Anapanasati

General Theravada topics
1

Was Anapanasati practiced even before the arising of a Buddha or only during the Sasana of a Buddha?

I was wondering what meditation object King Mahasudassana used to attain the four jhanas.

Then King Mahāsudassana thought, ‘Of what deed of mine is this the fruit and result, that I am now so mighty and powerful?’

Then King Mahāsudassana thought, ‘It is the fruit and result of three kinds of deeds: giving, self-control, and restraint.’

Then he went to the great foyer, stood at the door, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment: Stop here, sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts—no further!’

Then he entered the great foyer and sat on the golden couch. Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, he entered and remained in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected were stilled, he entered and remained in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. And with the fading away of rapture, he entered and remained in the third absorption, where he meditated with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ With the giving up of pleasure and pain, and the ending of former happiness and sadness, he entered and remained in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

Then King Mahāsudassana left the great foyer and entered the golden chamber, where he sat on the golden couch. He meditated spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way he spread a heart full of love above, below, across, everywhere, all around, to everyone in the world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. He meditated spreading a heart full of compassion … He meditated spreading a heart full of rejoicing … He meditated spreading a heart full of equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, he spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.
Mahāsudassanasutta

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vism viii152.

He now said, “Here, bhikkhus,” etc., giving the meaning of that in detail. Herein, here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu means: bhikkhus, in this dispensation a
bhikkhu. For this word here signifies the [Buddha’s] dispensation as the prerequisite for a person to produce concentration through mindfulness of breathing in all its modes,39 and it denies that such a state exists in any other dispensation.
For this is said: “Bhikkhus, only here is there an ascetic, here a second ascetic, here a third ascetic, here a fourth ascetic; other dispensations are devoid of ascetics” (M I 63; A II 238).40 That is why it was said above “in this dispensation a bhikkhu.”

and the tika

  1. “The words ‘in all its aspects’ refer to the sixteen bases; for these are only found in total in this dispensation. When outsiders know mindfulness of breathing they only know the first four modes” (Vism-mhþ 257).
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3

Thank you for this. This makes sense now.

4

Breath meditation (but not Anapanasati) was practiced outside the Buddha’s Sasana. Some Upanishads, composed before the time of the Buddha, mention breath meditation techniques. The practices which avoid both the pursuit of sensual pleasure and self-mortification were powerful enough to lead to samādhi and the attainment of the jhānas. However, without the guidance of the Buddha, true insight and the complete eradication of defilements were not possible.

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5

I agree. I think that without knowledge of the Dhamma and Right View, anapanasati won’t lead to nibbana.

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