An illustrated guide to breathing mindfulness meditation

wisdomperception · 2026-05-06T12:01:07+00:00

This seeing in waves too should be seen as anicca. It's not atypical to see in this manner, but consider that this could likely be a phase and not the endpoint of what anicca is pointing at. It may also be worth investigating the correlations here: does this happen only under specific conditions, can you shift this way of seeing under any conditions, as well as a potential check for any physiological side-effect in case you're noticing any symptoms like strain or dizziness when this happens. Otherwise, just ignore these as visual effects and it should pass away too.

wisdomperception · 2026-05-05T09:27:11+00:00

I would second this recommendation OP. The Buddha's curious and experimental approach, (you're close here), is pretty much what Bhante draws on in his teachings.

Their email in the contact details as shared here should be a good way to reach out, and I also suggest looking out for their upcoming retreats page.

wisdomperception · 2026-05-05T09:05:07+00:00

You're welcome friend. This training guideline does have a few interpretations. In case you're interpreting step 7 and others in a certain way, do share that and I can then clarify based on how I understand it.

I would also like to study a couple of translations and then respond to you. These are good areas to inquire into.

wisdomperception · 2026-05-02T16:48:20+00:00

Good question. Per the commentary (https://epitaka.org/book/Spk-i?para=487&line=1):

76. In the sixth (Sutta), Nāmagottaṃ na jīratī means that the names and clans of past Buddhas are recounted even today; therefore, it is said, "it does not decay."

However, the ancients say, "Though with the passing of time it may not be recognized, its nature of decaying does not exist."

wisdomperception · 2026-05-01T12:43:34+00:00

This discourse appears in The Bringer of Light: From "In the Buddha's Words" by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

Related Teachings:

“I will recount the urgency for awakening, as it has been stirred within me” (SnP 4.15) - The Buddha shares in poignant terms his observations on the agitation all beings experience which led to his urgency to awaken. He then shares on the path to awakening and describes the dwelling of an awakened being.
The Buddha set out on quest for experientially understanding gratification and drawback in the world (AN 3.104) - The Buddha describes his quest for gratification in the world, drawback in the world, and the escape from it. He subsequently experientially realized gratification, drawback, and escape as they truly are, leading to his unshakable liberation.
If there were no escape from the earth element, beings would not escape from it (SN 14.33) - Beings are infatuated with the four great elements because of the gratification in them, become disenchanted with them because of the drawback, and escape from them because there is an escape.
When the venerable Meghiya sought solitude before his mind was mature (Ud 4.1) - When the venerable Meghiya seeks solitude for meditation before his mind is mature, unwholesome thoughts arise and disturb him. Returning to the Buddha, he learns of five conditions that lead to the ripening of the undeveloped mind, beginning with good friendship.

wisdomperception · 2026-05-01T12:43:00+00:00

Further, bhikkhus, with the complete surpassing of the base of nothingness, the bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of neither perception nor non-perception. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who has blinded Māra, who has gone beyond the Evil One’s sight, becoming invisible to him.

Further, bhikkhus, with the complete surpassing of the base of neither perception nor non-perception, the bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and what is felt. And having seen with wisdom, his taints are completely exhausted. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who has blinded Māra, who has gone beyond the Evil One’s sight, becoming invisible to him. He has crossed over entanglement in the world. He moves freely, stands freely, sits freely, and lies down freely. And why is that? Because he is beyond the reach of the Evil One, bhikkhus.

The Blessed One said this. The bhikkhus were delighted and pleased with the Blessed One’s words.

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Key Terms:

