Anapana Sati Yoga
The Kind Look
Anapana Sati Yoga, the meditation through breathing, was the first method of meditation expounded by the Buddha in his speech about the foundation of attention. Buddha gave special emphasis to this meditation because, according to him, it is the gateway to awakening. It is said that as he sat at the foot of the Bodhi Tree and resolved not to get up until he attained enlightenment, he took Anapana Sati Yoga as the object of his meditation.
It involves developing a sense of loving-kindness towards your own breathing. This look is one that embraces, accepts, and feels warmth and gratitude. Usually, we not appreciate what happens all the time and take it for granted. We just let the breath go in and out without really giving it any thought.
If you contemplate your breath with this kind of attitude, an attitude of love, kindness and warmth, you will find it easier to observe. It is easier to keep track of it because you do not take for granted something you care about; something that takes up your attention leaves a deep impression on your perception. In addition, the loving kindness meditation will always be joyful once it starts, so it also brings joy to your mind in regard to breathing. Hence, when you do this type of meditation, you are not just watching your breathing, you are watching your breathing with love, with kindness; thanking the breath, caring for the breath, loving the breath for taking care of you as if it were a good, close friend.
As you inhale, you only breathe with this feeling of warmth and embrace the breath from beginning to end. When the breath goes out, you look at it, you watch it with the same feeling of kindness and care, and embrace it, and you see that the breath is not only more visible to your mind, but also more enjoyable to watch. If the object of the mind contains an element of joy in itself, then the mind finds it easier to see. If the object you're trying to focus on is painful or disturbing, it is very difficult to see. If it is neutral, it is easy for the object disappear for lack of interest.
Not only is it an easy object to see, but also begins to promote an emotional state in the mind of great joy and power, much closer to emotional states than to a rational state of mind. It becomes a very powerful source of energy, a powerful source of joy. Once that happiness and joy are strong, then you come back to your breath and breathing becomes very easy to see. It is not only very clear, but the mind has energy. The mind has the necessary happiness to bring about a deep state of meditation.
