Four Protective Meditations

Theravada Buddhist Forest Monastery

Nā-Uyana Monastery

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Four Protective Meditations
A translation of 'Caturarakkha Bhavana'
By Nā-Uyana Monastery
Printed for free distribution

Email - [email protected]
Web - www.nauyana.org

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www.dhammadanabooks.com

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A word from the editor

A Lord Buddha, a Fully Enlightened One, is born with the intention of

eradicating the suffering endured by all beings from birth to death. By
following the teachings of the Buddha, living beings transcend suffering.
The teaching of Buddha is the path to liberation: morality (sīla),
concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (pañña).

Anyone who follows this sequential and methodical practice should seek
his own protection. The protections are: the recollection of the virtues of
the Buddha, loving-kindness meditation, meditation on the repulsiveness
of the body and the recollection of death.
All those who wish to attain Nibbāna may use this book as guidance. It
has been written in a simple manner that is easy to grasp, neither too
wordy nor too concise.

May the minds of those who are using this book be filled with happiness
and peace.
May the merits produced by the noble deed of publishing this book be
homage to our teachers, preceptors, parents and those who have helped
my pabbajja life. May it be a blessing to the noble and virtuous disciples
of the Budthe Buddha; may they attain Nibbāna very soon.

May the merits gained by lawyer Mr. H.M.H. Bandara and the others at
Dimuthu Printers (which prints this book), Mr Tharindu Bandara and
Punya Munasinghe who translated this valuable book to English, and
bore the printing charges, Venerables Ireland Sumedha and Canada
Jinaratana who added more value by editing this book, and everyone else
who helped in this act of dāna, assist them in attaining Nibbāna.
May the merits be shared with the devotees, who undertook the expenses
in printing this book, their present relatives and those who have passed
away. May they all attain the bliss of Nibbāna swiftly and
easily!!!Venerable S. Ñānasiri Nā-Uyana Monastery

August 2016

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 Preface
Selo yathā ekaghano - vātena na samīrati
Evaṃ nindāpasaṃsāsu - na samiñjanti paṇḍitā
“Just as a solid rock is unshaken by the wind,
So the wise are undisturbed by either praise or blame”

The meaning of the above is that a well-trained mind is moderate,

patient, has foresight and is unshakeable. One whose mind is
disturbed and frequently agitated has to follow a set of practices in
order to make the mind calm and quiet. Four prominent practices
with such an aim are meditation on: the virtues of the Buddha,
loving-kindness, repulsiveness of the body and death. These four
meditations are also called the four protective meditations
(caturārakkha bhāvanā).
Just as, for those who are residing in a house, the four walls
provide protection from wind, rain and dew, so the four protective
meditations protect the mind in four different ways.
The meditation on the virtues of the Buddha develops faith,
confidence, and happiness which induce eagerness in practicing
meditation.
By practicing loving-kindness meditation, the restlessness or the
negativity of mind declines. By strengthening the results of good
kamma and thereby weakening the results of bad kamma, it
facilitates ease of progress along the path.
The practice of repulsiveness meditation helps to develop a
peaceful mind by diminishing craving, thereby making a better
environment for meditation practice.
By practicing meditation on death a sense of urgency develops,
eradicating procrastination, which therefore makes a suitable
ground for progress in meditation.
Since it's essential to practice the four protective meditations, we
request you to practice them well by following the instructions in
this Dhamma booklet.
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May the thero, Venerable Sīlagama Ñāṇasiri who produced this
Dhamma booklet gain more strength to help the many by
introducing accurate meditation practices to the world. May the
bliss of the Dhamma be with the head instructor of Sri Kalyaṇi
Yogashrama Samstha, Most Venerable Na Uyane Ariyadhamma
Mahathero, and the mighty gem of the Sangha!
May the merits gained by the pious devotees who undertook the
expenses in printing this book, the lawyer lawyer Mr. H.M.H.
Bandara and the rest at Dimuthu Printers (which prints this book),
Venerables Ireland Sumedha and Canada Jinaratana, who further
edited this book, and everyone else who helped in this deed, pave
the way to Nibbāna.
May all beings be blessed by the Dhamma!
With Mettā, Angulgamuwe Ariyananda Mahāthero
Nā Uyana Monastery