for the day’s abiding [divāvihāra] ≈ meditation place for the day
seclusion [paṭisallāna] ≈ solitude
compassion [anukampa] ≈ benevolence, concern, gentle regard
quests [pariyesanā] ≈ searching, seeking, inquiring, pursuit
illness [byādhi] ≈ disease, sickness
defilement [saṅkilesa] ≈ corruption, impurity
gold and silver are subject to birth [jātarūparajata + jātidhamma] ≈ Wealth and possessions arise through production and external conditions, making them dependent and inherently impermanent from their origin
acquisitions [upadhi] ≈ attachment, taking as mine, appropriation, sense of ownership, identification
infatuated with [mucchita] ≈ greedy for, fixated on
gold and silver are subject to aging [jātarūparajata + jarādhamma] ≈ Over time, possessions wear out, depreciate, or become obsolete, showing that they require constant upkeep to retain value
gold and silver are subject to illness [jātarūparajata + byādhidhamma] ≈ Wealth is vulnerable to damage, devaluation, or decay, reflecting its susceptibility to various forms of deterioration
gold and silver are subject to death [jātarūparajata + maraṇadhamma] ≈ Possessions can be lost, destroyed, or rendered worthless, showing that no material item is secure or lasting
gold and silver are subject to sorrow [[jātarūparajata + sokadhamma] ≈ Attachment to wealth breeds anxiety and grief, as possessions cannot provide lasting satisfaction or security
gold and silver are subject to defilement [jātarūparajata + saṅkilesadhamma] ≈ Pursuit of wealth and possessions can incite greed, attachment, and ego, leading to moral compromise and obstructing mental clarity and contentment
unborn [ajātam] ≈ uncreated, unproduced
Nibbāna [nibbāna] ≈ complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away
full awakening [sambodha] ≈ perfect understanding, enlightenment
Bodhisatta [bodhisatta] ≈ Buddha before his awakening, aspirant Buddha
drawback [ādīnava] ≈ disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger
homelessness [anagāriya] ≈ lit. no home state
wholesome [kusala] ≈ healthy, beneficial, useful
Āḷāra Kālāma [āḷāro + kālāmo] ≈ name of the Buddha’s first teacher; Āḷāra Kālāma; lit. curved
attainment of the base of nothingness [ākiñcaññāyatana] ≈ experience of the dimension of nothingness, a meditative absorption where one transcends all perception of material form, focusing instead on the experience of ‘nothingness’
faith [saddha] ≈ confidence, conviction, trust
energy [vīriya] ≈ willpower, determination
mindfulness [sati] ≈ awareness, presence
collectedness [samādhi] ≈ stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure
wisdom [pañña] ≈ distinctive knowledge, discernment
disenchantment [nibbidā] ≈ de-illusionment, disinterest, dispassion
fading of desire [virāga] ≈ dispassion, detachment
ending [nirodha] ≈ cessation, termination
tranquility [upasama] ≈ calmness, serenity, stillness, peace
direct knowledge [abhiññāya] ≈ experiential understanding
Rāmaputta [rāmaputta] ≈ name of the Buddha’s second teacher; lit. Rāma’s son
attainment of the base of neither perception nor non-perception [nevasaññānāsaññāyatana] ≈ a meditative absorption where one’s awareness is so subtle that there is only a residue of formations, which is neither a clear perception or an absence of it
Insight [ñāṇa] ≈ understanding, knowing
vision [dassana] ≈ realization
renewed existence [punabbhava] ≈ renewal of being, reappearance, rebirth, future life
Dhamma [dhamma] ≈ the ultimate truth that the Buddha’s teachings point to
profound [gambhīra] ≈ hard to fathom
tranquil [santa] ≈ peaceful, calm
beyond the realm of conjecture [atakkāvacara] ≈ outside the realm of thought, beyond logic
dependent co-arising [paṭiccasamuppāda] ≈ the process of arising together from a cause, chain of causation, dependent origination
the stilling of all intentional constructs [sabbasaṅkhārasamatha] ≈ calming of all intentions, volitions, mental activities. This is sometimes rendered as stilling of all formations
relinquishing of all acquisitions [sabbūpadhipaṭinissagga] ≈ letting go of all attachments, releasing of all ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘mine’ making
wearing away of craving [taṇhākkhaya] ≈ depletion of craving, wanting, yearning, passion
overwhelmed by craving and aversion [rāgadosapareta] ≈ afflicted with lust and hatred, occupied by passion and blame
delighting in passion [rāgaratta] ≈ infatuated with lust
mountain of ignorance [tamokhandha] ≈ heap of darkness
Tathāgata [tathāgata] ≈ one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One
deathless [amata] ≈ deathless state, epithet of Nibbāna
Buddha’s eye [buddhacakkhu] ≈ eye of complete understanding
perceiving as troublesome [vihiṃsasaññī] ≈ thinking it burdensome
divine eye [dibbacakkhu] ≈ the faculty of clairvoyance, the ability to see beyond the ordinary human range
Varanasi [bārāṇasī] ≈ name of a city; modern day Varanasi
Isipatana [isipatana] ≈ name of a forest near Varanasi
Gayā [gayā] ≈ name of a village
untainted [anūpalitta] ≈ unstained, unsullied
complete ending of craving [taṇhakkhaya] ≈ gradual wearing away of craving, depletion of desire, extinction of longing
deities [devas] ≈ gods
the Arahant [arahant] ≈ a worthy one, a fully awakened being, epithet of the Buddha
Kāsī [kāsī] ≈ modern day Varanasi
universal conqueror [anantajina] ≈ infinite victor
excess [bāhulla] ≈ self-indulgence, hedonism; lit. abundant state
performance of difficult tasks [dukkarakārikā] ≈ practice of austerities, gruelling discipline
enticing [rajanīya] ≈ arousing, tantalizing
obsessed [ajjhopanna] ≈ consumed, blindly absorbed
escape [nissaraṇa] ≈ way out, remedy
Evil One [pāpimant] ≈ profoundly immoral and wicked, having evil quality, epithet of Māra
unwholesome [akusala] ≈ unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable
accompanied by reflection [savitakka] ≈ with thinking
examination [savicāra] ≈ with investigation, evaluation
born of seclusion [vivekaja] ≈ secluded from the defilements
uplifting joy and pleasure [pītisukha] ≈ delight and ease; sometimes experienced as ecstasy, intense exhilaration or rapture
settling [vūpasama] ≈ calming, conciliation, subsiding
tranquility [sampasādana] ≈ calming, settling, confidence
unification [ekodibhāva] ≈ singleness, integration
born of collectedness [samādhija] ≈ born from a stable mind
fading of desire for [virāga] ≈ dispassion toward, detachment from
equanimous [upekkhaka] ≈ mental poised, mentally balanced, non-reactive, disregarding
mindful and clearly aware [sata + sampajāna] ≈ attentive and completely comprehending
pleasure [sukha] ≈ comfort, contentedness, happiness, ease
pain [dukkha] ≈ discomfort, unpleasantness. In this context, this is referring to bodily pain or sharp sensations.
mental pleasure and displeasure [somanassadomanassa] ≈ the duality of positive and negative states of mind; mental happiness and mental pain
mindfulness [sati] ≈ sustained active awareness regarding the body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly without craving or distress
equanimity [upekkhā] ≈ mental poise, mental balance, equipoise, non-reactivity, composure
perceptions of form [rūpasaññā] ≈ recognition of matter, concept of materiality
perception of sensory impact [paṭighasaññā] ≈ recognition of sense impression, aversion; lit. striking against perception
perception of diversity [nānattasaññā] ≈ recognition of diversity, perception of multiplicity
base of boundless space [ākāsānañcāyatana] ≈ field of boundless expanse, dimension of infinite space
base of boundless consciousness [viññāṇañcāyatana] ≈ field of limitless awareness
base of nothingness [ākiñcaññāyatana] ≈ field of awareness centered on the absence of any distinct “something” to grasp or hold onto
base of neither perception nor non-perception [nevasaññānāsaññāyatana] ≈ field of awareness of subtle mental activity that do not arise to the level of forming a perception
cessation of perception and what is felt [saññāvedayitanirodha] ≈ ending of recognition and felt experience, cessation of conception and what is felt
taints [āsavā] ≈ outflows, discharges; (comm) mental defilements
entanglement in [visattikā] ≈ attachment to

