The `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta' mentions four stages of ānāpānasati, but in some other Suttas and commentaries, sixteen stages are mentioned. We need to understand what is the difference between these two Suttas that help not to deviate from correct practicing which the Buddha's taught.Actually there is no difference between them. In the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta', The Buddha taught four stages of ānāpānasati only for Samatha practice, for the attainment of Jhāna. In some other Suttas, such as the `ĀnnāpānaSati Sutta' of the Majjhima Nikāya, The Buddha taught sixteen stages.
These sixteen stages are divided into four tetrads:
1. The first tetrad is contemplation of the body (kayanupassana),
2. the second tetrad is contemplation of feeling (vedananupassana)
3. the third tetrad is contemplation of mind (cittanupassana) and
4. the fourth tetrad is contemplation of dhamma-objects (dhammanupassana).
The first tetrad:
It has consists of four stages. These are long breath, the short breath, the whole breath body, and the subtle breath. If you practise it systematically, you will see the nimitta, the sign. If you concentrate on it well, gradually it will become the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta, the counterpart sign of breath. If you concentrate on it systematically, you will attain the first Jhāna up to the fourth Jhāna. After attaining the fourth Jhāna, how should you continue to practise? According to the ĀnnāpānaSati Sutta, you must practise the second tetrad, changing to practise Vipassanā . According to the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta', as we have explained, you have to discern three types of body:
1. the body of in-and-out breath (assassa-passassa-kaya),
2. the produced body (karaja-kaya), and
3. the body of mentality (nama-kaya).
The body of in-and-out breath is the ultimate materiality in the breath; the produced body is the four types of materiality, i.e. materiality produced by kamma, mind, temperature and nutritive essence, in other words, twenty-eight types of materiality. These two bodies are also called the body of materiality (rupa-kaya). The body of mentality is ultimate mentality consisting of the four mental aggregates, aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Jhāna dhammas are also included in these four mental aggregates. Then you should discern the causal arising and passing away and momentary arising and passing away. Then you must practise Vipassanā to attain higher and higher Vipassanā knowledges. Then you will realize Nibbāna with your path knowledge and fruition knowledge.
The second tetrad:
1. `He trains thus: “experiencing joy I will breathe in; experiencing joy I will breathe out.”'Then when you change to practise Vipassanā , you should enter the first Jhāna. Emerging from it, you should discern the first Jhāna dhammas. There are thirty-four mental formations in the first Jhāna, including joy. You should systematically contemplate them as impermanent, suffering and non-self. When you are contemplating in this way, there is joy in your Vipassanā knowledge. Just like when you see your dear friend smiling at you, you will also smile at him. So too, while taking the first Jhāna dhammas with joy as object, there also will be joy in your Vipassanā knowledge. At that time, you are experiencing joy while breathing in and out. After that you should enter the second Jhāna. Emerging from it, you should contemplate the second Jhāna dhammas, which consist of thirty-two mental formations, including joy, as impermanent, suffering and non-self. In your Vipassanā knowledge there is also joy. At that time, also, you are experiencing joy while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Vipassanā.
2. `He trains thus, “experiencing pleasure I will breathe in; experiencing pleasure I will breathe out.”' We can explain this also in both ways, by ways of Samatha and Vipassanā . Pleasure exists in the first, second and third Jhānas. When you are staying in any of them, you are experiencing pleasure while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Samatha. If you change to practise Vipassanā , emerging from any of the first, second and third Jhānas, you should contemplate its Jhāna dhammas, including pleasure, as impermanent, suffering and non-self. There is also pleasure in your Vipassanā knowledge then. Therefore, we say that you are experiencing pleasure while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Vipassanā .
3. `He trains thus, “experiencing mental formations I will breathe in; experiencing mental formations I will breathe out.”' In this case, we also can explain by way of Samatha and Vipassanā . When you are staying in any of the four Jhāna attainments, you are experiencing mental formations, especially Jhāna factors, while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Samatha. If you change to practise Vipassanā , emerging from any of the four attainments, you should contemplate its Jhāna dhammas as impermanent, suffering and non-self. At that time, you will experience thirty-four mental formations of the first Jhāna, thirty-two of the second Jhāna, thirty-one of the third Jhāna and thirty-one of the fourth Jhāna. At that time, you are experiencing mental formations while breathing in and out. Why did The Buddha teach mental formations (citta-sankhara) in this stage? What are mental formations? It is mentioned in one Sutta thus: `sabba ca vedana ca cittasankharo.' – `perception and feeling are mental formations.' When you are discerning mental formations, you should emphasise perception and feeling, especially feeling. Because of this, this tetrad is called contemplation of feeling (vedananupassana).
