NIRVANA THROUGH WATCHING OVER BREATHING

"Watching over In-and Out-breathing" practiced and developed, brings
the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to perfection; the four
fundamentals of attentiveness, practiced and developed bring the seven
Elements of Enlightenment to perfection; the seven elements of
enlightenment, practiced and developed, bring Wisdom and Deliverance
to perfection.
But how does Watching over In-and Out-breathing, practiced and
developed, bring the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to perfection?
I. Whenever the disciple is conscious in making a long inhalation or
exhalation, or in making a short inhalation or exhalation, or is
training himself to inhale or exhale whilst feeling the whole
[breath]-body, or whilst calming down this bodily function-at such
a time the disciple is dwelling in "contemplation of the body," of
energy, clearly conscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and
grief. For, inhalation and exhalation I call one amongst the corporeal
phenomena.
II. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or exhale
whilst feeling rapture, or joy, or the mental functions, or whilst
calming down the mental functions-at such a time he is dwelling in
"contemplation of the feelings," full of energy, clearly conscious,
attentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief. For, the full
awareness of in-and outbreathing I call one amongst the feelings.
III. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or exhale
whilst feeling the mind, or whilst gladdening the mind or whilst
concentrating the mind, or whilst setting the mind free-at such a time
he is dwelling in "contemplation of the mind," full of energy, clearly
conscious, attentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief. For,
without attentiveness and clear consciousness, I say, there is no
Watching over in-and Out-breathing.
IV. Whenever the disciple is training himself to inhale or exhale
whilst contemplating impermanence, or the fading away of passion, or
extinction, or detachment at such a time he is dwelling in
"contemplation of the phenomena," full of energy, clearly conscious,
attentive, after subduing worldly greed and grief.
Watching over In-and Out-breathing, thus practiced and developed,
brings the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness to perfection.
But how do the four Fundamentals of Attentiveness, practiced and
developed, bring the seven Elements of Enlightenment to full
perfection?
Whenever the disciple is dwelling in contemplation of body, feeling,
mind and phenomena, strenuous, clearly conscious, attentive, after
subduing worldly greed and grief-at such a time his attentiveness is
undisturbed; and whenever his attentiveness is present and
undisturbed, at such a time he has gained and is developing the
Element of Enlightenment "Attentiveness"; and thus this element of
enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst dwelling with attentive mind, he wisely
investigates, examines and thinks over the Law-at such a time he has
gained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment "Investigation
of the Law"; and thus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest
perfection.
And whenever, whilst wisely investigating, examining and thinking
over the law, his energy is firm and unshaken-at such a time he has
gained and is developing the Element of Enlightenment "Energy"; and
thus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever in him, whilst firm in energy, arises supersensuous
rapture-at such a time he has gained and is developing the Element
of Enlightenment "Rapture"; and thus this element of enlightenment
reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst enraptured in mind, his spiritual frame and his
mind become tranquil-at such a time he has gained and is developing
the Element of Enlightenment "Tranquility"; and thus this element of
enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever, whilst being tranquilized in his spiritual frame and
happy, his mind becomes concentrated-at such a time he has gained
and is developing the Element of Enlightenment "Concentration; and
thus this element of enlightenment reaches fullest perfection.
And whenever he thoroughly looks with indifference on his mind
thus concentrated-at such a time he has gained and is developing the
Element of Enlightenment "Equanimity."
The four fundamentals of attentiveness, thus practiced and
developed, bring the seven elements of enlightenment to full
perfection.
But how do the seven elements of enlightenment, practiced and
developed, bring Wisdom and Deliverance to full perfection?
There, the disciple is developing the elements of enlightenment:
Attentiveness, Investigation of the Law, Energy, Rapture, Tranquility,
Concentration and Equanimity, bent on detachment, on absence of
desire, on extinction and renunciation.
Thus practiced and developed, do the seven elements of enlightenment
bring wisdom and deliverance to full perfection.
Just as the elephant hunter drives a huge stake into the ground
and chains the wild elephant to it by the neck, in order to drive
out of him his wonted forest ways and wishes, his forest unruliness,
obstinacy and violence, and to accustom him to the environment of
the village, and to teach him such good behavior as is required
amongst men: in like manner also has the noble disciple to fix his
mind firmly to these four fundamentals of attentiveness, so that he
may drive out of himself his wonted worldly ways and wishes, his
wonted worldly unruliness, obstinacy and violence, and win to the
True, and realize Nirvana.