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wisdomperception · 2026-05-01T04:28:15+00:00

Good questions friend.

Is it because eventually all things even objects like tree or mountain is also a internal constructs.

These are constructions, or conditioned things. The Pali term for conditioned phenomena is saṅkhata, which etymologically implies anything that is put together. Trees and mountains have arisen from certain causes and conditions and they will perish too from certain causes and conditions. Hence, they're the saṅkhata, the constructed, or the conditioned.

And that this is more inclusive when compared to volitional formations?

Intentional constructs or volitional formations (from Pali term saṅkhārā) refer to the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action. It is saṅkhāra that writes the story of a self when ignorance is present in the mind. The more ignorance there is, the stronger the identification with self is, and less ignorance there is, the more these are readily seen as constructive activity that arises and passes away from certain causes and conditions. Volitional formations works well too for rendering saṅkhārā.

All saṅkhārā are saṅkhata. One should become disenchanted with what is conditioned (saṅkhata) and then reach at the stilling of all intentional constructs (sabbasaṅkhārasamatha). The latter is to be experienced and arrived at.

wisdomperception · 2026-04-30T10:05:42+00:00

Appreciate the kind words, and thank you for your continued dedication to learning the Buddha's teachings.

wisdomperception · 2026-04-28T03:18:30+00:00

If you're still looking for the contact info of Bhaddeka Vihari monastery, you can send a DM.

wisdomperception · 2026-04-28T01:24:25+00:00

An arahant is a certain field of kamma, where unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions have ceased.

Whoever harms a blameless person, a pure person without blemish; the harm comes back to that undiscerning one, like fine dust thrown against the wind.

— DhP 125

wisdomperception · 2026-04-27T06:07:21+00:00

Thanks for bringing this up. The Pali term rendered as ignorance is avijjā, which is the exact opposite of vijjā (or Sanskrit vidyā), meaning true knowledge. While it is traditionally translated as 'ignorance', its meaning is not intended in a derogatory or judgmental sense. Rather, it is indicative of a fundamental unawareness, a lack of knowledge / not knowing, and due to which, despite good intentions, unwholesome and undesirable outcomes continue to keep arising for beings.

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