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 Contents

1. Introduction 7
2. Preliminary Work (Three-fold) 8
3. Meditation on the Virtues of the Buddha 14
4. Loving-kindness Meditation 16
5. Meditation on the Repulsiveness of a Corpse 18
6. Recollection of Death 19
7. Mindfulness of Breathing 21

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 Introduction
There are two types of meditation: tranquility meditation
(samatha) and insight meditation (vipassana). Through
tranquility meditation, the tranquility of mind is developed by
suppressing the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa). Through insight
meditation insight into the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha) is
developed. Every meditator who practices either tranquility
meditation or insight meditation should master these four subjects
for meditation, namely: recollection of the virtues of the
(Buddhānussati),loving-kindness (mettābhāvanā),
repulsiveness of the body (asubhabhāvanā) and recollection of
death (maraṇānussati).

These four subjects of meditation are also known as 'sabbatthaka

kammaṭṭhānaṃ' or 'catura¯rakkha kammaṭṭhānaṃ' . The
meaning of sabbhatthaka is that all meditators should practice
them frequently and regularly, whereas catura¯rakkha means that
they act as warriors that protect the mind from four defilements:
lack of faith, aversion, hedonism and procrastination.

By practicing Buddhānussati one nurtures faith in the Buddha,

thereby dispelling the defilement of doubt that arises due to lack of
faith.

Practicing mettābhāvanā - developing loving-kindness towards

all beings - helps to make the mind calm by eliminating aversion.
By nurturing loving-kindness one becomes tends to be loved by
other beings and is thereby freed from danger.
Practicing asubhabhāvanā helps one to realize the repulsiveness
of the body; it thus tends to dispel unwholesome attachments.

Practicing maraṇānussati – reflecting on the impermanence of

life helps to develop urgency in meditation practice and
encourages one to do wholesome deeds.

Due to such benefits, practicing these meditation subjects is

appropriate as preliminary work, before starting meditation
according to a kammaṭṭhāna (meditation object) that is specially
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suited to the character of the individual meditator. It is also
important to practice the caturārakkha kammaṭṭhānaṃ
thoroughly in order to attain absorptions (jhāna)), higher
knowledges (abhiñña) and the four noble fruits.

In order to start meditation the meditator should retire to a suitable

place, one which is relaxing. Then he should sit comfortably,
keeping the body erect. With a peaceful mind, he should do some
preliminary chanting (to be described as follows) and then spend
some time recollecting the four subjects of mediation described
above. Afterwards he should start practicing a kammaṭṭhāna that
he is accustomed to. In order to obtain a kammaṭṭhāna one
should seek a teacher well-experienced in meditation.

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 Preliminary work
As a preliminary to formal meditation it is helpful to do some
chanting. The meditator should take a seat, and then select one
method from the three presented below and chant the verses
printed in bold-italic script. Some verses are given in English,
others in Pāli; guides to pronounciation of the Pāli language are
available online.

Method 1.1
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa

(I pay homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully
Enlightened One)

Itipi so Bhagavā, Arahaṃ, Sammāsambuddho, Vijjācaraṇa

sampanno, Sugato, Lokavidū, Anuttaro purisadammasārathi,
Satthā devamanussānaṃ, Buddho, Bhagavā ti

(Such is the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Self-
awakened One, endowed with knowledge and conduct, the Well-
gone, Knower of the Worlds, unsurpasssed trainer of those to be
trained, teacher of Devas and humans, the Awakened One, the
Blessed One)
Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

The Master, the Blessed One - since you were divorced from all
defilements,
Destroyed the enemies that are defilements - demolished the
spokes of ignorance in the wheel of saṃsāra
Became worthy of all offerings - possessed pure consciousness
Commiting no evil, even in secret, so so are you called Arahaṃ;
To the supremely enlightened one - to the one who possesses such
a limitless heap of virtues
I pay my homage.
I entrust you with my life
Let my life be entrusted to you

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 Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!
Svākkhāto Bhagavatā Dhammo, Sandiṭṭhiko, Akāliko,
Ehipassiko, Opanayiko, Paccattaṃ Veditabbo Viññūhī'ti

(The Blessed One's Way is well-expounded, visible right now,

timeless, inviting one to see, leading onwards, to be experienced
by the wise)