4. `He trains thus, “tranquilizing the mental formations I will breathe in; tranquilizing the mental formations I will breathe out.”' In this case also we should explain by ways of Samatha and Vipassanā . If you enter the first, second, third, and fourth Jhāna attainments taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object, at that time you are tranquilizing the mental formations. Why? The first Jhāna is quieter than access concentration; the second Jhāna is quieter than the first Jhāna; the third Jhāna is quieter than the second Jhāna; the fourth Jhāna is quieter than the third Jhāna. In this way, the higher Jhāna is quieter than the lower one. Because of this, we say that you are tranquilizing mental formations while breathing in and out. If you change to practise Vipassanā , you must contemplate the Jhāna dhammas of the first, second, third and fourth Jhānas as impermanent, suffering and non-self systematically and separately. When you are contemplating the first Jhāna dhammas as impermanent, suffering and non-self, your Vipassanā knowledge is quiet. When you are contemplating the second Jhāna dhammas in the same way, your Vipassanā knowledge is quieter. When you are contemplating the third Jhāna dhammas in the same way, your Vipassanā knowledge is even quieter. When you are contemplating the fourth Jhāna dhammas in the same way, your Vipassanā knowledge is still even quieter. That is why we say that you are tranquilizing mental formations while breathing in and out. In this stage also you must emphasise feeling. That is why this stage is also called contemplation of feeling (vedananupassana). So in this tetrad, Jhāna dhammas of all the four Jhāna attainments are mentioned. In the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta' The Buddha also teaches, `Thus he abides contemplating the body as a body internally, etc.' Among the three types of body, these four Jhānas are included in the mentality body (group), nama-kaya. So the second tetrad is the same as what is explained in the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta'.
The third tetrad:
1. `He trains thus, “experiencing the mind I will breathe in; experiencing the mind I will breathe out.”' You should understand two types of experiencing the mind, by way of Samatha and Vipassanā . You should enter the first, second, third and fourth ānāpāna Jhānas step by step. After emerging from each Jhāna, you should contemplate with emphasis on consciousness. Then we say that you experience the mind while you are breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Samatha. If you change to practise Vipassanā , you should enter the first Jhāna, taking ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. After emerging from it, you should contemplate its thirty-four mental formations, with emphasis on consciousness, as impermanent, suffering and non-self. You should comtemplate in the same way the second, third and fourth Jhānas. Then we can say that you experience the mind while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Vipassanā .
2. `He trains thus, “gladdening the mind I will breathe in; gladdening the mind I will breathe out.”' In this case, we may explain by ways of Samatha and Vipassanā . You should enter the first Jhāna, taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. After emerging from it you should reflect on its five Jhāna factors, including joy. Because of that joy, your mind is glad. Therefore, when you are staying in the first Jhāna, you gladden your mind while breathing in and out. The similar condition occurs in the second Jhāna. This is the explanation by way of Samatha. If you change to practise Vipassanā , you should contemplate the Jhāna dhammas of the first and second Jhānas, including joy, as impermanent, suffering and non-self. When you are contemplating in this way, joy is present in your Vipassanā knowledge because there is joy in its object. At that time, you gladden your mind while breathing in and out. This is the conditaion of Vipassanā .
3. `He trains thus, “concentrating the mind I will breathe in; concentrating the mind I will breathe out.”' You should enter all the four Jhānas taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. In each Jhāna there is one-pointedness (ekaggata), also called concentration (samadhi). So when you are staying in any Jhānas, you are concentrating the mind while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Samatha. If you change to practise Vipassanā , you should contemplate Jhāna dhammas of these Jhānas as impermanent, suffering and non-self. When you are contemplating in this way, your mind is concentrating on their three natures. At that time, you are concentrating the mind while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Vipassanā .
4. `He trains thus, “liberating the mind I will breathe in; liberating the mind I will breathe out.”' When you are staying in the first Jhāna, taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object, you are liberating your mind from the five hindrances while breathing in and out. Then you should enter the second Jhāna, taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. At that time you are liberating your mind from applied thought (vitakka) and sustained thought (vicara) while breathing in and out. Then you should enter the third Jhāna, taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. At that time, you are liberating your mind from joy (piti) while breathing in and out. Then you should enter the fourth Jhāna, taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. At that time, you are liberating your mind from bliss (sukha) while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Samatha. If you change to practise Vipassanā , you should enter the first Jhāna, taking the ānāpāna patibhaga-nimitta as object. After emerging from it, you should contemplate the first Jhāna dhammas as impermanent, suffering and non-self. When you see clearly these three natures of the first Jhāna dhammas with your Vipassanā knowledge, your mind is liberated from the perception of permanence, happiness and self. You should contemplate the remaining three Jhānas in the same way. When you see the natures of impermanence, suffering and non-self clearly with your Vipassanā knowledge, you are liberating your mind from the perception of permanence, happiness and self while breathing in and out. This is the explanation by way of Vipassanā . So this tetrad emphasizes the mind. That is why it is called cittanupassana. However, you should not discern only mind, but should contemplate also its associated mental formations. In the ānāpāna section of the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta', when you are discerning the five aggregates, or the bodies of in-and-out breath, materiality and mentality, these Jhāna dhammas also are included. So the practices introduced in these two Suttas are basically the same.
