TIER 2 Mindfulness of Breathing

"The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, when developed & pursued, bring clear knowing & release to their culmination." MN118 the Buddha 

In this lesson your focus is on bringing unity to the structure of your attention by refining your skill in letting go of control and cultivating the first Six Enlightenment Factors. This is done by monitoring and adjusting the Enlightenment Factors while developing stable attention on your meditation object. 

During TIER 2 of Mindfulness of Breathing the structure, quality and balance of your attention is more important than your meditation object. 

This means that while the centre of your attention rests on your meditation object, your peripheral awareness observes and adjusts the structure of attention itself. 

Instructions

• Read instructions: TIER 2 Mindfulness of Breathing (separate page).

Meditation

• Meditation Skill 14: Cultivate Skill in Joy & Tranquility
• Addition 1: Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity
• Addition 2: Bring the Joy of Abandoning Into Your Mind
• Addition 3: Access the Pleasure of Abandoning in Breathing
• Addition 4: Access Meditative Joy by Calming Effort
• Addition 5: Establish Joy & Tranquility in Attention

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The purpose of Addition 1 to your mindfulness of breathing is twofold:

1. To develop skill in establishing mindfulness and curiosity by softening and letting go of effort within your body.
2. To train your ability to be able to perceive the subtle pleasure of that letting go.

POSTURE OF ATTENTION

1. Mindfulness as a stream on remembering.
2. Curiosity as desire to understand.
3. Effort as balance in energy and structure of attention.
4. Softening as an inclination towards letting go.

• Create your meditation posture
• (Markers 1-3 replaced by Addition 1).

• Addition 1: Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity.

• MARKER 4: Awareness Grounded Within Body.
• MARKER 5: Natural Flow of your Breathing.
• MARKER 6: Knowing In & Out Breaths.
• MARKER 7: Knowing the Length of Each Breath.
• MARKER 8: Knowing Sensation Within Each Breath.
• MARKER 9: Knowing One Point of Breath Sensation.

Read the meditation instructions below, they have been laid out in a simple step by step process. Once familiar, begin your meditation the following below instructions.

• Read Instructions: MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS: Addition 1.

 Your meditation is based on the structure your learnt in TIER 1 Mindfulness of Breathing.

1. Create Your Physical & Mental Posture.
2. *Addition 1: Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity.
3. Gently Soften into Sensations Within Your Body (Marker 4).
4. Experience the Natural Flow of Your Breathing (Marker 5).
5. Know if the Breath is Coming in or Going Out (Marker 6).
6. Know the Full length of Each Breath (Marker 7).
7. Be Aware of Sensations Within Each Breath (Marker 8).
8. Stable Attention on One Point of Breath Sensation (Marker 9)

(5 minutes)

INSERT ADDITION 1 AS ABOVE

Begin your meditation with eyes open and allow your eyes to engage with the room around you, then soften that seeing. Allow your eyelids to relax, to become heavy, feeling the pleasure of it. 

Allow this relaxation to flow down through your face, your chest, arms and legs. Tune into the subtle pleasure of this relaxation, of letting go of effort within your body. 

How nice it feels.

Now that you are familiar with the meditation instructions it is time to begin your daily meditation in order to start training your skill in cultivating meditative joy.

1. It is important meditate daily and to commit to your set time.
2. Remember there is no such thing as a bad meditation, just an opportunity to learn and develop insight. When your mind is all over the place and your attention has collapsed, take this as an opportunity to observe anatta: the autonomous nature of your attention.
3. Keep meditating daily until you fulfill the below progression criteria.

You are ready to progress to Addition 2 when you can establish mindfulness, curiosity and the joy as the subtle pleasure of abandoning as a posture of meditative attention by softening awareness into your body.

1. Become familiar with the Meditation Summary (this section).
2. Read the meditation instructions below.
3. Practice daily mindfulness of breathing following Experiential Markers 1-9.
4. Read instructions for the below Addition and add it to your daily mindfulness of breathing between Experiential Marker 4 and Experiential Marker 5.
5. Learn to meditate without guidance to help you develop skill and insight.

The purpose of Addition 2 to your mindfulness of breathing is to establish the Enlightenment Factor of meditative joy as a quality of your posture of attention.

POSTURE OF ATTENTION

1. Mindfulness as a stream on remembering.
2. Curiosity as desire to understand.
3. Effort as balance in energy and structure of attention.
4. Softening as an inclination towards letting go.
5. Joy as the subtle pleasure of letting go.