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

The Master, the Blessed One -The gem of nine-fold Dhamma

Which you comprehended beneath Sri Maha Bodhi
Is well-expounded at the start, the middle and the end
It proclaims
thethe pure life with utmost perfection - in its letter and meaning
So it is called 'Svākkhāto'
To the Dhamma which possesses such infinite qualities
I pay my homage
I entrust my life
Let my life be entrusted to the Dhamma

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho,

Ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho,
Ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho,
Sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho;
Yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā,
Esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho;
Āhuneyyo, Pāhuneyyo, Dakkhiṇeyyo, Añjalikaraṇīyo,
Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassā'ti

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

(The Blessed One's disciples have practiced well, have practiced

uprightly, have practiced insightfully, have practiced correctly;
that is to say, the four pairs, the eight individuals. They are the
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Blessed One's disciples, worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality,
worthy of offerings, worthy of respect. An unsurpassed field of
merit for the world.)

The Master, the Blessed One

As your noble eight-fold order of disciples set forth on the right
path they are called Supaṭipanno To the Saṅgha which possess
such an infinite heap of virtues
I pay my homage
I entrust my life
Let my life be entrusted to the Saṅgha

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

Piyo ca garubhāvanīyo - vattā ca vacanakkhamo;

Gambhīrañca kathaṃ kattā - no caṭṭhāne niyojako'ti

--AN 7:37 Dutiyamitta Suttaṃ

Those who are loved, respected, and honored by others due to the
excellence in morality, those who advise and instruct, who have
patience over vicious word, Who teach profound aspects of
Dhamma Who pave the way in the noble path without misleading
I pay homage to those virtuous friends (Kalyãna mittã)

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

The Master, the Blessed One!

For any wrongs I have done you, through body, speech, or mind
May I be pardoned by the gem of the Buddha
May I be pardoned by the gem of Dhamma
May I be pardoned by the gem of Saṅgha
May I be pardoned by all noble ones
May I be pardoned by all virtuous friends

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

May I be free from enmity, free from anger, free from mental
suffering
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May I be free from physical suffering
May I be well and happy
Just as me, so may those dear to me, the neutral ones, my enemies
and all beings
Be free from enmity
Be free from anger
Be free from mental suffering
Be free from physical suffering
Be well and happy

This body of mine is not made out of gold, silver, pearls, emeralds
or precious gems
It is made out of thirty two parts which are revolting and have a
foul odor
Head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, and flesh …
It is repulsive
It is repulsive

Aniccā vata saṅkhārā - uppādavayadhammino;

Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti - tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho'ti

--DN 16, SN 6:15 9:6 15:20

(All formations are impermanent - they have the nature of arising

and passing away
Having arisen, they pass away -their cessation, Nibbāna, brings
true bliss)

My life is uncertain. Death is certain.

Life is uncertain. Death is certain.
Life is uncertain. Death is certain.
May this [meditation object] of mine pave the way
To the bliss of Nibbāna attained by Buddhas, Pacceka Buddhas
and Arahants
By becoming detached from the aggregates
Which are impermanent
Which are subject to agony
Which are not-self
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Which are repulsive
Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

Method 2

Namāmi buddhaṃ guṇa sāgarantaṃ

Sattā sadā hontu sukhī averā
Kāyo jiguccho sakalo dugandho
Gacchanti sabbe maraṇaṃ ahañ'ca

Namami Dhammaṃ sugatena desitaṃ

Sattā sadā hontu sukhī averā
Kāyo jiguccho sakalo dugandho
Gacchanti sabbe maraṇaṃ ahañ'ca

Namāmi Saṅghaṃ muṇirāja sāvakaṃ

Sattā sadā hontu sukhī averā
Kāyo jiguccho sakalo dugandho
Gacchanti sabbe maraṇaṃ ahañ'ca

(I bow to the Buddha of oceanic virtue – may all beings be forever

happy, free from enmity
The body is disgusting – completely reeking
All are going towards death, including myself

I bow to the Dhamma, declared by the Sugata - may all beings be

forever happy, free from enmity
The body is disgusting – completely reeking
All are going towards death, including myself

I bow to the Saṅgha, disciples of the King of Sages - may all beings
be forever happy, free from enmity
The body is disgusting – completely reeking
All are going towards death, including myself)

Piyo ca garubhāvanīyo - vattā ca vacanakkhamo;

Gambhīrañca kathaṃ kattā - no caṭṭhāne niyojako'ti
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--AN 7:37 Dutiyamitta Suttaṃ
Those who are loved, respected, and honored by others due to the
excellence in morality, those who advise and instruct, who have
patience over vicious word, Who teach profound aspects of
Dhamma Who pave the way in the noble path without misleading
I pay homage to those virtuous friends (Kalyãna mittã)

Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!

