Ajahn Pasanno describes mindfulness of breathing as a method to firmly establish the mind and develop insight.
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1. [41:45] Comment: I notice a connection between a person who is preparing for transition and going though agonal breathing. It’s one breath per minute or two, and it’s relaxed. [Death]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Release] [Clinging] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “You have to keep letting go until there is no remainder.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Liberation]
2. [43:43] “I’ve had the experience on retreat of getting to slow, shallow breathing and panicked because I couldn’t find the breath. Could you say more about just going to the knowing?” [Meditation/Unusual experiences] [Tranquility] [Fear] [Knowing itself] // [Mindfulness of body] [Investigation of states] [Nimitta] [Faith]
3. [47:47] “I have a hard time breathing normally due to congestion and athsma. How does one get past the initial fear, ‘I just can’t breath. How am I going to do this?’” [Health] [Fear] // [Mindfulness of body] [Body scanning] [Tranquility]
4. [50:46] “At what point in your meditation do you shift to knower or witness?” [Meditation/Techniques] [Knowing itself] // [Investigation of states] [Happiness] [Tranquility] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] [Doubt] [Desire]
5. [56:13] “At times during my meditation, my body acts funny, leaning to one side or the other or spinning. What causes this? Is it a good or bad sign?” [Meditation/Unusual experiences] // [Kamma] [Teachers] [Mindfulness of body] [Rapture]
6. [1:00:51] “When I practice mindfulness of breathing, thought arises. Do I want to eliminate thinking?” [Right Concentration] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] // [Nature of mind] [Self-identity view] [Discernment] [Mindfulness of mind] [Investigation of states] [Relinquishment]
7. [1:05:07] Comment: My mind will fill with chatter, stuff I’m not interested in. What I’ve come to do is just say, ‘This is a chaotic mind.’ [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of mind]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
8. [1:07:04] “How do you keep the self from coming up if this is an interesting thought to follow?” [Self-identity view] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Conditionality] [Aggregates] [Knowing itself]
9. [1:09:33] “Sometimes there will be sponaneous verbal recollection of Dhamma. Is this skillful?” [Recollection/Dhamma] // [Relinquishment] [Proliferation]
10. [1:11:18] “I get stuck with subtle unpleasant moods. Any advice?” [Clinging] [Feeling] // [Mindfulness of body] [Goodwill] [Continuity of mindfulness]
1. [50:21] “Could you translate sati as recognizing?” [Mindfulness] [Translation] [Pāli]
2. [52:12] Comment: Dispassion, fading away—these things are happening anyway, and we’re learning to see them. [Dispassion] [Learning]
3. [53:06] Comment: I tend to make things harder for myself. I come up with some big projections. [Proliferation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma] [Simplicity] [Buddha]
4. [54:45] “[Question unclear] Is modulating a good way to describe working with the breath?”
5. [55:49] Comment: My mind goes away, and I’m lost in a story. But if I sit and don’t move, eventually when I come back I realize the body is really settled and I can tune in to that. [Proliferation] [Tranquility]
6. [56:38] “Modulating the breath seems more sublte than controlling it. Does this relate to where you put your attention as it grows?” // [Kamma] [Directed thought and evaluation]
7. [57:35] “How often do you employ mindfulness of breathing in daily life? How much volition are you still using?” [Everyday life] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Volition] // [Mindfulness of body]
8. [59:12] “How can we balance happiness and ease with the desire to accomplish something using meditation techniques?” [Meditation/General advice] [Happiness] [Desire] [Middle Path] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Hearing the true Dhamma]
9. [1:02:53] “Sometimes I’ve been sitting a long time and am too tired to keep sitting, walk, or stand. Any suggestions?” [Postures] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Sloth and torpor] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Pain] [Posture/Standing]
10. [1:05:57] “When you contemplate, ‘Who is thinking? Who is breathing?’ how does thid differ from thinking? Why doesn’t it generate more thought?” [Hua tou] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] // [Insight meditation] [Tranquility] [Restlessness and worry]
Quote: “The mind can still think and be peaceful. What a concept!”