....Now it is not necessary to follow the breath down to the abdomen, it is only necessary to rest one's attention up on the tip of the nose so that one's knows if breathing is in or out, One should naturally collect one's mental awareness together and be concious of the touching sensation of the breath. Initially, in developing this collected-awareness, counting maybe used as an aid: thus, breathing in 1, breathing out 1: breathing in 2, breathing out 2: 3-3: 4-4: 5-5. Then back to 1 again, thus, 1-1: 2-2: 3-3: 4-4: 5-5: 6-6. Back to 1 again, thus, 1-1: 2-2: to 7-7. Back to 1 again, thus, 1-1: 2-2: to 8-8. Back to 1 again, thus, 1-1: 2-2: to 9-9. Back to 1 again, thus, 1-1: 2-2: to 10-10. Then back to the beginning and thus 1-1 to 5-5, and 1-1 to 6-6 etc. Repeat this counting several times until the mind is resonably collected and the and the awareness is reasonably steady. After that it is not necessary to count in pairs: count singly 1,2,3,4,5: 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc. when the mind has become well-collected and the awareness is really even, one should stop counting and one can just be aware of the breath at the tip of nose or on the upper lip.
The counting method described above of the method taught by the teachers in the treatise of Visuddhi Magga (the path of Purity). Other way of counting maybe used, such as 1-1 up to 10-10 and then come back to 1-1 again. one may count beyond 10-10, if one wishes. However, the teachers recommend counting up to 10-10 only because they think that counting to a much higher number than ten would require too much contrived attention from the mind. So they recommand counting with a limit that does not require too much effort in counting. Another method recommanded by the teachers is to say to oneself "Bud" on breathing in, and "dho" on breathing out. Thus: Bud-dho, Bud-dho, etc. Dham-mo or Sangho maybe used in the same way. When the mind has become collected, one stop saying to oneself Bud-dho etc. and one is aware of the air touching the tip of the nose or the upper lip. Practise this until the mind remains collected for a long while. What I have told you today is only the first steps of the drill. Let those interested in mental wholeness and mental purity (as well as success in study and work) put them into practise.
May all beings be free from enmity.
May they be happy and free from fear.
The counting method described above of the method taught by the teachers in the treatise of Visuddhi Magga (the path of Purity). Other way of counting maybe used, such as 1-1 up to 10-10 and then come back to 1-1 again. one may count beyond 10-10, if one wishes. However, the teachers recommend counting up to 10-10 only because they think that counting to a much higher number than ten would require too much contrived attention from the mind. So they recommand counting with a limit that does not require too much effort in counting. Another method recommanded by the teachers is to say to oneself "Bud" on breathing in, and "dho" on breathing out. Thus: Bud-dho, Bud-dho, etc. Dham-mo or Sangho maybe used in the same way. When the mind has become collected, one stop saying to oneself Bud-dho etc. and one is aware of the air touching the tip of the nose or the upper lip. Practise this until the mind remains collected for a long while. What I have told you today is only the first steps of the drill. Let those interested in mental wholeness and mental purity (as well as success in study and work) put them into practise.
May all beings be free from enmity.
May they be happy and free from fear.
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