Method 3

I pay homage to the gem of the Buddha for first, second and third
time
So too I entrust my life
Let my life be entrusted

I pay homage to the gem of the Dhamma for first, second and
third time
So too I entrust my life
Let my life be entrusted

I pay homage to the gem of the Sangha for first, second and third
time
So too I entrust my life
Let my life be entrusted

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 Meditation on the Virtues of the Buddha
(Buddhānussati)
This is a meditation commonly practiced among Buddhists. This is
also called 'meditiation on the nine qualities of the Buddha', since it
is a recollection of the nine virtues of the Buddha mentioned in the
verse “Iti pi so Bhagava….”

Visualizing a Buddha statue that makes your mind happy and

peaceful, contemplate these virtues of the Buddha one by one.
ArahaṃSince the Buddha has demolished all defilements such as
craving, aversion and ignorance he has become worthy of all
offerings - material and non-material. Thus He is called 'Arahaṃ'
(the Worthy One).SammāsambuddhoSince the Buddha attained
enlightenment on his own by realizing the four noble truths: the
truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of
freedom from suffering, and the truth of the way to the ending of
suffering, so He is called 'Sammāsambuddho' (the Perfectly Self-
Awakened One). Vijjācaraṇa SampannoSince the Buddha
possessed 8 eight varieties of direct knowledge and fifteen virtuous
qualities, therefore He is called 'Vijjācaraṇa Sampanno'
(endowed with knowledge and conduct). SugatoSince the time of
Buddha 'Dīpankara' he walked on the Middle Path, endowed with
perfect speech. In his final existence, He lived a perfect life and
reached blissful Nibbāna. Therefore He is called 'Sugato' (the
Well-Gone). LokaviduSince the Buddha had a perfect knowledge
of the three different realms of existence (the sensuous world
(kāma loka), the fine-material world (rūpa loka) and the
immaterial world (arūpa loka)) so He is called
'LokavidLokavidu' '(Knower of the Worlds).Anuttaro
Purisadamma Sārathī Since the Buddha tamed: Aṅgulimāla
and Nāḷāgiri the elephant, with immense compassion, Saccaka
and the Nigaṇṭhas with mighty wisdom, and celestial and human
beings who had wrong view by performing the twin miracle
(yamaka pāṭihāriya), so He is called 'Anuttaro Purisadamma
Sārathī' (Unsurpassed Trainer of those to be Trained).Satthā
DevamanussānaṃSince the Buddha re-discovered the way to
Nibbāna and taught it to both celestial and human beings, so He is
called 'Satthā Devamanussānaṃ' (Teacher of Devas and Humans).
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BuddhoSince the Buddha became omniscient, having discovered
the Four Noble Truths, and also having made others realize the
same, so He is called 'Buddho'(the Awakened One).BhagavāSince
the Buddha was blessed by the power of the piety of His previous
births, and as He had demolished all kinds of defilements so He is
called 'Bhagavā ' (the Blessed One).

The virtues of the Buddha can be elaborated further. This is given

in brief so that one may remember easily, but This is given is for
you also to recollect different variations of the Buddha's virtues.

Keeping the above descriptions in mind, recollect the “itipi so”

verse from start to end (from 'Arahaṃ' to 'Bhagavā'). Mentally
recite the virtues, keeping at least one meaning for each virtue in
mind. This recollection should neither be too fast nor too slow. If
the recollection is too fast, you might forget or mix-up the
meanings. If it is too slow, it may delay the settling of the mind, or
even cause agitation. Hence, one should recite to oneself the
normal way it is done in Buddhist countries, at a moderate speed.
After reciting it in ascending order, recite it in descending order
("Bhagavā, Buddho.... Arahaṃ". If it is difficult to do in
descending order, it is fine to restrict oneself to ascending order.
Don't forget that you must recall at least one meaning of each
virtue.

