Explore Buddhism for Beginners Q&A 56–60 on gentle breathing,

BUDDHISM FOR BEGINNERS – Q&A: QUESTION 56 – 60

Question 56: MANY MEDITATION PRACTICES EMPHASIZE FOCUSING ON THE BREATH, ENCOURAGING PRACTITIONERS TO CONCENTRATE ON THEIR BREATHING. WHY IS IT NOW RECOMMENDED TO BREATHE SLOWLY, LITTLE, AND GENTLY?

Answer: The breath reflects the intensity of mental activity. When the mind is active, the breath becomes fast, strong, and frequent; when the mind is calm, the breath becomes slow, little, and gentle. By observing the breath, we can gauge the level of mental activity.

Conversely, if we regulate our breath effectively, it will influence the mind in return:

• When we are aware of the breath, mindfulness is enhanced.
• When we breathe slowly, little, and gently, mental activity will also calm down.
• When we are mindful of the breath but breathe too much and forceful, distracting thoughts may then arise.

During meditation, there may be times when the breath becomes stronger even if there are no apparent distracting thoughts. This indicates that latent mental impulses are still active. If these impulses are not addressed, distracting thoughts may suddenly emerge and lead the mind astray. The way to manage these underlying impulses is by maintaining awareness of the breath while skillfully keeping it slow, little, and gentle.

Question 57: WHY SHOULD WE CONSTANTLY REMIND OURSELVES THAT DEEP WITHIN OUR MIND THERE IS STILL IGNORANCE AND SINS?

Answer: This reminder is meant for practitioners who have attained a relatively firm state of inner tranquility.

When the mind reaches a state of tranquility, subtle thoughts of arrogance may unexpectedly arise with great force, strong enough to potentially lead the practitioner to hell in the future, undoing all the progress made in meditation. The self-reminder varies according to the state of the practitioners' mind:

• If the mind is firmly well-settled, occasionally remind ourselves: "Deep within this mind, there is still ignorance and faults."
• If the mind still occasionally loses mindfulness, sometimes calm but other times distracted by arising thoughts that lead it astray, we should remind ourselves: "This mind is still ordinary, with many hidden faults."
• If the mind lacks mindfulness and is easily disturbed by wandering thoughts, we should remind ourselves: "This mind is filled with deep-seated faults and heavy karmic burdens."

These self-reminders function like passwords for different states of mind, helping to unlock the door to meditation, enhance mindfulness, eliminate arrogance, and ensure long-term progress on the spiritual path. In the practice of meditation towards enlightenment, humility is of utmost importance.
Wise practitioners will choose the "password" that best matches the condition of their state of mind, which helps reduce faults and allow mindfulness to emerge.

Question 58: MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT A RESTLESS MIND BELONGS TO AN ORDINARY PERSON, SO WHEN THE MIND IS CALM, IT MUST BE THE MIND OF AN ENLIGHTENED SAINT. IS THAT CORRECT?

Answer: Let's use the analogy of a house to understand this concept more clearly:

• A person living in a mansion might have their home sometimes dirty, sometimes clean, but it is still a mansion. Similarly, someone who has attained a high level of meditation might sometimes be disturbed and sometimes be calm, yet they remain within their achieved level of meditation.
• A person living in a simple thatched house might find it dirty at times and clean at others, but it is still just a simple thatched house. Likewise, an ordinary person, whether their mind is distracted or tranquil, remains an ordinary person, nothing more.
• A person living in a dilapidated shack may keep it clean and tidy, but it is still a rundown dwelling. Similarly, a mind burdened by deep-seated faults and negative past karma remains afflicted by those karmic obstacles, even if it occasionally experiences moments of stillness.

Understanding this analogy helps us remember that we are still ordinary beings with many hidden faults, even when our minds occasionally become tranquil. We must not secretly declare ourselves enlightened, as this could lead to future downfall.

Similarly, the state of mindfulness differs depending on each person’s level of spiritual attainment. Sometimes, we experience mindfulness at an ordinary level that cannot be compared to the profound mindfulness of highly Enlightened Beings. The safest approach is to always see oneself as still humble, ordinary, sinful and burdened by heavy karma.

Question 59: ACCORDING TO THE MEDITATION PRACTICE SEQUENCE, AFTER A LONG PERIOD IN THE STAGE OF RIGHT ENDEAVOUR, MINDFULNESS EMERGES, AND THE PRACTITIONER ENTERS THE STAGE OF RIGHT MINDFULNESS, BUT IT IS NOT YET RIGHT ECSTASY. HOW CAN THIS BE EXPLAINED FURTHER?

