3.8.4

Lesson 3.8.4 Ānāpānassatisuttaṃ, Part Two - How Does the Full Cultivation of Ānāpānassati Nurture Full Development of the Four Satipaṭṭhāna?

According to ancient knowledge, Ānāpānassati presents ‘an object that supports the development of concentration.’ The current lesson is vital for any meditator as it defines the application of ānāpāna and in which way it promotes the full development of the four satipaṭṭhānā – kāyānupassanā, vedanānupassanā, cittānupassanā, dhammānupassanā. A successful meditator is instructed to maintain, at all times, awareness along with constant thorough understanding of impermanence. During this process, it is vipassanā based on sati and sampajāno that enables the meditator to realise, at the moment of insight, the characteristics of impermanence. Reference to the commentary shows that through dhammānupassanā the final removal of the hindrances (nīvaraṇa) gets achieved commencing with the elimination of the first two - sensual desire and ill will. It is essential that this abandonment must be based on experiential wisdom! This wisdom needs to be cultivated, developed and further increased through the developing insight knowledge of vipassanā, which is called ‘knowledge of impermanence, dispassion, cessation and relinquishment’.