Keep on doing this not just ten, twelve, but twenty or thirty times.
Time-permitting you can even continue a few hundred times. You
will notice that your mind is gradually getting settled. Perhaps you
will even see images of the Buddha in front of you. You should not
pay attention to them; instead, keep on recollecting the virtues of
Buddha. As you progress, your mind will become calm and you
will see a light. This light may be similar to the light of the sun at
dawn. Do not crave such experiences, b but keep on recollecting
the virtues of the Buddha.

You should never start meditation with a desire to see such light.
This is a common instruction to any meditation object. One who
begins meditation with too much expectation will not be able to to
progress. All he should have is the mere awareness of his
meditation object.
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After sufficient practice, select one virtue out of the nine and focus
the mind solely on that virtue. As a result, you will be able to
experience the mind become extremely calm.the mind become
extremely calm.

Loving-Kindness Meditation (Mettābhavana)

After doing the preliminary practices (see above, methods 1, 2
and 3), spread loving-kindness to yourself for a little while and
then visualize a teacher who is very compassionate, to whom you
have respect and who is also of the same sex. Spread loving-
kindness to that teacher. One can develop this meditation object
successively from first jhāna to second jhāna and up to third
jhāna. This should be done in four different ways by using these
phrases (one phrase at a time): be free from enmity (averā hotu),
be free from mental suffering (abyāpajjhā hotu), be free from
physical suffering (anighā hotu), be well and happy (sukhī
attānaṃ pariharatu).

Next, follow the same procedure, only this time selecting ten
people select ten people from each of these four categories: those
whom you respect, those whom are dear to you, those you feel
neutrally towards and those to whom you feel hostility.

In total, then, one will reach third jhāna spreading loving-kindness

to forty people. When one is able to attain third jhāna by spreading
loving-kindness equally to one esself, dear ones, neutral ones and
enemies, sīma sambheda (the breaking down of barriers distance
between individuals) occurs.

At this point loving-kindness can be spread in the ten directions to

twelve different categories of beings: sabbe sattā, sabbe pāṇā,
sabbe bhūtā, sabbe puggalā, sabbe attabhāvapariyāpannā,
sabbā itthiyo, sabbe purisā, sabbe ariyā, sabbe anariyā, sabbe
devā, sabbe manussā, sabbe vinipātikā.
1 Sabbe sattā-All beings, so-called sentient beings endowed with
five aggregates2Sabbe pāṇā -All breathing beings 3Sabbe bhūtā
-All beings that arise owing to their kamma4Sabbe puggalā -All

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individuals, beings seen as individuals5Sabbe attabhāva-
pariyāpannā-All personalities, beings with 'personality
view'6Sabbā itthiyo-All females7Sabbe purisā-All
males8Sabbe ariyā-All noble ones who have attained the four
stages of liberation - Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, and
Arahat9Sabbe anariyā -All those who are not noble
ones10Sabbe devā -All celestial beings of the deva and brahma
worlds11Sabbe manussā -All humankind12Sabbe vinipātikā -
All beings born in the woeful states due to bad kamma, such as
animals, petas, asuras, and hell beings

A total of 528 kinds of jhāna can be attained through loving-

kindness meditation. Without regard to direction (boundless),
there are twelve different categories of beings and four ways (12x4
= 48). Further, the twelve different categories of beings, regarded
in four ways are considered according to the ten directions in
which they dwell (12x4x10 = 480). The total is 528 (48+480)
jhānas.

According to the Buddha loving-kindness meditation brings these

benefits.

The meditator:

1. Sleeps well
2. Wakes well
3. Has no bad dreams
4. Is loved by human beings
5. Is loved by non-human beings
6. Is protected by devas
7. Will suffer no harm from fire, weapons, or poison
8. Will have an easily concentrated mind
9. Will have a clear complexion
10. Will die mindfully
11. Will, should he not attain Arahat, be reborn in a
Brahma world

May all develop enthusiasm to practice loving-kindness

meditation, which brings such immeasurable blessings.

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 Meditation on the Repulsiveness of a Corpse
(Asubhabhāvanā)
The first jhāna based on repulsiveness can be attained by directing
the light of concentration (samādhi) at a corpse one has seen
before, and contemplating its repulsive nature.
By contemplating on the repulsiveness of the various stages of
decomposition of a corpse, the first jhāna can be attained in ten
ways. The stages of decomposition are: uddhumātaka (a bloated
corpse), vinīlaka (a black and blue discolored corpse), vipubbaka
(a festering corpse), vicchiddaka (a corpse cut in the middle),
vikkhāyitaka (a gnawed corpse), vikkhittaka (a scattered
corpse), hatavikkhittaka (a hacked and scattered corpse),
lohitaka (a bleeding corpse), puḷavaka (a worm-infested corpse)
and aṭṭhika (a skeleton). These ten jhānas are similar in their
characteristics.

