With KimbilaKimilasutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was staying near Kimbilā in the Freshwater Mangrove Wood.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kimilāyaṁ viharati veḷuvane. Then the Buddha said to Venerable Kimbila,Tatra kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ kimilaṁ āmantesi: “Kimbila, how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is very fruitful and beneficial?”“kathaṁ bhāvito nu kho, kimila, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso”ti?

When he said this, Kimbila kept silent.Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā kimilo tuṇhī ahosi.

For a second time …Dutiyampi kho bhagavā …pe…

And for a third time, the Buddha said to him,tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ kimilaṁ āmantesi: “How is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is very fruitful and beneficial?”“kathaṁ bhāvito nu kho, kimila, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso”ti? And a second time and a third time Kimbila kept silent.Tatiyampi kho āyasmā kimilo tuṇhī ahosi.

When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!“etassa, bhagavā, kālo; etassa, sugata, kālo. Let the Buddha speak on immersion due to mindfulness of breathing. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”Yaṁ bhagavā ānāpānassatisamādhiṁ bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

“Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”“Tenahānanda, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi. The Buddha said this:Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Ānanda, how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is very fruitful and beneficial?“kathaṁ bhāvito ca, ānanda, ānāpānassatisamādhi kathaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso? It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present.Idhānanda, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. …So satova assasati, satova passasati …pe…

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati. That’s how immersion due to mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is very fruitful and beneficial.Evaṁ bhāvito kho, ānanda, ānāpānassatisamādhi evaṁ bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.

There’s a time when a mendicant is breathing in heavily, and they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; Breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’rassaṁ vā assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, rassaṁ vā passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.’‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the physical process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the physical process.’‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.kāye kāyānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because the breath is a certain aspect of the body, I say.Kāyaññatarāhaṁ, ānanda, etaṁ vadāmi yadidaṁ—assāsapassāsaṁ. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Tasmātihānanda, kāye kāyānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant practices like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing rapture.’Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing bliss.’‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the the mental process.’‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the mental process.’‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.vedanāsu vedanānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because careful application of mind to the in-breaths and out-breaths is a certain aspect of feelings, I say.Vedanāññatarāhaṁ, ānanda, etaṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ—assāsapassāsānaṁ sādhukaṁ manasikāraṁ. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Tasmātihānanda, vedanāsu vedanānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant practices like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mind.’Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out gladdening the mind.’abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ …pe… They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out immersing the mind in samādhi.’samādahaṁ cittaṁ … They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out freeing the mind.’‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.citte cittānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because there is no development of immersion due to mindfulness of breathing for someone who is unmindful and lacks awareness, I say.Nāhaṁ, ānanda, muṭṭhassatissa asampajānassa ānāpānassatisamādhibhāvanaṁ vadāmi. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Tasmātihānanda, citte cittānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

There’s a time when a mendicant practices like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing impermanence.’Yasmiṁ samaye, ānanda, bhikkhu ‘aniccānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati …pe… They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing fading away.’virāgānupassī … They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing cessation.’nirodhānupassī … They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati— At such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.dhammesu dhammānupassī, ānanda, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Having seen with wisdom the giving up of covetousness and displeasure, they watch closely over with equanimity.So yaṁ taṁ hoti abhijjhādomanassānaṁ pahānaṁ taṁ paññāya disvā sādhukaṁ ajjhupekkhitā hoti. Therefore, at such a time a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Tasmātihānanda, dhammesu dhammānupassī bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

Suppose there was a large heap of sand at the crossroads.Seyyathāpi, ānanda, catumahāpathe mahāpaṁsupuñjo. And a cart or chariot were to come by from the east,Puratthimāya cepi disāyaṁ āgaccheyya sakaṭaṁ vā ratho vā, upahanateva taṁ paṁsupuñjaṁ; west,pacchimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya … north,uttarāya cepi disāya … or south and destroy that heap of sand.dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya sakaṭaṁ vā ratho vā, upahanateva taṁ paṁsupuñjaṁ.

In the same way, when a mendicant is meditating by observing an aspect of the body,Evameva kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharantopi upahanateva pāpake akusale dhamme; feelings,vedanāsu …pe… mind,citte …pe… or principles, they destroy bad, unskillful qualities.”dhammesu dhammānupassī viharantopi upahanateva pāpake akusale dhamme”ti.