..續本文上一頁ore relaxed and light, whether walking or sitting. Mind much more settled and clear. Pleasant feelings. Happiness. Maybe that”s why the Buddha talked about these things specifically and not just the watered down “watch your breathing.” He even taught us to experience satisfaction and joy as we breathe in and out.

　　So what does all this have to do with the “technology” of the title, except perhaps as an escape from or antidote to it

　　 For a recent article on technology,[3] I looked up the word in a favorite dictionary. The root meaning concerns art and craft. Who would have thought it

　　 I”ve been lead to think it was only about computers, machines, fancy tools, and other complex products of our advanced scientific culture. Hi-tech ... what about low-tech

　　 Or the natural technology of life

　　How wonderful! All that I”ve learned about the art of breathing mindfully — ânâpânasati — is also “technology.” I”m not so out-of-date after all. This practice is an art, a systematic craft, and a science of immense practical value. Healthy breathing reduces stress, calms, and relaxes. It replenishes energy and rejuvenates. It softens me physically and emotionally, fostering more openness and receptivity. It keeps me in the present where I feel more alive and happy. It teaches countless lessons about this body-mind, such as control without domination. It makes for more sensitivity and kindness. It heals and makes me into a healer. It supports intuition and wisdom. It is a path of freedom.

　　Such artful breathing only happens through the training and development of mindfulness. To fully plumb the subtleties of the breathing, a refined awareness is needed. Not just counting ins and outs, the breathing artist-technician explores all kinds of breathing and how they interrelate with various conditions of body and mind. As the mutual conditioning becomes clearer, possibilities for deeper calmness, centeredness, silence, and concentration open up. This is not Wal-Mart stuff, nor will it show up in Espresso joints or on TV. It”s the realm of mind that has taken its inner life seriously cum playfully, softened up toughly, and jumped in carefully. Paying attention through deepening levels of refining awareness, the foundations of mindfulness grow into factors of awakening (as described in the Ânâpânasati Sutta).

　　Mindful breathing while sitting, walking, and living life is central to how I cope with the challenges of our speedy, greedy postmodern world. Take our supposedly democratic political system. Social control through consumerism is more like it. Consumerism equals eating for eating”s sake, which tends to get out of control. That equals greed and greed is hunger for pleasure. America is a cornucopia of pleasures tastelessly marketed through malls, drive thrus, the Net. Pleasures that run all over Samsâra from simple delights like greasy pizza and sugar frosted flakes to tasty wraps to video games and Hollywood action to casual sex to imaginary sex to professional wrestling and politics to tourism to the latest hit novel to whatever music turns you on, yet all boiling down into coagulant nuggets of pride in possession and self-image through “I am my Lexus” or “I use an iMac,” thus rebirthing ME-ME-ME.

　　How do we cope with the onslaught

　　 Remembering breathing helps me. Breathing is something I genuinely need. It”s free and has no packaging to fill up landfills. I can enjoy it right now and won”t get emails to upgrade. My RAM was sufficient at birth to follow it in-down and up-out. It connects me to inner strength that no electoral charades can disempower. When my appetite is stimulated, I can calm around the belly to see if that”s where the hunger is coming from or is it concocted by sensual reactivity

　　 Again, s…

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