The filthiness and the stench of a corpse reveal its loathsome,

disgusting nature. When head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, stool,
and urine are detached from the body, one becomes hesitant to
touch them, feeling disgusted and embarrassed to see them. Those
things that are inside the body are just as disgusting as whatever has
become detached from the body. This fact needs to be kept in mind.

Guided Meditation:
Imagine that your dead body is lying on the ground without any
preservatives applied. It becomes dark in color and and bloated.
It becomes increasingly disgusting to look at and swells more and
more until it bursts. After several days, it starts to secrete fluid from
the eyes, mouth and anus. You can see worms creeping out. As the
body rots you see the flesh decay and start to ooze as well. This
emits a terrible odor, extremely loathsome. As the flesh decays
more and more, one starts seeing bones here and there. Gradually
only a skeleton remains.
It is certain that my body will someday undergo this revolting
process. If it were left lying on the ground it would certainly go

19
through this transformation. This is the nature of all formations.
Final Stage: Can you picture a skeleton in your mind?
Contemplate it until it establishes itself and reaches a state where
you can picture it easily and quickly. You will soon get the
opportunity to make use of it.

Recollection of Death (Maranãnussati)

In accordance with the Mahasatipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the

Visuddhimagga commentary, the recollection of death can be
developed based on a corpse that you have seen before. It is
possible to visualize one's own dead body. Therefore, in order to do
maraṇa¯nussati, you should attain the first jhāna by recollecting
the repulsiveness of an external corpse. When you attain the first
jhāna, you should reflect that “similarly, this body of mine is
subject to death. Indeed it will die just like this. It's not possible to
escape from it.” By keeping the mind concentrated, being mindful
of your own death, you will develop a sense of anxiety and urgency
(saṃvega). When this feeling arises, you will probably see your
own body as a repulsive corpse. By perceiving that the life-faculty
has been cut off in the image of your own corpse, you should
continue to meditate on the object of 'cutting-off of the life-
faculty'. When the mind is becoming concentrated you should
repeat one of the following four phrases mentally:
1. I am certain to die, life is impermanent (maraṇaṃ me
dhuvaṃ; ji¯vitaṃ me adhuvaṃ)
2. I will certainly die (maraṇaṃ me bhavissati)
3. My life will end in death (maraṇa pariyosānaṃ me
ji¯vitaṃ)
4. Death, Death (maraṇaṃ, maraṇaṃ)
Select whichever amongst these that you like as a way to
concentrate; you can note it in any language. You should keep
practicing until you become skillful enough to concentrate calmly
on the object of 'the cutting off of the life-faculty' in the image of
your own dead body for one or two hours. When you are capable

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of doing this, the five jhāna factors will arise. But with this subject
of meditation, however, you can it is only possible to attain the
access concentration.

Putting it all Together

These four subjects of meditation: loving-kindness, recollection
of the virtues of the Buddha, repulsiveness of a corpse and
recollection of death, are called the 'Four Protections' or the
'Four Protective Meditations' as they are capable of protecting
the meditator from various dangers. It is therefore important to
learn and develop these before proceeding to develop insight
meditation.
In the Meghiya Sutta (AN 9:3) it states that:
For the removal of craving, meditation on repulsiveness
should be developed, for the removal of aversion, loving-
kindness should be developed, and mindfulness of
breathing should be developed for the cutting off of
discursive thought.

Mindfulness of breathing (Ānāpānasati)

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa

Ānāpānasatī yassa - paripuṇṇā subhāvitā;

Anupubbaṃ paricitā - yathā buddhena desitā;
Somaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti - abbhā muttova candimā

--Tha 548 "Mahākappinattheragāthā”

