Biography
Biography: Sumedh Thero
Abstract
The Buddha said also the bhikkhu sits down, having crossed his legs, set his body straight. It refers to the posture most suitable for. Although can and should be practised in every bodily posture, sitting is usually the best posture for developing deep concentration. And in sitting, one must keep one's body naturally straight: not too straight and stiff, and not too relaxed. A straight and comfortable sitting posture allows one to sit for a long time without developing tension or tiredness in the body. The Buddha said also the bhikkhu has established mindfulness before him. This means he has mindfulness established upon the breath in front: at the nostrils (nÄsÄpuña) or at the upper lip (uttar. He ever mindfully breathes in, ever mindfully breathes out. This is, mindfulness of breathing: being mindful of the breath. To be mindful of the breath is to pay attention to the breath as it goes in and out at the nostrils or at the upper lip. When breathing in, one knows one is breathing in; when breathing
out, one knows one is breathing out. That is how one breathes in mindfully, and breathes out mindfully. Whenever one's mind wanders, one brings it calmly it back to the breath. One does not get upset when one's mind wanders. And if one has trouble keeping one's mind on the breath, one counts the breaths:
1) On one in&out breath, one counts `one'.
2) On the next in&out breath, one counts `two'.
3) On the next in&out breath, one counts `three'.
4) And so on, up to eight.
One counts the breaths until one's mind settles down calmly with the breath. Then one stops counting and is just mindful of the breath. After this introductory explanation, The Buddha continues with four sets of four explanations.