Assāsa and passāsa have the mundane meanings of inhaling and exhaling. However, the deeper meanings in the context of Ānāpānasati Bhāvanā are about purifying a mind by learning the true nature (assa or “take in” and become jānato) and fully comprehending it (passa or “seeing with wisdom” and become passato).
June 8, 2022; rewritten March 9, 2025
Words With Multiple Meanings
1. In any language, words have multiple meanings depending on the context.
- For example, in the English language, “interest” has very different meanings in the following two sentences: “We are paying a high interest on the loan” and “She has no interest in him.”
- In the same way, the Pāli words assāsa and passāsa can mean very different things depending on the context.
Mundane Meanings of Assāsa Passāsa
2. The “Anupubbanirodha Sutta (AN 9.31)” states: “catutthaṁ jhānaṁ samāpannassa assāsapassāsā niruddhā honti.”
- Here, assāsa and passāsa again refer to the breath. That verse says: “Breathing ceases in the fourth jhāna samāpatti.“
- Two more suttās with the ordinary meanings for assāsa and passāsa: “Sappa Sutta (SN 4.6)” (“The sound of its breathing” or “evamassa assāsapassāsānaṁ saddo hoti“) and “Mahāsaccaka Sutta (MN 36).”
- Now let us look at some suttās with the deeper meanings of assāsa and passāsa.
Deeper Meanings – Assāsa
3. Two suttās clearly illustrate the deeper meaning of “assāsa.” The following is my translation of “Assāsappatta Sutta (SN 38.5)” First, note that “patto” means “to get to a certain state.” Here, “assāsappatto” means “someone who has got to assāsa or “relief from suffering” or, in the context of this sutta, “someone who started taking in lokuttara morals.” Thus, anyone above the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage is an “assāsappatto.“
Question: “Venerable Sariputta, who is an assāsappatto?
Venerable Sariputta replied: When a Bhikkhu understands the true nature of the origin and ending (samudayañca atthaṅgamañca) of the six āyatana (phassa āyatana) and their gratification, drawback, and escape (assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca), they have gained relief and become a Noble Person.”
The Pali verse: “Yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ettāvatā kho, āvuso, assāsappatto hotī”ti.
4. That verse appears simple. But it has profound implications.
- It says the six phassa āyatana (cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivha, kāya, mana) can be stopped from arising. Here, phassa means “samphassa” emphasizing that sense faculties become āyatana via samphassa (“san phassa” or “defiled contact”). When that process starts, one’s mind begins to reap the benefits (assāsa). It is a process taking place over four stages of Sotapanna, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, and culminating in the Arahanthood.
- @marker 1.4 the questioner asks Ven. Sariputta, what path (maggo) and what action plan (paṭipadā) can be used to understand how to do that (sacchikiriyā): “Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etassa assāsassa sacchikiriyāyā” ti?”
- @marker 1.7 Venerable Sariputta replies that it is the Noble Eightfold Path: “Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo etassa assāsassa sacchikiriyāya,.”
Assāsappatto – A Noble Person
5. In the “Nakulapitu Sutta (AN 6.16)” the Buddha tells Nakulapitu Gahapati that his wife is an “assāsappattā” (a Noble Person) whose advice he should take: “Yāvatā kho, gahapati, mama sāvikā gihī odātavasanā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ogādhappattā patigādhappattā assāsappattā..”
- At the beginning of the “Kaḷāra Sutta (SN 12.32),” bhikkhu kaḷārakhattiyo asks Ven. Sariputta: “Tena hāyasmā sāriputto imasmiṁ dhammavinaye assāsaṁ patto”ti?
- That means, “Has Ven. Sāriputta found solace/relief in this teaching and training?”
- Venerable Sariputta explains how one can attain Nibbāna. It is a good idea to read through the sutta where Ven. Sariputta explains many concepts.
Parama Assāsa – Assāsa Is Complete (Passāsa)
6. In the “Paramassāsappatta Sutta (SN 38.6)” someone askes Ven. Sariputta what is meant by “paramassāsappatto“: “‘Paramassāsappatto, paramassāsappatto’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, paramassāsappatto hotī”ti?”
- Venerable Sariputta replies, “A bhikkhu becomes completely freed by truly understanding the origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape from the six phassāyatana; at that point they’ve reached the full Nibbāna or Arahanthood (paramassāsappatto.)” : “Yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti, ettāvatā kho, āvuso, paramassāsappatto hotī”ti.