Answer: Each stage of inner cultivation is an arduous process and not easy to accomplish.
For example, transforming an unwholesome mind into one mixed with good intentions is extremely challenging because those with malevolent tendencies are often reluctant to give them up. Therefore, helping these people transform their minds is incredibly difficult. And if they fail to change, they may end up in hell after death.

Similarly, for someone whose mind is a mix of good and bad intentions, how long does it take for them to achieve a purely wholesome mind with perfect morality?

A person whose mind is filled with distracting thoughts must practice the correct method during the stage of Right Endeavour to develop mindfulness that controls the mind's disturbances. Achieving this takes a lot of time and effort.

Even when mindfulness becomes more frequent, the mind may still fluctuate between calm and unrest. The practitioner must continue his practice until mindfulness becomes stronger and more consistent, enabling continuous control over the mind. Although this stage of Right Mindfulness is more relaxed and comfortable, it still requires diligent practice.

Even with deep mindfulness, it doesn’t mean that one immediately enters the Right Ecstasy. The journey from having strong mindfulness, where the mind is still somewhat fluctuating, to achieving the Right Ecstasy is not a short one. This is why the Buddha considered Right Mindfulness to be a crucial component of the Noble Eightfold Path.

When the practitioner enters the First Jhana (the first level of Right Ecstasy), it is already an achievement. The mind naturally settles in meditation and the practitioner no longer needs to exert effort. From here, depending on the accumulated merit of the practitioner, the depth of concentration in meditation will gradually increase until it is fully perfected, as long as no actions are taken that might diminish merit along the way.

Question 60: CAN YOU PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE LIFE OF SAKIYA MUNI BUDDHA?

Answer:

GAUTAMA BUDDHA (SAKIYA MUNI)
Gautama Buddha, also known as Sakiya Muni, was born on the full moon day of April in 624 BCE when His mother, Queen Maya, was passing through the Lumbini Garden on her way from the capital Kapilavastu to Devadaha.

He was a prince named Siddhartha, the son of King Suddhodana, belonging to the Gotama clan, in the Kingdom of Sakiya.

From a young age, He displayed extraordinary wisdom and boundless compassion. He excelled in both literature and martial arts and had vast knowledge in various fields, philosophies and doctrines. However, He was deeply concerned with finding the ultimate enlightenment and liberation for all beings.

To keep Siddhartha tied to worldly life, His father, the king, arranged for Him to marry Princess Yasodhara (Baddhakaccānā) when He was 16 years old. However, at the age of 29, just after the birth of His son Rahula, Siddhartha secretly left the palace and renounced worldly life on the 8th day of the second lunar month.

To keep Siddhartha tied to worldly life, His father, the king, arranged for Him to marry Princess Yasodhara (Baddhakaccānā) when He was 16 years old. However, at the age of 29, just after the birth of His son Rahula, Siddhartha secretly left the palace and renounced worldly life on the 8th day of the second lunar month.

For six years, He sought out teachers and practiced extreme asceticism, but he did not find success. He then chose the path of meditation. After 49 days and nights of sitting motionless under the Assatha (Bodhi) tree in Gaya, in the village of Uruvela, He attained Buddhahood, with the full achievement of the Threefold Knowledge. He was 35 years old at the time.

From then on, He travelled to many places to teach the profound path of enlightenment and liberation to both humans and Celestial Beings. Many kings, ministers, Brahmin priests, merchants, and even the lowest castes became His lay followers or monastic disciples. Many of his disciples also attained extraordinary enlightenment.

On the full moon day of the 12th lunar month in 544 BCE, at the age of 80, he entered Nirvana. After his cremation, many relics were left behind and enshrined in stupas, some of which still exist today.
His saintly disciples compiled his teachings into the Three Baskets of Scriptures (Tripitaka), preserving them for posterity.

Today, after much suffering, grief, wars, and violence, the United Nations has recognized Buddhism as a religion of peace and designated the Buddha's birthday as an international day of religions and culture. The United Nations officially celebrated the Buddha’s birthday, known as Vesak, in a grand ceremony at its headquarters in the year 2000. Many prominent intellectuals around the world have also embraced Buddhism.

Written by:
Janna

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