[Jhânas of Pa Auk] conceptual breathing comes naturally?

[DeadBuddha]

Hi,

For Pa Auk, does the conceptual breath appear naturally after focusing on the non-conceptual (physical) breath? Or do we have to force the appearance of the conceptual breath? According to the monk Pannananda, I feel that we need to force its appearance (see "A Companion Volume To Brief Discussion On Ānāpānasati").

Thanks in advance.

For the sake of all beings.

[Akashad]

The conceptual breath is a "perception" of the breath.

More subtle and more refined then the gross aspect of the breath,(coolness,hardness,etc).

Its a gradual process.

From focusing on the physical breath,watching it transform into conceptual breath and from that into a light.

The mind can only preceive objects that match its refinement.

You can not force the conceptual breath to form you can only refine your own mind so you can perceive it.

If your mind is gross you can only perceive the coarser aspect of the breath.Its physical characteristics.

When your mind is refined you can perceive the subtle aspect of the breath.

Ways to refine the mind includes:

1. Keeping the sila..you can prep the mind a month in advance just keep the sila.
2.Sense restraint.No tv,no music,no excessive talking,no social media,no phones etc.This is so important.
3.Meditate.

When you start the mind will not be able to stay in one spot,its too gross.

Give your gross mind and object or a task.

Let it stick with the physical characteristics of the breath.

It will move in and out and follow the breath.

Then soon it will settle on a spot or region and you can just feel the physical characteristics of the breath pass through it.

Then soon you will sense like a semi physical sensation more like a pressure.

In my experience...do not move your attention away from the spot where you are feeling the physical sensation to be with this semi physical construct.

So let that semi physical construct or pressure Come to You.

stay at that point. inevitably it will merge with that point where you are feeling the physical breath and it will replace it.

Its not that the physical breath is gone its that your mind is too subtle to register the coarse breath.

Then stay with the conceptual breath.Its more blissful.

Then lights will be start appearing.Again dont leave your object let it come to you.

Just like the conceptual breath replaced the physical breath the lights replace the conceptual breath.

Stay with the light it.Its a more refined perception of the breath.

[Goofaholix]

The concept of the breath is simply observing the breath as one flowing process rather than breaking it down into lots of different changing characteristics as you would with insight meditation.