make sure that I have an easy to follow guide to practicing Anapanasati that I can practice and be confident that I'm actually practicing Anapanasati and not some other form of meditation.

Namaste

[Mojo]

I should like to note that I'm going start sitting with a Thich Nhat Hanh group on this week. They are the only group around that doesn't burn incense - incense I'd a deal breaker for me. I suppose I'm a tad bit apprehensive of following ESL instructions.

[LonesomeYogurt]

I suppose I just really want to make sure that I have an easy to follow guide to practicing Anapanasati that I can practice and be confident that I'm actually practicing Anapanasati and not some other form of meditation.

Namaste

It depends on what you mean by "anapanasati." If you mean general meditation where you follow your breath with mindfulness, then I'm sure TNH will be fine.

However, "capital-A" Anapanasati can refer to the specific set of sixteen steps the Buddha laid out in the eponymous sutta. I don't know if TNH will be accurately representing those specifically.

Why is incense a problem for you?

[Mojo]

It bothers my breathing and I've seen reports stating it is as dangerous as second hand cigarette smoke.

[LonesomeYogurt]

It bothers my breathing and I've seen reports stating it is as dangerous as second hand cigarette smoke.

I have trouble with incense too, it's probably best to avoid it.

[danieLion]

That's the question that propelled me to start studying the suttas, and I'd say no, it's not a good interpretation.

In addition to being in the Anapanasati Sutta, all four of the aforementioned core instructional tetrads can also be found in the following canonical discourses:

-the "Greater Exhortation to Rahula Discourse" (Maha-Rahulovada Sutta, MN 62);[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.062.than.html]
-sixteen discourses of the Samyutta Nikaya's (SN) chapter 54 (Anapana-samyutta): SN 54.1, SN 54.3–SN 54.16, SN 54.20;[http://www.accesstoinsight.org /tipitaka/sn/sn54/sn54.006.than.html; http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... than.html; http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html]
-the "To Girimananda Discourse" (Girimananda Sutta, AN 10.60); and,[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.060.piya.html] the Khuddaka Nikaya's Patisambhidamagga's section on the breath, Anapanakatha.

The first tetrad identified above (relating to bodily mindfulness) can also be found in the following discourses:

-the "Great Mindfulness Arousing Discourse" (Mahasatipatthana Sutta, DN 22)[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.htm] and, similarly, the "Mindfulness Arousing Discourse" (Satipatthana Sutta, MN 10),[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html] in the section on Body Contemplation; and,
-the "Mindfulness concerning the Body Discourse" (Kayagatasati Sutta, MN 119) as the first type of body-centered meditation described.[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.119.than.html]

[Cittasanto]

if I remember the Book propperly his has the only english rendering of the Chinese Agama versions that are freely & readily available in English, so it has some worth from that perspective. But I have never really liked the lovey dovey approach or the realigning of sanghadisesa rules that his community has done so.

[Spiny Norman]

I should like to note that I'm going start sitting with a Thich Nhat Hanh group on this week.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on, and if there is any meditation instruction. I was involved in an Interbeing Sangha for a number of years.

[Mojo]

I'm leaning toward getting Larry Rosenberg's Breath by Breath.

[lojong1]

I'd be interested to hear how you get on, and if there is any meditation instruction. I was involved in an Interbeing Sangha for a number of years.

I sit with interbeings once in a while here as the only group sit on that night. Bell rings and we sit 20mins, walk 10mins, sit 20 mins, and then about an hour of reading or chants or whatever thingy for the week, finishing with a tea circle. There hasn't been any sitting instructions but we are free to ask. Walkng is super slow with attention mostly on foot sensations and matching step to breath.
I enjoy the company but wouldn't want it to be my only source for buddha-dhamma-vinaya.

[LonesomeYogurt]

I'm leaning toward getting Larry Rosenberg's Breath by Breath.

Larry Rosenberg was influenced heavily by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. You may find his introduction to Anapanasati, which I consider to be one of the best ever written, helpful:

http://what-buddha-taught.net/Books3/Bh ... athing.htm

[Aloka]

. You may find his introduction to Anapanasati, which I consider to be one of the best ever written, helpful:

http://what-buddha-taught.net/Books3/Bh ... athing.htm

I also gave a link to the Buddhadasa pdf booklet #3.

_/\_

[Mojo]

Thanks for the recommendations. For those familiar with both Buddhadasa and Rosenberg, what are the main differences in their presentations of Anapanasati? I should also note that I'm not particularly interested in whether I attain jhana or not.

[LonesomeYogurt]

Thanks for the recommendations. For those familiar with both Buddhadasa and Rosenberg, what are the main differences in their presentations of Anapanasati? I should also note that I'm not particularly interested in whether I attain jhana or not.

Generally, Rosenberg is a little less structured in his practice; whereas Buddhadasa instructs one to go through all sixteen steps, one by one, during each session, Rosenberg is more free-form. This might be better for an introduction, but I think Buddhadasa is one who really captures the essence of "capital-A" Anapanasati practice instead of just general breath meditation. Otherwise, I think Buddhadasa has a little more concrete, practical advice versus the somewhat more "spiritual" or vague instructions Rosenberg can give. Both are good teachers, but I would definitely go with Buddhadasa if you're looking for the more comprehensive and all-in-one guide.

[danieLion]

...go with Buddhadasa if you're looking for the more comprehensive and all-in-one guide.

I agree. I also found it helpful to combine it with Ajahn Lee's Keeping the Breathe In Mind and Thanissaro's guided meditations online and his written instructions from various of his writings. His latest book is a anapanasati manual and basically a compilation of all he'd done before, so there's no need to mine his works like I did.

[beeblebrox]

Hi everyone,

Just so that there isn't any confusion... the book includes a translation, with some interpretation, basically to keep it from being dry. It's complete with the 16 exercises. There's also a commentary by Nhat Hanh.

Generally, the lay people who I practice with don't do this exclusively. It's more like a foundation. There's also guided meditation, that they do sometimes. They do walking meditation, and they also do a sharing at the end... where they usually would just talk about what's been going on with life, and how they apply their practice.

That's it pretty much. There are different types of people practicing together. I think that it's nice.

[Spiny Norman]

I'd be interested to hear how you get on, and if there is any meditation instruction. I was involved in an Interbeing Sangha for a number of years.

I sit with interbeings once in a while here as the only group sit on that night. Bell rings and we sit 20mins, walk 10mins, sit 20 mins, and then about an hour of reading or chants or whatever thingy for the week, finishing with a tea circle. There hasn't been any sitting instructions but we are free to ask. Walkng is super slow with attention mostly on foot sensations and matching step to breath.
I enjoy the company but wouldn't want it to be my only source for buddha-dhamma-vinaya.

I led mindfulness days from time to time, usually it would be a sit-walk-sit in the morning, lunch in silence and then sharing etc in the afternoon. I don't recall any formal instruction in meditation, I think the idea was that people learned meditation on retreat.