• Create your meditation posture.
• *Addition 1.
• MARKER 4: Awareness Grounded Within Body.

• Addition 2: Bring the Joy of Letting go Into Your Mind.

• MARKER 5: Natural Flow of your Breathing.
• MARKER 6: Knowing In & Out Breaths.
• MARKER 7: Knowing the Length of Each Breath.
• MARKER 8: Knowing Sensation Within Each Breath.
• MARKER 9: Knowing One Point of Breath Sensation.

Read the meditation instructions below, they have been laid out in a simple step by step process. Once familiar, begin your meditation the following below instructions.

• Read Instructions: MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS: Addition 2.

 Your meditation is based on the structure your learnt in TIER 1 Mindfulness of Breathing.

1. Create Your Physical & Mental Posture.
2. Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity.
3. Gently Soften into Sensations Within Your Body (Marker 4).
4. *Addition 2: Bring the Joy of Letting Go into Your Mind.
5. Experience the Natural Flow of Your Breathing (Marker 5).
6. Know if the Breath is Coming in or Going Out (Marker 6).
7. Know the Full length of Each Breath (Marker 7).
8. Be Aware of Sensations Within Each Breath (Marker 8).
9. Stable Attention on One Point of Breath Sensation (Marker 9)

(5 minutes)

INSERT ADDITION 2 AS ABOVE

Maintain present moment awareness of your body sensations in order to develop the precision and clarity within your attention necessary to cultivate samadhi. As the subtle pleasure builds within your body, gently smile into that subtle pleasure with your eyes. 

The smile is gentle and relaxed, like you're smiling with your eyes at a loved one, showing them how much you care. 

Allow the subtle pleasure to enter your mind as the joy of letting go, the contentment of release. 

When doing it notice how this meditative joy within the mind naturally balances energy and stabilises attention. 

Now that you are familiar with the meditation instructions it is time to begin your daily meditation in order to start training your skill in attention.

1. It is important meditate daily and to commit to your set time.
2. Remember there is no such thing as a bad meditation, just an opportunity to learn and develop insight. When your mind is all over the place and your attention has collapsed, take this as an opportunity to observe anatta: the autonomous nature of your attention.
3. Keep meditating daily until you fulfill the below progression criteria.

You are ready to progress to Addition 3 when you can bring the subtle pleasure of abandoning within your body into your mind as the pleasure of the joy of abandoning.

1. Become familiar with the Meditation Summary (this section).
2. Read the meditation instructions below.
3. Practice daily mindfulness of breathing following Experiential Markers 1-9.
4. Read instructions for the below Addition and add it to your daily mindfulness of breathing in place of Experiential Markers 5-6.
5. Learn to meditate without guidance to help you develop skill and insight.

The purpose of Addition 3 to your mindfulness of breathing is to develop the perception of the subtle pleasure of letting go within the natural flow of your breathing.

POSTURE OF ATTENTION

1. Mindfulness as a stream on remembering.
2. Curiosity as desire to understand.
3. Effort as balance in energy and structure of attention.
4. Softening as an inclination towards letting go.
5. Joy as the subtle pleasure of letting go.

• Create your meditation posture
• *Addition 1
• MARKER 4: Awareness Grounded Within Body.
• *Addition 2
• (Markers 5-6 replaced by Addition 3).

• Addition 3: Access the Pleasure of Letting Go in Breathing.

• MARKER 7: Knowing the Length of Each Breath.
• MARKER 8: Knowing Sensation Within Each Breath.
• MARKER 9: Knowing One Point of Breath Sensation.

Read the meditation instructions below, they have been laid out in a simple step by step process. Once familiar, begin your meditation the following below instructions.

• Read Instructions: MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS: Addition 3

 Your meditation is based on the structure your learnt in TIER 1 Mindfulness of Breathing.

1. Create Your Physical & Mental Posture.
2. Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity.
3. Gently Soften into Sensations Within Your Body (Marker 4).
4. Bring the Joy of Letting go Into Your Mind.
5. *Addition 3: Access the Pleasure of Abandoning in Breathing.
6. Know the Full length of Each Breath (Marker 7).
7. Be Aware of Sensations Within Each Breath (Marker 8).
8. Stable Attention on One Point of Breath Sensation (Marker 9).

(5 minutes)

INSERT ADDITION 3 HERE

Once meditative joy is established with your posture of attention, bring your awareness to inside your lungs. 

Allow breathing to occur naturally free from control. Noticing as the breath comes in your chest it expands out-wards, like a yoga stretch. Notice how nice this natural stretch with each in breath feels. 

