Anapanasati
Anapanasati is Pali, an ancient language in which invaluable meditation instructions were recorded. Anapana means “breath” (or “breathing”). Sati means “mindfulness”. Combining Anapana with Sati gives us “mindfulness of breathing”.
Mindfulness of Breathing is just one type of meditation. The Buddha was a meditation master and he taught at least 40 different types of meditation to his disciples. The Buddha was supposedly from India, where there are presently probably hundreds of other ways to meditate. I feel fortunate that I didn’t have to waste time starting with any other form of meditation.
You need to meditate on something. That something is called an object. In Anapanasati meditation you meditate on the breath (as an “object”).
The breath is a totally cool meditation object. It is always with us. No need to carry anything. It stills us and we know that we need it to survive. Most importantly, I’ve never seen anyone be able to play Capoeira without it.
Background
Anapanasati was introduced to me by Jin Kyeong Sunim, the abbess at Buddha Forest in Geochang, Korea. A monk or nun in Korea is known as a “sunim”. I met Jin Kyeong Sunim serendipitously at the information desk at SKT Tower in Euljiro, Seoul shortly after joining SK Telecom.
Those were happy days. I just graduated from the best business school on the planet and was recruited to join the exceptionally well-qualified team of business developers at one of Korea’s top conglomerates.
Having just finished a rejuvenating Capoeira workout in the Actium, I was feeling incredibly blissful. Verily, I was pondering how meditation could be more blissful just moments before my gaze fell upon this very short nun and her posse. I did not equivocate. I approached her unabashed and asked her if she could teach me how to meditate.
Looking back, the incident was quite bizarre. It is so improbable that a Jamaican Capoeirista working in Content Strategy for SK Telecom would run into an English speaking, Korean, Buddhist nun, that also happened to be a meditation teacher at an information desk in the basement of SKT’s headquarters. However, that incredible interaction would forever change my life and worldview.
Taxonomy
Anapanasati predates the Buddha. It is super ancient. The Buddha learned to meditate from Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta before figuring out how to put an end to suffering.
I learned to meditate from Theravadin monks and nuns. Consequently, I have learned to classify Anapanasati as a form of Samatha Meditation. Samatha (or “tranquility”) meditation is all about concentration.
In the Theravada strain of Buddhism there are primarily two groups of meditative practices. The first is Samatha. The second is Vipassana. Currently, there are many Vipassana retreats available all over Asia. Vipassana is vogue. People do 10-day Vipassana retreats without even knowing what Vipassana is for.
Vipassana is for developing wisdom. If you are smart enough to not need the calm and clear mind produced by advanced Anapanasati practice, Vipassana meditation will lead you to Nibbana. Nibbana is the most prized attainment in Buddhism. It is enlightenment and freedom from Samsara (or “the round of rebirths” which we have all been stuck in since time began thanks to Avijjā).
Samatha is for developing Samadhi (or “concentration”). Tranquility is a byproduct. In fact, all Anapanasati is, is concentrating on the breath so hard (ehem “serenely”) that your mind becomes unaware of anything else.
Mastering Anapanasati temporarily removes defilements [1] and eventually leads to equanimity or tranquility. A tranquil mind is more “penetrative”. Consequently, my teachers recommend mastering Anapanasati before even thinking about Vipassana.
Challenges
Meditation is hard. It’s like trying to find a needle in a large unlit football field. It is self-study and fantastic, but it is possible to hurt yourself in the quest for that darned needle. Even with a teacher and a good book, you can still hurt yourself.
Amazingly, I did just that in my last retreat by doing unwise things, like applying too much effort. So sad. It is a bad habit I picked up from being marginally successful in other endeavors. Don’t make my mistake. Being too strenuous is useless in Anapanasati.
Pushing yourself to the limit may bear fruit in the Capoeira world, but it is perilous in Anapanasati. Unfortunately, you can’t apply maximum rigor, unrelenting effort, and other conventional (brute force) techniques alone to steady your mind. Why? The mind is truly unruly.
The more you try to control your mind, the more it doesn’t want to be controlled. It’s a monster. At least mine is and I am no longer going to war with it. It might just break. Hopefully it hasn’t already.
After all the reading and preparation I did for my last 15-day retreat, much to my chagrin, I discovered that you really have to employ a lot of skill and use mandinga on your own mind to get it to concentrate on the breath. You must be subtle. If you know me, you will know subtlety is not my thing. So for me, Anapanasati is a nontrivial practice. It consumes the mustard seed of patience I reserve for the most trying situations.
As a matter of fact, meditation is so difficult that even the great meditation master, the Buddha himself, needed to find a teacher. Take comfort in that. I do.
Resources
A teacher is your greatest resource in this quest to fathom the breath. I recommend finding an exceptional teacher. I think Jin Kyeon Sunim is great. I recommend her if you are proficient in the Korean language. She’s prepared wonderful Korean-language materials and an excellent meditation program.
Although her English ability is in decline and she has become too busy because of her popularity and enormous responsibilities for my likes, she’s your best guide if you live in Korea even if you only speak English.
Should you be fortunate to be located in Thailand, Bhikkhu Revata will blow your mind. Lastly, if you want to venture to Burma, the Pa Auk Sayadaw, who wrote this Anapanasati guide, is legendary.
The second most important resource is a quiet and supportive environment to undertake the practice. Travel far if you have to. No sense wasting time if you decide you want to master Anapanasati. Go all the way and learn in the best environment for you.
Ethics
You don’t need to be a Buddhist to practice Anapanasati. However, you need to observe certain behaviors:
- Do not kill.
- Do not steal.
- Do not lie.
- Do not commit sexual offenses.
- Do not take intoxicants (like drugs and alcohol).
This list is known as the list of 5 “precepts”. If you go to a really serious mediation center, temple, or forest monastery, the abbot may require that you observe ten precepts. Fun!
I grew up in the church. So I’ve been trying to observe the first four precepts for decades. Being a businessman in South Korea, a student of Mestre Xango and having been a student of Mestre Chicote, I struggle with the no alcohol restriction. It is truly hard to abstain outside of the monastery or temple. Luckily, once I start the retreat I feel no desire to imbibe.
Should we be able to observe all five precepts, we have sila. Sila means “morality”. In Buddhist circles, sila is worthy of “merit”. Sila is a minimum requirement for successful meditation according to my teachers. If you are able to become a master of meditation without observing the precepts, please don’t contact me. I am certain that I don’t want to know you. (smile)
[1] In particular, the five hinderances of sense cravings (sensual desire), aversion (ill-will), sloth (torpor), remorse (restlessness), and doubt (anxiety).
Professor Zumbi is a certified Capoeira teacher. He received his teaching qualification in the presence of great Capoeira masters like Mestre Suassuna and Mestre Acordeon. Zumbi organizes Capoeira Retreats that conclude with an introduction to Anapanasati at a highly acclaimed meditation center.
Professor Zumbi is not a meditation teacher and this is not a meditation guide. Zumbi’s meditation articles are written to share thoughts and personal experiences. Please find a qualified teacher if you want to undertake Anapanasati. Follow your teacher and forget everything you’ve read here.
