Cultivating mindfulness while breathing in and out yields great fruit and benefit. This sixteen-step practice guides a meditator from foundational breath awareness to calming bodily and mental constructs, ultimately culminating in the profound observation of impermanence and complete relinquishment.

SN 54.1  Ekadhamma sutta - One Thing

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

Tatra kho …pe… etadavoca:

There, the Blessed One said this:

“ekadhammo, bhikkhave, bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso. Katamo ekadhammo? Ānāpānassati.

“One thing, |bhikkhus,::::| when cultivated and frequently practiced, is of great fruit and great benefit. What is that one thing? Mindfulness while breathing in and out.

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassati kathaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā?

And how|, bhikkhus,::::| is |mindfulness while breathing in and out::mindfulness during inhalation and exhalation [ānāpānassati]| cultivated and frequently practiced so that it is of great fruit and great benefit?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato rukkhamūlagato suññāgāragato nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

Here, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body upright, establishing mindfulness as first priority.

So satova assasati, satova passasati.

Just mindful, he breathes in; just mindful, he breathes out.

Dīghaṁ assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; rassaṁ assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, rassaṁ passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

1.) Breathing in long, he |discerns::distinguishes, understands, knows clearly [pajānāti]|, ‘I am breathing in long’; breathing out long, he discerns, ‘I am breathing out long.’
2.) Breathing in short, he discerns, ‘I am breathing in short’; breathing out short, he discerns, ‘I am breathing out short.’
3.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |experience the whole body::be conscious of the whole body, be sensitive to the whole process [sabbakāyapaṭisaṃvedī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall experience the whole body.’
4.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |settle::calm, still [passambhayanta]| the |bodily constructs::bodily processes associated with breathing, specifically the in-and-out breath. It encompasses the physical movements and sensations that arise from the act of breathing. [kāyasaṅkhārā]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall settle the bodily constructs.’

‘Pītippaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṁ cittasaṅkhāraṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

5.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |experience joy::heartfelt or intense joy, feeling of love, rapture lit. lovely feeling [pītipaṭisaṃvedī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall experience joy.’
6.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |experience ease::contentment, happiness, pleasant abiding [sukhapaṭisaṃvedī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall experience ease.’
7.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |experience mental activity::observe thought formation, be sensitive to the mental processes; (comm) conscious of feeling and perception [cittasaṅkhārapaṭisaṃvedī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall experience mental activity.’
8.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall settle the mental activity;’ he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall settle the mental activity.’

‘Cittappaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘abhippamodayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘samādahaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘samādahaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘vimocayaṁ cittaṁ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘aniccānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

9.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |experience the mind::be conscious of the psyche, be sensitive to the mind [cittapaṭisaṃvedī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall experience the mind.’
10.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall gladden the mind;’ he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall gladden the mind.’
11.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |stabilize::compose, collect [samādaha]| the mind’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall stabilize the mind.’
12.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |disengage::detach, release [vimocayanta]| the mind’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall disengage the mind.’

‘Aniccānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘virāgānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘virāgānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘nirodhānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘nirodhānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

13.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |observe impermanence::watching instability [aniccānupassī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall observe impermanence.’
14.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |observe fading of desire::watch dispassion [virāgānupassī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall observe fading of desire.’
15.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |observe cessation::watch the natural ending of phenomena [nirodhānupassī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall observe cessation.’
16.) He trains thus, ‘While breathing in, I shall |observe relinquishment::watch letting go of craving, attachment, identification with processes [paṭinissaggānupassī]|’; he trains thus, ‘While breathing out, I shall observe relinquishment.’

Evaṁ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassati evaṁ bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā”ti.

Mindfulness while breathing in and out, |bhikkhus,::::| when cultivated and frequently practiced in this way, is of great fruit and great benefit.”

Topics & Qualities:

Mindfulness of Breath

Mindfulness of Breath

Mindfulness while breathing in and out is a practical application of right mindfulness, the seventh factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. This topic encompasses both the step-by-step training process and the resulting state of collectedness, where awareness becomes gathered and steady. It illustrates how this practice fosters deep tranquility, clarity, and the release of the mind from unwholesome qualities.

Also known as: mindfulness while breathing in and out
Pāli: ānāpāna, ānāpānassati, ānāpānassatisamādhi
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Recognition of impermanence

Recognition of impermanence

Perceiving all conditioned things as unstable and transient. This recognition weakens attachment by revealing the continual arising and ceasing of phenomena, turning the mind toward wisdom and release.

Also known as: perception of impermanence, perception of instability, realization of transience
Pāli: aniccasaññā
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Last updated on May 4, 2026