- “Parama” means “ultimate.” Reaping the benefits (assāsa) culminates in paramassāsappatto (parama assāsa patto). Here, “anupādāvimutto” means “becomes free (vimutto) by stopping the rebirth process (anupāda or “na upapāda”) .”
- That happens at the Arahant stage when the sense faculties stopped being phassa āyatana and revert to their undefiled, pure states of indriya or “pure sense faculties.” An Arahant can see, hear, etc., but they will not use those sense faculties to pursue worldly pleasures.
- At the Arahant-phala moment, breaking of all ten sansāric bonds (saṁyojana) is complete. They become free of “the world of 31 realms” and have attained Nibbāna (āloka.)
Arahaṁ Assā – Attaining Arahanthood
7. As we saw in #5 above, anyone above the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage is an “assāsappatto,” and Arahant is a paramassāsappatto.
- On the other hand, “arahaṁ assā” means “received/gained the Arahant phala,” where “assā” is equivalent to “receive.”
- This is in a short sutta, “Dukkara Sutta (SN 39.16),” where the question is: “Kīvaciraṁ panāvuso, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno bhikkhu arahaṁ assā” ti?” OR ” If a bhikkhu practices in line with the teaching, will it take them long to receive the Arahanthood?” The word “assā” as well as “assāsa” can have different meanings depending on the context.
- Note that an earlier verse, “Pabbajitena kho, āvuso, abhirati dukkarā” ti.” is mistranslated in the Sutta Central translation as “When you’ve gone forth it’s hard to be satisfied.” The correct translation is, “When you’ve gone forth, you see craving for sensual attractions (abhirati) as (the cause of) suffering (dukkarā).”
Sīha Sutta (AN 8.12)
8. In the “Sīha Sutta (AN 8.12),” the Buddha explains to General Sīha, “Katamo ca, sīha, pariyāyo, yena maṁ pariyāyena sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘assāsako samaṇo gotamo, assāsāya dhammaṁ deseti, tena ca sāvake vinetī’ti?“
- My Translation: “In which way (Katamo ca, sīha, pariyāyo yena maṁ pariyāyena) do I explain Dhamma (sammā vadamāno vadeyya) to my disciples/bhikkhus to train them (sāvake vinetī)? How do I teach them so that their minds become calm and they can reap the benefits that they can experience (assāsāya dhammaṁ deseti)?
@marker 24.3 (next verse), the Buddha provides the answer: “Ahañhi, sīha, assāsako paramena assāsena, assāsāya dhammaṁ desemi, tena ca sāvake vinemi”
- My Translation: “Sīha, I teach the parama assāsa dhamma (Four Noble Truths) and guide my disciples in that way.”
- We can clarify this with the explanation in #6 above.
- In the Sutta Central translation, that verse is incorrectly translated as, “I’m ambitious to offer solace, the highest solace, I teach solace, and I guide my disciples in that way.”
Kesamutti Sutta (same as “Kalāma Sutta“)
9. In the “Kesamutti Sutta (AN 3.65),” the Buddha explains to the Kālāmās that he teaches mettā, karuṇā, muditā, and upekkhā, four ways of “cultivating relief,” leading to “Tassa diṭṭheva dhamme cattāro assāsā adhigatā honti” (@ marker 43.2) meaning: “they comprehend (adhigata) four types of assāsā (“reaping the benfits”) in the present life itself (diṭṭheva dhamme).” The four types are:
- If (as the Buddha teaches) there is life after death, and good and bad deeds will bring their results, then—when the body breaks up, after death—I’ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
- If it turns out that there is no life after death, and good and bad deeds don’t bring their results, that would not matter. I’ll keep myself untroubled and happy in this life free of enmity and ill will.
- If (as the Buddha teaches) bad things happen to people who do bad things, then since I have no bad intentions, and am not doing anything bad, how can suffering touch me?
- If it turns out that bad things don’t happen to people who do bad things, that would not matter. I will still be safe.
- The point is that anyone cultivating mettā, karuṇā, muditā, and upekkhā will reap the benefits regardless of whether there is a rebirth process or not. The same is true regardless of whether kamma will have their vipaka in the future.
- There are many suttās where the word “assa” indicates “receiving or benefiting depending on the context.” For example, in the “Samādhi Sutta (AN 10.6),” receiving/cultivating a specific type of saññā.
Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118) – Assa Sati and Passa Sati
10. Now, let us look at the “Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118)” briefly to see the usage of the words assāsa and passāsa.
