Ānāpānasati (mindfulness of breathing) -- concentrate on nose, or on whole body?
score:2
My understanding of Ajahn Brahm's description of the first stage was to bring the mind to the present and then make it quiet.
Correct.
Now I am kind of there, I am trying to figure out how to proceed. Meditation books recommend keeping your attention at the tip of the nose...
You seem to be abandoning the instructions of Ajahn Brahm. Ajahn Brahm does not teach to deliberately watch breathing at the nose.
my mind is naturally drawn towards knowing the breathing as a whole (through most parts of the body, chest area, belly and sometimes the face also). I tried to go back to paying attention to the nose, but it made the meditation really hard. When I came back to the whole body experience
The practise is to make the mind quiet; to abandon craving & abandon ambition. When the mind is quiet, the mind will feel the breathing where ever the mind naturally feels the breathing.
'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in,' thinking thus, he trains himself. 'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out,' thinking thus, he trains himself. 'Calming the activity of the body, I shall breathe in,' thinking thus, he trains himself. 'Calming the activity of the body, I shall breathe out,' thinking thus, he trains himself.
While the translation above is not accurate, it is good enough. It says to experience the "whole body" therefore there is no need to watch only at the nose-tip. When the breathing & body are eventually calmed, the mind will naturally converge towards the nose-tip.
The purpose of Buddhist meditation is not to manipulate phenomena. The purpose of Buddhist meditation is to practise letting go of craving & attachment. Ajahn Brahm has said "jhanas are states of letting go" (as Buddha taught in SN 48.9 and SN 48.10).
You should stick to the instructions of Ajahn Brahm and ignore other teachers (except me!).
Upvote:0
Of course it's hard! ;-) But for now, if it's helpful, you can keep focusing on the whole breath as it moves through your body. Just remember that this is training wheel meditation. Eventually, they need to come off. Even focusing on the breath as it moves through the body - a consistent entity - isn't a stable focal point. As your focus moves along with the breath, suffice it to say your mind is also moving. For proper, stable meditation, the point of focus has to remain stable. Your mind has to stay put. And that's only going to happen if you pick a single point of meditation and stick to it.
Upvote:2
The way I understand the object of Anapanasati is the breath. So, Keep your attention on the breath whichever form is presented.
More post
- 📝 Accuracy of suttas
- 📝 Does Buddhism have a concept of avatars?
- 📝 Is there anything like "positive suffering" for Buddhists?
- 📝 Question about vitakka and vicara. How to reinforce upper jhanas (without vitakka and vicara)
- 📝 Attachment vs legitimate need
- 📝 More self control - Beginners
- 📝 Nirvana with residue/non-abiding nirvana
- 📝 How to disambiguate between various meditation practices?
- 📝 What does "heard" mean in "I allow fish and meat that is pure in three respects: One has not seen, heard, or suspected..."
- 📝 Who was ignorant about the Truth in the beginning?
- 📝 Stage of my personal practice
- 📝 In the top left corner there is a Tibetan Buddhist praying. Can you translate this prayer?
- 📝 How far is attachment allowed?
- 📝 A question about DN 23 and existence of soul
- 📝 Wish to Circumambulate around Mt. Kailash
- 📝 Scriptural source for the lost son story
- 📝 Is Yiguandao teachings part of buddhism?
- 📝 Relying upon a Spiritual Guide, who created this idea? Is it actually a necessity for liberation?
- 📝 Questions about Chogyam Trungpa's unique presentation of the five skandhas?
- 📝 Are probabilistic physics and pratitya samutpada compatible?
- 📝 Details for Kasina Meditation
- 📝 Which are considered to be the oldest suttas?
- 📝 Is Practicing Tantric/Wrathful Meditation Dangerous Without a Guru?
- 📝 Is meditation necessary in Buddhism?
- 📝 Does the Pali Canon say anything about duty to siblings?
- 📝 Preliminaries (common and uncommon) in Tibetan Buddhism
- 📝 Is samadhi the same as samatha? Is there khanika samatha?
- 📝 Doesn't pīti mean love?
- 📝 Looking for negative reference to women in the Avatamsaka Sutra
- 📝 Dana, Dhamma Talk or Retreat
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the next meditation type after Mindfulness of Breathing meditation?
- 📝 What are the steps in Mindfulness of Breathing meditation?
- 📝 How does one do mindfulness of breathing with relaxation?
- 📝 Mindfulness of Breathing, Mindfulness with Breathing
- 📝 In breathing mindfulness ,why only long and short breaths are taken into consideration?
- 📝 Ānāpānasati (mindfulness of breathing) -- concentrate on nose, or on whole body?
- 📝 Mindfulness With Breathing & Ear Pain
- 📝 Mindfulness of breathing - What is meant by "arising and passing away of the body"?
- 📝 What are the differences between vipassana and mindfulness meditation?
- 📝 Anapanasati: Mindful Breathing Concentration Point
- 📝 Strange feelings after meditation and mindfulness practice?
- 📝 How does one practice mindfulness during thinking - e.g. thinking about how to solve a problem?
- 📝 What are the scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness meditation?
- 📝 Mindfulness in Everyday Activity
- 📝 Overwhelming thoughts - Mindfulness and awareness
- 📝 mindfulness thinking about future and past?
- 📝 That "Electric Feel" body sensation during meditation
- 📝 Is mindfulness the path or the goal?
- 📝 How to deal with body pain during meditation?
- 📝 Mindfulness is leading to anxiety and depersonalisation
- 📝 In simple words, how are body sensations linked to moods and feelings?
- 📝 Constant mindfulness hard to achieve
- 📝 Mindfulness when on the train, underground and bus
- 📝 Should I avoid using Mindfulness to fall asleep?
- 📝 Developing mindfulness doing complex activities like learning or programming?
- 📝 Mindfulness of feelings and emotions
- 📝 What can go wrong in Mindfulness Therapy as used in Clinics?
- 📝 A question about sitting, movement and mindfulness
- 📝 Mindfulness while Studying or Listening to Dhamma Talks
- 📝 Are mindfulness and flow related