Guide to Meditation – part 3 The Scientific principle behind long and short breath

  Guide to Meditation – part 3 

The Scientific principle behind long and short breath

Question: Ven. Sir, what is the principle applicable to long and short breath? How could we watch in-breath and out-breath when we listen to a sermon?

Answer: The Supreme Buddha, in this sutta, described the right way for us, who are constantly going through distasteful, depressed lives, to have a satisfying, cheerful life. For this purpose, the Buddha assigned the sense object of “in & out breath”. There is a special reason for this. We know that the body is the sheath in which the mind functions. So, there is a mutual relationship between mind and body for existence. Different types of Air move through our body, including the pores of our outer skin. The Buddha classified these different types of internal bodily air with specific names. Those are

i. Uddhangama     Wind that moves upward, (e.g. causing bleaching, coughing, sneezing and related illness)

 ii. Adhogama    Wind that moves downward causing bowel movement and frequent motion.

iii. Kucchittha     Wind that moves about in the visceral cavity.

iv. Kotthasaya    Wind that moves about inside the large and small intestines.  (e.g.  pushing digestible food from the stomach into the rectum)

v. Anggamanganusari    Wind that moves within the limbs.

vi. Assasapassasa       Wind inhaled and exhaled by us. It is also known as anapana.

Our body needs in-breath and out-breath for existence. We should understand at this stage that we cannot attain Nibbana by merely watching in-breath and out-breath.  What needs to be done here is to watch one’s mind with the aid of in & out breath and dispose of all defilements from one’s mind for the purpose of attaining Nibbana. The Supreme Buddha assigned the meditation object of in & out breath as a technique to restrain the mind of sentient beings, which is analogous to a wild buffalo. Once it is restrained, we are able to observe different types of mental factors in the mind. These mental factors are known as “defilements”.
The Supreme Buddha elucidated that one is able to attain Nibbana if one could identify these defilements, abandon them in three ways (pahana). The first one, Tadanga Pahana ,means partial removal or abandonment of Kilesa. The second one is Vikkhambhana Pahana which means temporary removal or abandonment of Kilesa. The third one is Samuccheda Pahanaya which means complete removal or abandonment of Kilesa. Based on this understanding, I will answer your original question.
So, in meditation, we keep watching our mind. At beginning, we do not see our breath, as the mind is on fire; on a heated state, like a fire stone. This is due to the existence of unwholesome mental factors such as jealousy, hate, and conceit in mind constantly. A long out-breath (air) is released as a result of the heated nature of the mind at this stage. In response to a long out-breath, similar amount of air is drawn in as an in-breath to fill the vacuum created by a long out-breath. When a meditator becomes aware of this and observe the mind for some time, in-breaths and out-breaths become shorter, as the heated nature of mind begins to cool off. Gradual calming down of mind makes lesser air moving in and out, which results in shorter in-breaths and out-breaths. The meditator would find these short in and out breaths to be pleasant too. What conclusion could we make at this stage?
We need to know that our mind, primarily, arises in association with breath. When extraneous matters are added to the thought process, mind tends to generate heat, making in-breath and out-breath longer. What is the scientific principle associated with this process? When air becomes heated, air leaves its occupying place and then, air is drawn in to this place where there is a vacuum left by air leaving that place. This is the basic principle applicable to the functioning of air. In conclusion, we need to understand that long inhalations and exhalations are caused by a heated mind associated with defilements and gradually, this nature would change to shorter inhalations and exhalations  when mind’s heat subside during meditation. 

In replying to your second question,” how could we watch in-breath and out-breath when we listen to a sermon”? It deals with a sound perceived with the aid of your mind. When an individual has mastered the technique of watching in-breath and out- breath, this individual’s mind is devoid of greed (lobha) and hatred (dosa), and therefore mind always remains in a tranquil state. So, when this individual listens to a sermon (sound) based on the tranquil mental state, developed through watching the breath, listening would take place without greed and hatred interfering the mind.  Then, he realizes that he is capable of maintaining the tranquil mental state, developed through meditation on breath, when listening to sounds as well. When this is possible, it is a considerable improved mental stage in one’s meditation practice.

When one listens to a dhamma sermon and if aversion (dosa) arises in him, due to a controversy regarding the teachings of a dhamma teacher, then, one should understand that the improved mental stage, he developed through in-breath and out-breath meditation, has been disrupted. Similarly, when we engage in our day to day activities, we need to observe our improved mental state, developed from practicing anapana meditation, and the impact these activities have on this mental state. The Supreme Buddha assigned the meditation object of “breath” as an effective technique to observe respective mental states and keep the mind devoid of greed and aversion. So, we can conclude that if one can develop concentration (samadi), which has in-breath and out-breath as the only sense object, then, one is able to apply this samadi state in respect of all other objects, perceived through five sense faculties, and deal with them without greed and aversion.