- Those words are first used in the “Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118)” @marker 17.2: “So satova assasati satova passasati.“
- Note that the words “assa” and “passa” combined with “sati.” Here, “sati” does not just mean to “fix the attention” but “Sammā Sati” that comes with the comprehension of the Four Noble Truths.
- That verse means: “He contemplates what to take in (what is to be understood), and to “see it with wisdom” or verify”
- Thus, the correct/deeper version of the Ānāpānasati Bhāvanā leads to the Sotapanna stage by cultivating Sammā Sati.
- We will discuss that in the next post.
11. The third verse below that @marker 18.3: “sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati,’‘sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.” Here, “sikkhati” means “train (to remove defilements).”
- The phrase “assasissāmī’ti sikkhati” becomes apparent when written, “assa sissāmī’ti sikkhati” That means, “He trains by taking in what will be good for that training (purifying the mind).”
- In the same way, “passasissāmī’ti sikkhati” means “He trains by fully comprehending what is taken in.”
Sabbe Saṅkhārā Anassāsikā
12. Anassāsikā comes from na + assāsikā. Thus, “anassāsikā” means it should not be taken in, associated with, or cultivated because it can only be detrimental.
- The verse, “evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā” means, “Bhikkhus, you should not cultivate saṅkhārā.” There are several suttas with that verse. See, for example, “Vepullapabbata Sutta (SN 15.20).” Some others are SN 22.96, AN 7.66, MN 76, MN 112, and DN 17.
- It is easy to see why. Paṭicca Samuppāda starts with, “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” and ends with “bhava paccayā jāti, jāti paccayā jarā, marana, soka-paridēva-dukkha-dōmanassupāyasā sambhavan’ti” OR to the “whole mass of suffering.”
- Of course, “saṅkhāra” are many types that can bring vipāka to varying degrees. Apuñña abhisaṅkhāra (or apuññābhisaṅkhāra) can lead to birth in the apāyās. Puñña abhisaṅkhāra (or pññābhisaṅkhāra) leads to “good births” but still extends the rebirth process where future rebirths in the apāyās are still possible. All saṅkhāra generation (pññābhisaṅkhāra and apuññābhisaṅkhāra) stops when attaining the Arahant stage.
Ariṭṭha Sutta (SN 54.6) – Both Meanings
13. In #2 above we discussed the mundane meanings of assāsa and passāsa. In the rest of the discussion, we looked at the deeper meanings (all interrelated). There is one sutta where the Buddha mentioned both meanings.
- The incorrect version of Ānāpānassati was there even before the Buddha. In the “Ariṭṭha Sutta (SN 54.06)“, Bhikkhu Ariṭṭha told the Buddha that he practices Ānāpānassati as follows: “So satova assasissāmi, satova passasissāmi.“
- In the above verse, Bhikkhu Ariṭṭha meant, “I breathe in mindfully, breathe out mindfully.” There is no “sikkhati” in this verse. Inhaling and exhaling do not lead to training on the Noble Path, i.e., removal of defilements from the mind.” Furthermore, there is no role for “Sammā Sati” via “So satova assasati satova passasati” as in Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118); see #8 above.
14. The Buddha told him the following. “..Atthesā, ariṭṭha, ānāpānassati, nesā natthī’ti vadāmi. Api ca, ariṭṭha, yathā ānāpānassati vitthārena paripuṇṇā hoti taṃ suṇāhi, sādhukaṃ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
- Translated: “..There is that ānāpānassati, Ariṭṭha. I don’t say that there isn’t. But I will describe the real (yathā) ānāpānassati in detail, listen and pay close attention. I will speak.”
- Then the Buddha explains with the same verses from the Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118): “So satova assasati, satova passasati. Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti …pe… ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati. Evaṁ kho, ariṭṭha, ānāpānassati vitthārena paripuṇṇā hotī”ti.”
- Of course, this explanation is the uddesa version. In an upcoming post, we will discuss that in the niddesa form (with more details).
Assāsa Passāsa Similar to “Jānato Passato”
15. In the post “Jānato Passato” and Ājāniya – Critical Words to Remember” we discussed “jānato passato.“
- The two phrases convey very similar meanings.
Summary
16. Assāsa and passāsa can have different meanings depending on the context.
- The mundane meaning is “breathing in” and “breathing out.” Nowadays, most translators use that mundane meaning everywhere, thus, erroneously describing the “Ānāpānassati Bhāvanā” as “Breathing meditation.”
- The deeper meanings can come in different “flavors” but have the same basic concept discussed above.
- “Assāsa passāsa” is similar to “jānato passato” but there could be subtle differences. I am not certain about that yet.