As each breath goes out and your body deflates, notice the subtle pleasure of letting go that naturally occurs with each out-breath. 

From inside your breathing be aware of its pleasure: breath comes in: gentle stretch, breath goes out; pleasure of letting go, abandoning effort. Tuning into how nice it feels, allowing the whole breath to fill with this pleasure, this sense of ease.

Maintain present moment awareness of the natural flow of breathing within your body in order to develop the precision and clarity within your attention necessary to cultivate samadhi.

NOTE: (Markers 5-6 replaced by Addition 3).

Now that you are familiar with the meditation instructions it is time to begin your daily meditation in order to start training your skill in attention.

1. It is important meditate daily and to commit to your set time.
2. Remember there is no such thing as a bad meditation, just an opportunity to learn and develop insight. When your mind is all over the place and your attention has collapsed, take this as an opportunity to observe anatta: the autonomous nature of your attention.
3. Keep meditating daily until you fulfill the below progression criteria.

You are ready to progress to Addition 4 when you can perceive the subtle pleasure of letting go within your breathing as it occurs autonomously within your body.

1. Become familiar with the Meditation Summary (this section).
2. Read the meditation instructions below.
3. Practice daily mindfulness of breathing following Experiential Markers 1-9.
4. Read instructions for the below Addition and add it to your daily mindfulness of breathing between Experiential Markers 7 & 8.
5. Learn to meditate without guidance to help you develop skill and insight.

The purpose of Addition 4 to your mindfulness of breathing is to develop the perception of the subtle pleasure of abandoning to prevent dullness while calming the functions of the body and intellectual functions of the mind.

POSTURE OF ATTENTION

1. Mindfulness as a stream on remembering.
2. Curiosity as desire to understand.
3. Effort as balance in energy and structure of attention.
4. Softening as an inclination towards letting go.
5. Joy as the subtle pleasure of letting go.

• Create your meditation posture
• *Addition 1
• MARKER 4: Awareness Grounded Within Body
• *Addition 2
• *Addition 3
• MARKER 7: Knowing the Length of Each Breath.

• Addition 4: Access Meditative Joy by Calming Effort 'to do'.

• MARKER 8: Knowing Sensation Within Each Breath.
• MARKER 9: Knowing One Point of Breath Sensation.

Read the meditation instructions below, they have been laid out in a simple step by step process. Once familiar, begin your meditation the following below instructions.

• Read Instructions: MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS: Addition 4.

 Your meditation is based on the structure your learnt in TIER 1 Mindfulness of Breathing.

1. Create Your Physical & Mental Posture.
2. Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity.
3. Gently Soften into Sensations Within Your Body (Marker 4).
4. Bring the Joy of Letting go Into Your Mind.
5. Access the Pleasure of Abandoning in Breathing.
6. Know the Full length of Each Breath (Marker 7).
7. Addition 4: Access Meditative Joy by Calming Effort 'to do'.
8. Be Aware of Sensations Within Each Breath (Marker 8).
9. Stable Attention on One Point of Breath Sensation (Marker 9).

(5 minutes)

INSERT ADDITION 4 HERE

Once your attention is stable on the length of each breath begin to calm the effort to do the meditation with the intention of gradually calming the intellectual functions of your mind while increasing the knowing function of awareness.

Once attention settles of the length of each breath begin a process of calming. Notice and systematically relax any held tension in your body from the top down. 

Tune into the subtle pleasure of each relaxing, each letting go.

Once your body feels pleasurable relaxed, begin this process in your mind. Observe and gently soften any desire 'to do' the meditation.

Tune into the subtle pleasure of each relaxing, each letting go.

This will bring your mind and body closer to tranquility and samadhi develops sensations within each breath will appear to you for Marker 8.

The pleasure of the meditative joy will counter the tendency towards dullness.

Maintain present moment awareness of the natural flow of sensations within your breathing in order to develop the precision and clarity within your attention necessary to cultivate samadhi.

Now that you are familiar with the meditation instructions it is time to begin your daily meditation in order to start training your skill in attention.

1. It is important meditate daily and to commit to your set time.
2. Remember there is no such thing as a bad meditation, just an opportunity to learn and develop insight. When your mind is all over the place and your attention has collapsed, take this as an opportunity to observe anatta: the autonomous nature of your attention.
3. Keep meditating daily until you fulfill the below progression criteria.

You are ready to progress to Addition 5 when you can perceive the subtle pleasure of letting go of the physical and mental effort 'to do' and the flow of sensation within each breath is clear to you. 

