Notes on Four Tetrads And Four Foundations
This posting contains the notes prepared related to the .mp3 recording Four Tetrads And Four Foundations April 22 2015: Four Tetrads and Four Foundations
Notes For The Anapanasati Sutta Fourth Tetrad
These notes were written by Peter in preparation for the talks presented over the last several weeks. The fourth tetrad of the sutta provides training for the practice of vipassana (insight), emphasizing awareness of impermanence, dispassion, liberation and letting go. Here are the notes: ANAPANASATI SUTTA FOURTH TETRAD
The next recording posted will review all four tetrads as representative of the four foundations of mindfulness.
Notes For Calming the Mind Fabrications
CALMING MENTAL FABRICATION
This week’s discussion focuses on the next stanza in the Anapanasati Sutta, again downloaded from the Access To Insight site, translated by Thanissaro:
“On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to rapture’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to pleasure’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to mental fabrication’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out calming mental fabrication’: On that occasion the monk remains focused on feelings in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this — careful attention to in-&-out breaths — is classed as a feeling among feelings, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on feelings in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.”
Mindfulness of Breathing and Joie de Vivre
Here are the relevant passages from the Anapanasati Sutta for this week’s consideration:
“He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to rapture.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to rapture.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to pleasure.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to pleasure.’ Translated by Thanissaro, downloaded from Access To Insight.
As the result of applied (vitakka) and sustained (vicara) attention to the breath sensations, a great deal of the available energy in the body/mind process is freed up because the energy isn’t channeled through the obsessive thinking and impulsive feelings represented by the hindrances. These thoughts and emotions generate metabolic stresses such as high blood pressure, muscle tension (headaches, backaches, stomach cramps, etc.). Prolonged focus on breath sensations reorganize the energy flows, reducing the physical stress, promoting mental tranquility and clarity. The resulting increases in energy flow manifest as piti, translated as rapture or bliss, accompanied by sukha, translated as happiness or pleasure.
Guided Calming The Breath Body Meditation
This is a guided 45 minute training meditation to facilitate using breath body processes to enhance physical relaxation and emotional calmness, while also increasing mental alertness. It is accompanied by a recorded dhamma dialog describing the parts of the Anapanasati Sutta that promote calming the body: “…He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.'” In addition, the essay Peter prepared before the dhamma dialogue is posted prior to the posting of the .mp3 recording of the dhamma dialogue
Tranquilizing the Breath-Body Process
Here are the notes I prepared for the dhamma dialogue .mp3 file which is posted next: “Calming The Breath Body”. The next posting after that is an .mp3 recording “Guided Calming The Breath Body Meditation”. I hope they are useful for your practice of anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing).
I’ve already explored in a previous posted essay “acquiring the breath”, the ability to bring attention to the breath (vitakka) and sustain active interest (vicara) in the changing sensations during the breath cycle. This essay will explore how to make use of the suggestions in the Anapanasati Sutta to promote deeper physical relaxation and emotional tranquility while still maintaining and even increasing alert inner awareness.