Breathe

I ran into this link on Facebook, "Namo'valokiteshvaraya Chanting," a Public Talk recorded Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 (just a few hours ago) at Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. About chanting, listening, breathing, suffering, mindfulness, concentration, compassion.  The lecture, in English, picks up at 2:41, the music and chanting around 14:00 (length: about 35:00).

It led me to search the phrase "Namo'valokiteshvaraya" and somehow brought me direct to Dharma. The Breathing Sutra...

Anapanasati Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 118) "Mindfulness of Breathing," Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Mindfulness of in-&-out breath, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit. Mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, when developed & pursued, brings the four frames of reference to their culmination. The four frames of reference, when developed & pursued, bring the seven factors of awakening to their culmination. The seven factors of awakening, when developed & pursued, bring clear knowing & release to their culmination.

 This clearly will take some study. "Now how is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing developed & pursued so as to bring the four frames of reference to their culmination?"

[1] Breathing in long, he discerns that he is breathing in long; or breathing out long, he discerns that he is breathing out long. [2] Or breathing in short, he discerns that he is breathing in short; or breathing out short, he discerns that he is breathing out short. [3] He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to the entire body, and to breathe out sensitive to the entire body. [4] He trains himself to breathe in calming the bodily processes, and to breathe out calming the bodily processes. 

"[5] He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to rapture, and to breathe out sensitive to rapture. [6] He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to pleasure, and to breathe out sensitive to pleasure. [7] He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to mental processes, and to breathe out sensitive to mental processes. [8] He trains himself to breathe in calming mental processes, and to breathe out calming mental processes. 

"[9] He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to the mind, and to breathe out sensitive to the mind. [10] He trains himself to breathe in satisfying the mind, and to breathe out satisfying the mind. [11] He trains himself to breathe in steadying the mind, and to breathe out steadying the mind. [12] He trains himself to breathe in releasing the mind, and to breathe out releasing the mind. 

"[13] He trains himself to breathe in focusing on inconstancy, and to breathe out focusing on inconstancy. [14] He trains himself to breathe in focusing on dispassion [literally, fading], and to breathe out focusing on dispassion. [15] He trains himself to breathe in focusing on cessation, and to breathe out focusing on cessation. [16] He trains himself to breathe in focusing on relinquishment, and to breathe out focusing on relinquishment.

And that's enough for today, I think. Here's a version from a New York sangha.