The Buddha teaches how mindfulness of breathing is developed through sixteen steps—from knowing long and short breaths through experiencing the whole body, stilling bodily and mental processes, gladdening and liberating the mind, to contemplating impermanence, fading away, cessation, and letting go—regarding about mahākappina.

SN 54.7 About Mahākappina

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākappino bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahākappinaṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etassa bhikkhuno kāyassa iñjitattaṁ phanditattaṁ vā”ti?

“Yadāpi mayaṁ, bhante, taṁ āyasmantaṁ passāma saṅghamajjhe nisinnaṁ ekaṁ raho nisinnaṁ, tadāpi mayaṁ tassa āyasmato na passāma kāyassa iñjitattaṁ phanditattaṁ vā”ti.

“Yassa, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, tassa so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samādhissa nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī. Katamassa ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

Ānāpānassatisamādhissa, bhikkhave, bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā. Kathaṁ bhāvite ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi kathaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato rukkhamūlagato suññāgāragato nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. So satova assasati, satova passasati …pe… ‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

Evaṁ bhāvite ca kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi evaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā”ti.

Sattamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākappino bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

Now at that time Venerable Mahākappina was sitting not far from the Buddha, cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness brought to the present.

Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahākappinaṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

The Buddha saw him,

Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:

and addressed the mendicants:

“Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etassa bhikkhuno kāyassa iñjitattaṁ phanditattaṁ vā”ti?

“Mendicants, do you see any disturbance or trembling in that mendicant’s body?”

“Yadāpi mayaṁ, bhante, taṁ āyasmantaṁ passāma saṅghamajjhe nisinnaṁ ekaṁ raho nisinnaṁ, tadāpi mayaṁ tassa āyasmato na passāma kāyassa iñjitattaṁ phanditattaṁ vā”ti.

“Sir, whenever we see that mendicant meditating—whether in the middle of the Saṅgha or alone in private—we never see any disturbance or trembling in his body.”

“Yassa, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, tassa so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samādhissa nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī.

“Mendicants, when an immersion has been developed and cultivated there’s no disturbance or trembling of the body or mind. That mendicant gets such immersion when he wants, without trouble or difficulty.

Katamassa ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

And what is that immersion?

Ānāpānassatisamādhissa, bhikkhave, bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā.

When immersion due to mindfulness of breathing has been developed and cultivated there’s no disturbance or trembling of the body or mind.

Kathaṁ bhāvite ca, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi kathaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā?

And how is immersion due to mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated in such a way?

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

It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present.

So satova assasati, satova passasati …pe…

Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. …

‘paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’

Evaṁ bhāvite ca kho, bhikkhave, ānāpānassatisamādhimhi evaṁ bahulīkate neva kāyassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā, na cittassa iñjitattaṁ hoti phanditattaṁ vā”ti.

That’s how immersion due to mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated so that there’s no disturbance or trembling of the body or mind.”

Sattamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Collectedness

Collectedness

A mental quality of composure where awareness is gathered, steady, rather than scattered or tense. In such collectedness, supported by mindfulness and right view, experience is clearly known and can be wisely contemplated.

Also known as: mental composure, stability of mind, stillness of mind, concentration, undistracted awareness
Pāli: samādhi, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Perturbation

Perturbation

The shaking or agitation of the mind caused by defilements. It is the loss of stillness when the mind is stirred by gain or loss, praise or blame, pleasure or pain.

Also known as: agitation, disturbance, excitement, being stirred up, lit. shaking
Pāli: kopa, uddhacca, āvila, paritassati
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Last updated on July 27, 2026