AN ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICAL BREATHING MEDITATION TEACHING BY BUDDHADASA BHIKKHU

Abstract

This research is to analyze the practical breathing meditation techniques taught by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and has the following objectives 1) to study the Buddhist way of teaching Breathing through Meditation, Anapanasati, which appears in Theravada Buddhism 2) to study the principles of teaching the practical breathing Meditation of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and 3) to study and analyze the practical breathing Meditation techniques by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu which conducted a study by qualitative research methodology, focusing on documentary research, presenting descriptive data with illustrations.

          The research found that;

1. Lord Buddha taught how to do Anapanasati which means increasing mindfulness of breathing in and out with a short sermon and with structural teaching, which includes preparation and 16 bases in practice. Ven. Phra Sariputta Thera expanded and described sixteen bases widely and showed that every base leading to liberation as well. While commentary, namely Atthakatha, and the Wisuttimak scripture have the same body and brought some Ven. Phra Sariputta Thera’ s contents to explain. In addition, Anapanasati is useful, giving happiness and peace, etc.


2. "Anapanasati" of Buddhada Bhikkhu is awareness or to do something in every breathing in and out. He had studied the meditation in Maha-Satipatthana Sutta and later focused on the breathing meditation in Anapanasati Sutta because it’s delicate and very useful. He used the Anapanasati Sutta as a principle in teaching and then expanded explained it to make it easy to understand and used language idioms for practice and applied to other dharma making it easy to practice as well as presenting applications for the benefit of morality, mind, body and society in a wide range.


3. The principles of the practical breathing meditation teaching of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu is simlar with the Buddhist breathing meditation in the essences of 16 bases and in the most of the explanations that he had taken from the Wisuttimak scripture. In the different he brought other Buddhist teachings, his experiences and analysis to explain and applied it for today’s society by using idioms to be easy to understand and implement. In addition, the practical breathing meditation of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu has 9 values, such as the mental development system.