“(One who has fulfilled, consolidated and methodically developed

mindfulness of breathing as taught by the Buddha, illuminates the
world,If one practices Anapanasathi meditation the way Buddha
has taught, comprehensively and in a profound and manner,
practices it sequentially and methodically, one shall brighten and
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illuminate this world just as the full moon which emerged from the
clouds.
Meditation Instructions:
Since purification of moral conduct is essential for the purification
of mind, it is important that, to begin with, the meditator cleanses
his moral conduct and becomes content and pleased about his
unblemished sīla.
The meditator should refresh himself by bathing his body, then he
should approach an appropriate seat facing East or North, in a calm
and quiet place with proper ventilation. The atmosphere should be
relaxing. He should be seatedsit crossed- legged with an attentive
mind. Since this posture is recommended to both monks and lay
meditators it is appropriate that they follow it.
After sitting down, he should pay homage to the Noble Triple Gem
and entrust his life to the same. The meditator should fulfill the
preliminary work (to be chanted) such as entrusting his life to the
Noble Triple Gem, the virtuous friends (kalyāṇa mittā),
recollecting the virtues of the Buddha, etc.
He should contemplate these four subjects of meditation:
lovingkloving-kindness, the virtues of the Buddha, the
repulsiveness of a corpse and recollection of death. He may then
start anāpānasati meditation by establishing his focus on the
incoming and outgoing breaths.
While keeping his head, neck and the torso erect, he should
visualize himself in the sitting posture, mentally reciting “'seated,
seated…” The eyes (while closed) should be focused on the end of
nostrils.
As stated in “So satova assasati satova passasati” one should
inhale and exhale mindfully. Focusing the mind at the point where
the breath which touches the nostrils, to begin with, one should
count incoming and outgoing breaths separately having the mind
focused at the point where the breath touches the nostrils as “1-2-3-
4-5 ", “1-2-3-4-5-6 ", “1-2-3-4-5-6-7”, “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8”, “1-2-3-
4-5-6-7-8-9", “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10”.

One should keep on reciting these counts mentally, without

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breaking the sequence.
As stated in “dīghaṃ vā assasanto 'dīghaṃ assasāmī'ti
pajānāti, when inhaling and exhaling deep breaths, one should
observe the breath from start to finish with an attentive mind,
counting: “one, one, two, two, three, three.”
As stated in “rassaṃ vā assasanto 'rassaṃ assasāmī'ti pajānāti”
when the breathing is short, one should count: “one, two, three.”
If one forgots the numbers incorrect in the middle, one should start
again from the beginning
To further develop concentration, one should proceed with the
counting cycles in ascending and descending order. One should
follow this sequence - from one to five, five to one; one to six, six to
one, until reaching one to ten, ten to one.
As stated in “sabbakāya paṭisaṃvedi assasāmī'ti sikkhati” one
should contemplate the beginning, middle and end phases of both
the incoming and outgoing breaths with an attentive mind
(abandoning the counting process).
Sabbakaya patisanvedi assasamithi sikkhathi” if starting of breath,
presence, and its end are called start, middle and the end one should
contemplate throughout these three states, with an attentive mind
in both of incoming and outgoing breath.
As stated in “passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī'ti
sikkhati, one may notice that the incoming and outgoing breath
gradually becomes less prominent and more subtle.
When the mind becomes concentrated one would will feel a sense
of joy. As mind and body becomes subtler one would experience
comfort which is soothing.

If the breath becomes so subtler that it appears to vanish altogether,

don't panic and just keep the mind focused at the tip of the nose
where the touch of the breath was previously felt should keep the
mind focused at the tip of the nose, where he previously felt By
doing so one will start to feel the incoming and outgoing breaths
again.
As concentration develops further, one will be able to experience
the 'acquired sign' (uggaha nimitta) and the 'counterpart sign'
(paṭibhāga nimitta) related to ānāpānasati The Aacquired signs
may take various forms, such as lights, stars, gems, pearls, cotton
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wool, white clouds, silver rays, that approach and recede in front of
one's face.
When concentration strengthens even more, the nimitta will
become still and stay at the tip of the nose. It is then called the
counterpart sign. When the hindrances are abandoned and the
factors of absorption become stronger it is called 'access
concentration' (upacāra samādhi). By further developing
ānāpānasati, one canh attain jhāna, which is called 'absorption
Abortion concentration' (appanā samādhi).

A Blessing
This short book has been written to give the reader an introduction
to the preparatory practices necessary to develop deeper levels of
meditation. We hope the reader will use it to develop his good
qualities, qualities that will bring peace and happiness to his life.
May these practices be a support for your complete awakening.

“Sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā ”

May all beings be happy!!!

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