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.

The Author

JANNA is the pen name of a certain monk who does not wish to use his real name. He is likely mature enough to understand that fame, wealth, and glory are as fleeting as morning mist.

In Pali, “JANNA” means purity, so it’s unclear which country he’s from. However, he seems to have studied the Nikaya scriptures.

Although he writes about Buddhism, he appears to desire unity with other religions to contribute to the cause of world peace. He attempts to demonstrate how differences can complement one another…