Kāyagatāsatisuttaṁ
The Discourse about Mindfulness related to the Body

Mindfulness while Breathing

Idha bhikkhave bhikkhu araññagato vā, rukkhamūlagato vā,
Here, monks, a monk who has gone to the wilderness, or to the root of a tree,

suññāgāragato vā, nisīdati.
or to an empty place, sits down.

Pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā, ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya,
After folding his legs crosswise, setting his body straight,

parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā,
and establishing mindfulness at the front,

so sato va assasati, sato ChS: satova. passasati.
ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.

Dīghaṁ vā assasanto “dīghaṁ assasāmī” ti pajānāti,
While breathing in long, he knows “I am breathing in long”,

dīghaṁ vā passasanto “dīghaṁ passasāmī” ti pajānāti,
while breathing out long, he knows “I am breathing out long”,

rassaṁ vā assasanto “rassaṁ assasāmī” ti pajānāti,
while breathing in short, he knows “I am breathing in short”,

rassaṁ vā passasanto “rassaṁ passasāmī” ti pajānāti,
while breathing out short, he knows “I am breathing out short”,

sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī ti sikkhati,
he trains like this: experiencing the whole body I will breathe in,

sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī ti sikkhati,
he trains like this: experiencing the whole body I will breathe out,

passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī ti sikkhati,
he trains like this: making the bodily process calm I will breathe in,

passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī ti sikkhati.
he trains like this: making the bodily process calm I will breathe out.

* * *

Tassa evaṁ PTS: evam, sandhi form; once or twice PTS writes evaṁ in this position. appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato
For the one who is living heedful, ardent, and resolute in this way

ye PTS: ye te, throughout. gehasitā sarasaṅkappā te pahīyanti,
whatever rushing thoughts Comm: sarasaṅkappā ti dhāvanasaṅkappā; rushing thoughts means running thoughts. Ñāṇamoli and Bodhi take it as a dvanda compound and render it as ‘memories and intentions’, but the commentary is clearly taking it as a kammadhāraya compound. there are dependent on the household life Comm: tattha gehasitā ti pañcakāmaguṇanissitā; herein, dependent on the household life means depending on the five strands of sense pleasure. are given up,

tesaṁ PTS: tesam, sandhi form, throughout. pahānā ajjhattam-eva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati,
and with the giving up of these the mind becomes internally Comm: ajjhattam-evā ti gocarajjhattasmiṁ yeva; internally means within the proper range. A monk’s proper range (gocara) is described elsewhere in terms of the four ways of attending to mindfulness. stable,

sannisīdati ekodi hoti Thai: ekodibhoti, alternative form, throughout. samādhiyati.
settles down, becomes one-pointed, and concentrated.

Evam-pi ChS: Evam here, but evampi hereafter. bhikkhave bhikkhu kāyagataṁ satiṁ ChS: kāyagatasatiṁ, compound form, throughout in this position. bhāveti.
Like this, monks, does a monk develop mindfulness related to the body. Comm: kāyagatāsatin-ti kāyapariggāhikam-pi kāyārammaṇam-pi satiṁ. Kāyapariggāhikan-ti vutte samatho kathito hoti, kāyārammaṇan-ti vutte vipassanā; mindfulness related to the body means mindfulness that takes hold of the body and that which takes the body as sense object. When mindfulness that grasps the body is said calm is spoken of, when taking the body as sense object (is said) insight is spoken of.

last updated: November 2008