..續本文上一頁en, breathing up through the heart, softening and remembering that these folks munching on tacos and rubbery pizza are my pals in birth, aging, illness, and death. I can smile a bit, they aren”t my enemies, yet remain concerned by the blatant racial inequality and unhealthiness of what I see. Mindful, too, that I am not outside the mess looking in; I am participating in it, willingly when I drink Starbucks and unwillingly just by being alive in the globalization era. How to make that participation beneficial

　　In many Suttas, the Buddha taught ânâpânasati, a systematic training of heart and wisdom through mindfulness with breathing in and out. This comprehensive practice contains sixteen “lessons” that cover and perfect the four foundations of mindfulness. Usually, he started with “getting to know long (deep, healthy) breathing,” followed by “getting to know short (shallow, unhealthy) breathing.” Through experience, one learns whether they are long or short, relaxed or tight, natural or unnatural. Then comes “experiencing all bodies,” that is, the relationship between the quality of the breathing and the quality of the body. These three preliminary steps culminate in “calming the body-conditioner,” which means cultivating naturally deep and subtle breathing that fosters inner peace, stability, and joy. From there, the feelings of satisfaction and joy arising from this practice are investigated and released. Then mind is explored and trained in various ways. Finally, the whole hog of breathing, body, feelings, and mind are revisited from the vipassanâ angles of impermanence, dukkha-ness, and not-self. If it”s real vipassanâ, profound letting go takes place and liberation occurs.[2]

　　Though simple, the early steps ought not to be taken for granted, after all, there isn”t any vipassanâ when the mind isn”t calm and clear. Fortunately, Ajarn Buddhadâsa, under whom I studied for a decade and continue to serve as translator, stressed the importance of long breathing and wasn”t namby-pamby about it. “Dhamma is Nature” was a central theme for him, but his understanding of “natural” didn”t follow our Western assumptions. Recognizing what is natural requires a fair bit of unlearning. Being a loyal student, I explored long breathing seriously for many years, unlearning as I went.

　　Of course, there were times when clinging and obsessiveness forced the breath this way and that, including forcedly deep. That, however, wasn”t what the Buddha meant and I found ways to avoid that particular habit. So what breathing was “natural”

　　 Were all the shallow, tight, tired, hot, erratic, stressed breaths “natural”

　　 In the sense that everything is ultimately Dhamma, sure, they are natural. In the sense of healthy, useful, skilful — no way! Shifting from busy-minded breathing to gentle-walking breathing has taught me that they aren”t the kind of “natural” I need (like being bit by a rattlesnake isn”t the kind of natural I need). In fact, they were examples of the short breathing mentioned by the Buddha.

　　Off and on over the years, I”d stumbled upon genuine long breathing — deep, full, slow, relaxed, joyful. It usually happened when mind would drop some obsession or irritation to simply settle in and ride with the breathing. Yoga, massage, and soaks in the hot springs helped, too. Ajarn Buddhadâsa didn”t mind “controlling” the breathing if it brought healthy results, so I also found creative ways to foster — not force — long breathing and through it internally massage tightness and tension in chest, solar plexus, back, and abdomen. The easing and lightening could then spread throughout the body. Increasingly, these developed without conscious effort. However they might arrive, the results were delightful. Body m…

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