..續本文上一頁n one finds the type of meditation that suits one”s character, one should set one”s mind to begin doing the practice with a prepar-atory repetition (parikamma), such as, “kesa” (hair of the head). One should then repeat it mentally and not out loud, and at the same time one should keep one”s attention fixed upon hair of the head. If however, one finds that thinking, on its own, is not able to capture the heart, one may repeat the preparatory repetition in the manner of a chant so that the sound captivates the heart and it becomes calm and quiet. One should continue repeating the preparatory repetition until the heart has become calm and then one can stop. But whichever preparatory repetition is used, one should retain conscious awareness of that kammatthana. Thus in the foregoing example of “kesa”, one should retain conscious awareness of the hair on one”s head.

　　 If one uses one of the preparatory repetitions – “Buddho”, “Dhammo”, or “Sangho”, one should set up knowledge of it just in the heart alone. These are not like other types of kammatthanas, for here one should repeat “Buddho” (or “Dhammo”, or “Sangho”) so that it is in continuous contact with the heart and remains there until the one who repeats the “Buddho” of the preparatory repetition and the “one who knows”, who is the heart, are found to be identical.

　　 If it suits one”s character better to use the preparatory repetition “Dhammo” or “Sangho”, one should repeat it so that it is in contact with the heart and remains there until it is found to be identical with the heart. This is done in the same way as the kammatthana “Buddho”.

　　 Anapanasati Bhavana (developing the of awareness of breathing) uses the breath as the objective support of the heart and consists in knowing and mindfulness (sati) of in and out breathing.

　　 In becoming aware of breathing, one should at first fix attention on the feeling of the breath at the nose or the palate (roof of the mouth)2, as it suits one, because this is where the breath initially makes contact, and one may use this as a marker point for holding one”s attention. Having done this until one has become skilled, and the in and out breathing becomes finer and finer, one will progressively come to know and understand the nature of the contact of in and out breathing, until it seems that the breathing is located either in the middle of the chest or the solar plexus.3

　　 After this one must just fix one”s attention on breathing at that place and one must no longer be concerned about fixing attention on the breathing at the tip of the nose or the palate, nor about following it in and out with awareness.

　　 In fixing attention on the breath one may also repeat “Buddho” in time with the breath as a preparatory repetition to supervise the in and out breathing, in order to assist the “one who knows” and to make the “one who knows” clear with regard to the breath. Then the breath will appear more and more clearly to the heart. After having become skilled with the breath, every time one attends to the breathing process, one should fix attention at the point in the middle of the chest or the solar plexus.

　　 In particular, it is important to have mindfulness established. One must establish mindfulness to control the heart so that one feels the breath at every moment while it is entering or leaving, whether short or long, until one knows clearly that the breathing is becoming progressively finer with every breath – and until finally it becomes apparent that the finest and most subtle breath and the heart have converged and become one.4 At this stage one should fix attention on the breath exclusively within the heart, and there is no need to worry about the preparatory repetition, for in becoming aware of the breath as enterin…

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