The fourth tetrad:
1. `He trains thus, “contemplating impermanence I will breathe in; contemplating impermanence I will breathe out.”' In this section, The Buddha taught only Vipassanā . Here you should distinguish four cases: impermanence (anicca), the nature of impermanence (aniccata), contemplation of impermanence (aniccanupassana), and aniccanupassi. What is impermanence? `Aniccanti pancakhandha.' – `Impermanence is the five aggregates.' The five aggregates are impermanent because they are fading away as destruction. What is the nature of impermanence? It is the impermanent nature of the five aggregates. What is contemplation of impermanence? It is the Vipassanā knowledge that sees the impermanent nature of the five aggregates. What is aniccanupassi? It means the meditator who sees the impermanent nature of the five aggregates. You must first discern the five aggregates, and then contemplate their impermanent nature. In the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta', The Buddha teaches the higher practice after the attainment of the fourth Jhāna thus: `Thus he abides contemplating the body as a body internally. Or he abides contemplating the body as a body externally. Or he abides contemplating the body as a body both internally and externally.' This means that you must discern both the internal and external five aggregates. In this tetrad of the ĀnnāpānaSati Sutta, The Buddha also teaches to discern the five aggregates. Therefore, the methods taught in these two Suttas are the same.
2. `He trains thus, “contemplating fading away I will breathe in; contemplating fading away I will breathe out.” There are two types of fading away, viraga: khayaviraga and accantaviraga. Khayaviraga means fading away as destruction of the five aggregates. Accantaviraga means absolute fading away, Nibbāna. First you must contemplate the five aggregates as impermanent, suffering and non-self systematically. Then you must emphasise their passing away, fading away. When your Vipassanā knowledge becomes mature, you will realize Nibbāna, which is the absolute fading away of the five aggregates, because there are no five aggregates in Nibbāna. Here you should distinguish between the Vipassanā knowledge, the path knowledge and the fruition knowledge. If you contemplate only the passing away of the five aggregates as impermanent, suffering and non-self, you are contemplating fading away of the five aggregates while breathing in and out. When you realize Nibbāna and enter the fruition attainment, you are contemplating the absolute fading away of the five aggregates while breathing in and out.
3. `He trains thus, `contemplating cessation I will breathe in; contemplating cessation I will breathe out.”' There are two types of cessation, nirodha: khananirodha and accantanirodha. Khananirodha means the momentary cessation of the five aggregates. Accantanirodha means the complete cessation of the five aggregates, Nibbāna. After contemplating the five aggregates as impermanent, suffering and non-self systematically, you will see only their momentary cessation. This Vipassanā knowledge will temporarily remove defilements, and you are then contemplating momentary cessation of the five aggregates while breathing in and out. After realizing Nibbāna, you should enter the fruition absorption, taking Nibbāna as object. In Nibbāna there are no five aggregates. So when you are staying in the fruition absorption, you are contemplating the complete cessation of the five aggregates while breathing in and out. So this tetrad emphasizes the Dhamma.
Conclusion
Altogether there are four tetrads. In each stage of each tetrad, there are in-breath and out-breath. So there are sixteen types of in-breath and sixteen types of out-breath. Altogether there are thirty-two types of breath. This is The Buddha's instruction showing how you should breathe in and out to realize Nibbāna.Now we are breathing in and out at every moment every day. You should ask yourself whether you are breathing according to The Buddha's instruction. If so, some day you will attain Arahantship, and all defilements will completely cease. After PariNibbāna, all the five aggregates and suffering will completely cease. So please breathe according to The Buddha's instruction.
In conclusion, there is no difference between the method taught in the ānāpāna section of the `MahāSati Paṭṭhāna Sutta' and that in the four ānāpāna tetrads of the ĀnnāpānaSati Sutta. The Buddha taught in different ways according to listeners' temperament. The meanings of these two methods are the same. May you be prevent the wrong practicing and reach Nibbana soon!!!
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