1. Become familiar with the Meditation Summary (this section).
2. Read the meditation instructions below.
3. Practice daily mindfulness of breathing following Experiential Markers 1-9.
4. Read instructions for the below Addition and add it to your daily mindfulness of breathing after Experiential Marker 9.
5. Learn to meditate without guidance to help you develop skill and insight.

The purpose of Addition 5 is to give rise to the conditions for the Enlightenment Factor of tranquility, then to infuse it with meditative joy and establish it as a quality of your posture of attention. 

POSTURE OF ATTENTION

1. Mindfulness as a stream on remembering.
2. Curiosity as desire to understand.
3. Effort as balance in energy and structure of attention.
4. Softening as an inclination towards letting go.
5. Joy as the subtle pleasure of letting go.
6. Tranquility as the calming of physical and mental activity.

• Create your meditation posture
• *Addition 1
• MARKER 4: Awareness Grounded Within Body
• *Addition 2
• *Addition 3
• MARKER 5: Natural Flow of Your Breathing.
• MARKER 6: Knowing In & Out Breaths.
• MARKER 7: Knowing the Length of Each Breath.
• *Addition 4
• MARKER 8: Knowing Sensation Within Each Breath.
• MARKER 9: Knowing One Point of Breath Sensation.

• Addition 5: Establish Joy & Tranquility as Factors of Attention.

Read the meditation instructions below, they have been laid out in a simple step by step process. Once familiar, begin your meditation the following below instructions.

• Read Instructions: MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS: Addition 5.

 Your meditation is based on the structure your learnt in TIER 1 Mindfulness of Breathing.

1. Create Your Physical & Mental Posture.
2. Establish a Posture of Mindfulness & Curiosity.
3. Gently Soften into Sensations Within Your Body (Marker 4).
4. Bring the Joy of Letting go Into Your Mind.
5. Access the Pleasure of Abandoning in Breathing.
6. Know the Full length of Each Breath (Marker 7).
7. Access Meditative Joy by Calming Effort 'to do'.
8. Be Aware of Sensations Within Each Breath (Marker 8).
9. Stable Attention on One Point of Breath Sensation (Marker 9).
10. *Addition 5: Establish Joy & Tranquility as Factors of Attention.

INSERT ADDITION 5 HERE

Stablise your attention on one point of breath sensation while maintaining meditative joy within your mind. Developed sustained attention on one point of breath sensation for a long period of time until tranquility, as an absent of movement with continuous knowing, arises and stabilises within your attention. 

Allow the experience of meditative joy and tranquility to merge as a posture of stable attention.

Learn to allow your attention to rest on one point of breath sensation. Gently smile with your eyes to maintain meditative joy within your mind.

As attention sustains you will experience shifts from effort to effortlessness, this shift is very distinct.

Your main goal is to learn to move from intentional vitakka (intentional applying of attention) to autonomous vitakka (your mind now autonomously applies attention to the meditation object). It is this shift that gives rise to the experience of effortlessness.

Maintain silent, stable attention for a period of time on that point of breath sensation, abandoning all doing within your mind and continuing to experience the pleasure of that abandoning.

When all 'doing' is abandoned and the intellectual functions of the mind completely calmed tranquility will begin to arise.

Breath sensation will become very subtle and may even disappear, keep attention on that one point and perceive the beauty, pleasure in the building calm. If breathing appears to stop calm any fear associated with this. trust that breathing is still occurring, but your awareness is so subtle that the grossness of breath sensation has now been abandoned.

Allow the experience of meditative joy and tranquility to merge as a posture of stable attention and for attention to rest on this beauty and joy.

Maintain present moment awareness of the natural flow of sensations within your breathing in order to develop the precision and clarity within your attention necessary to cultivate samadhi. Be careful of subtle dullness at this stage as breath sensation becomes very subtle.

Now that you are familiar with the meditation instructions it is time to begin your daily meditation in order to start training your skill in attention.

1. It is important meditate daily and to commit to your set time.
2. Remember there is no such thing as a bad meditation, just an opportunity to learn and develop insight. When your mind is all over the place and your attention has collapsed, take this as an opportunity to observe anatta: the autonomous nature of your attention.
3. Keep meditating daily until you fulfill the below progression criteria.

You are ready to progress to TIER 3 of Mindfulness of Breathing to develop skill in establishing access concentration when you can allow your attention on one point of breath sensation, without any effort or distraction, and with meditative joy and tranquility present within your mind.

• View the Progressive Menu to see your next step.