[Abhayamudra]

A friend referred me to this site and I’ve been enjoying reading some of the posts.

I’m reading the Anapanasati Sutta currently, along with some commentaries, and I’m wondering how the proposed revised translation of anapana (as cultivating the skillful and discarding the unskillful) affects the 3rd and 4th bases: experiencing the whole bodily formation and calming the bodily formation respectively.

If I’m missing a post that deals with this, I’ll be happy to directed. I would also welcome any explanation or conversation on this, as well as how one is mindful of rapture, bliss, mental formations, etc in this context.

[Lal]

Hello Abhayamudra,

You asked: “I’m wondering how the proposed revised translation of anapana (as cultivating the skillful and discarding the unskillful) affects the 3rd and 4th bases: experiencing the whole bodily formation and calming the bodily formation respectively.”

It is difficult to answer unless we understand what you mean by “bodily formations”.

What do you mean by the highlighted part?
– What do you refer to as “bodily formations”?

[cubibobi]

Abhayamudra,

You mentioned the 3rd and 4th bases, so I assume you meant the following section:

Sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī ti sikkhati,
sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī ti sikkhati;
passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī ti sikkhati,
passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī ti sikkhati.

The part about “whole bodily formation and calming the bodily formation” is probably about the last 2 verses with the word “passambhayaṁ”.

There’s a forum about key Pali words that addresses the word “passambhayaṁ”:

Passambhayam

[Lal]

Thanks, Lang (cubibobi) for providing that link!

Yes. It provides the basic idea.
– We may not even realize it. But engaging in “kaya sankhara” (especially immoral ones) brings stress to the mind.
– When cultivating jhana, that stress is removed/suppressed (Ariya/anariya jhana).
– Both the mind (and thus the body) become light due to the “calming effect.”
– While that can happen with just calming the mind by focusing on the breath, such a relief (or even jhana) are not permanent. One who cultivates such anariya jhana could lose that ability even during this lifetime.

If Abhayamudra or anyone else has questions, please feel free to ask.

[Abhayamudra]

Lal and cubibobi, thank you both for your considered responses, which get to the heart of my question.

If I understand, then, what the third and fourth bases of anapanasati refer to by kāyasaṅkhāraṁ is neither “the body of the breath (as experienced at the tip of the nose)” nor “the breath as it occurs within the whole body (of the meditator)” – but rather to sankhara (as used in the Abhidhamma) of the body? As we progress through stages of anapanasati compounded ideas of the physical body are tranquilised?

– We may not even realize it. But engaging in “kaya sankhara” (especially immoral ones) brings stress to the mind. – This seems like sila more than samadhi to me. Any further explanation that might help me to clarify my view is appreciated.

[Lal]

Hello Abhayamudra,

It is also explained in the post, “Prerequisites for the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvanā“

[Author]

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