Mindfulness of breathing, the four postures, and clear comprehension
🌿 Introduction: The Direct Path to Purification, the Ending of Suffering, and the Realization of Nirvana
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness were personally taught by Śākyamuni Buddha as the true path of meditation. They are an essential practice for purification, freedom from suffering, and awakening, and they are a fundamental training that should not be overlooked on the path toward Buddhahood.
This is not a general form of meditation meant only for relaxation or stress relief. It is a true Buddhist practice for training mindfulness, clear comprehension, concentration, and wisdom.
This guide focuses on the first three foundations of mindfulness: contemplation of the body, contemplation of feelings, and contemplation of the mind.
Because this practice is deep and extensive, this guided meditation series is divided into three blog posts. We begin with the breath and clear awareness in daily life, then go deeper into contemplating the body through impurity and the elements, and finally reflect on impermanence before turning toward feelings and the mind. Together, these three practices help us see the body, feelings, and mind more clearly—so we can loosen clinging, return to mindfulness, and walk more steadily on the path toward awakening.
It is suitable for those who already have faith in the Dharma and are willing to practice sincerely. In the “Meditate with Me” series, this is an intermediate-to-advanced practice. 🪷
🪷 When Is This Guided Practice Suitable?
You can use this guided practice when you want to:
- Train mindfulness, clear comprehension, concentration, and contemplative awareness
- Calm a scattered mind, heavy afflictions, or the tendency to be carried away by body, feelings, and mind
- Bring spiritual practice into daily life in a real and practical way
- Walk step by step toward awakening and liberation
This is not an ordinary calming exercise. It is a practice that helps practitioners gradually learn:
To contemplate the body, feelings, and mind; to know and see them as they truly are; and to gradually let go of clinging and move toward awakening.
🌱 Practice Suggestions
If you truly want to gain strength in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, it is recommended to practice as much as possible every day and continue for several months or longer.
This is a proper path of practice that requires long-term cultivation and steady effort.
There is no need to rush to understand everything immediately. As long as you practice daily and observe again and again, what is unfamiliar will gradually become familiar, and what is shallow will gradually become deep.
🔊 Suggested Way to Use This Guide
You may read it silently by yourself, or use your browser’s read-aloud function. Slow down the reading speed and let the whole guide lead you into the practice with a calmer, steadier rhythm.
💻 On a Computer
Microsoft Edge: You can use Read Aloud / Immersive Reader
📱 On a Phone
iPhone Safari: You can use Listen to Page
Some versions of Chrome also support webpage read-aloud features.
🌸 Meditation Begins
Now, first become quiet. 🌿
Remember this:
This is the direct path for the purification of beings.
This is the direct path for overcoming sorrow and lamentation.
This is the direct path for the ending of pain and grief.
This is the direct path for reaching the right way.
This is the direct path for the realization of Nirvana.
This is the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
What are these four?
Contemplating the body as body
Contemplating feelings as feelings
Contemplating the mind as mind
Contemplating phenomena as phenomena
Here:
One abides contemplating the body as body,
ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful,
having put away covetousness and grief for the world.
One abides contemplating feelings as feelings,
ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful,
having put away covetousness and grief for the world.
One abides contemplating the mind as mind,
ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful,
having put away covetousness and grief for the world.
One abides contemplating phenomena as phenomena,
ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful,
having put away covetousness and grief for the world.
Now, begin to practice in this way. 🧘
1. Contemplating the Body as Body
Begin with the Body, the Most Direct and Stable Doorway
(1) Mindfulness of Breathing — Settling in the Body Through the Breath 🌬️
Now, go to the forest,
or to the foot of a tree,
or to an empty room.
Sit down.
Sit cross-legged.
Keep the body upright.
Establish mindfulness before you.
Now, breathe in mindfully.
Breathe out mindfully.
There is no need to rush to find any special feeling.
You only need to clearly know:
I am breathing in.
I am breathing out.
When you breathe in a long breath, know:
“I am breathing in a long breath.”
When you breathe out a long breath, know:
“I am breathing out a long breath.”
When you breathe in a short breath, know:
“I am breathing in a short breath.”
When you breathe out a short breath, know:
“I am breathing out a short breath.”
Now train yourself in this way:
“I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.”
“I will breathe out experiencing the whole body.”
Once again:
“I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.”
“I will breathe out experiencing the whole body.”
Now train yourself in this way:
“I will breathe in calming the bodily formation.”
“I will breathe out calming the bodily formation.”
Once again:
“I will breathe in calming the bodily formation.”
“I will breathe out calming the bodily formation.”
Just like a skilled musician,
when playing a long note, clearly knows it is a long note;
when playing a short note, clearly knows it is a short note.
He is clearly aware of each sound.
In the same way:
When breathing in a long breath, know:
“I am breathing in a long breath.”
When breathing out a long breath, know:
“I am breathing out a long breath.”
When breathing in a short breath, know:
“I am breathing in a short breath.”
When breathing out a short breath, know:
“I am breathing out a short breath.”
And train yourself in this way:
“I will breathe in experiencing the whole body.”
“I will breathe out experiencing the whole body.”
“I will breathe in calming the bodily formation.”
“I will breathe out calming the bodily formation.”
Now, simply abide in this way. 🍃
Do not deliberately think about anything else. Just place your whole attention on your own breathing.
Only one breath in and one breath out, clearly known.
Only abiding in the body, aware through the breath.
This is how the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness begins with contemplating the body as body.
The Insight of Contemplating the Body: Not Merely Knowing Movements, but Seeing Arising and Passing Away Without Clinging 👁️
Now, do not rush.
Slowly bring your awareness back to the body.
Simply know:
“There is a body here.”
Inwardly, be aware of the body’s breath, sensations, and changes.
Outwardly, be aware of the body’s posture, movements, and outward expressions.
Contemplate inwardly and outwardly together: this body is only formed through causes and conditions, constantly arising, changing, and passing away.
Now, contemplate the body’s nature of arising.
Observe how it appears and how it changes.
Then contemplate the body’s nature of passing away.
Observe how it fades, declines, and disappears.
Then contemplate the body’s nature of both arising and passing away.
See that all bodily sensations, postures, and movements
are constantly changing.
Nothing can remain forever.
At this point, establish only this simple perception:
“There is a body.”
Just knowing.
Just mindful.
Just clearly aware:
“There is a body.”
Do not regard it as “me.”
Do not regard it as “mine.”
Do not give rise to craving for it.
Do not give rise to sorrow because of it.
In this way, abide independently.
Do not cling to anything in the world.
Do not cling to anything in the world.
This is how one abides contemplating the body as body.
(2) The Four Postures: Knowing What the Body Is Doing While Walking, Standing, Sitting, and Lying Down 🚶♂️🧍♀️🪑🛏️
Now, bring awareness into the body’s everyday postures.
When walking, know:
“I am walking.”
When standing, know:
“I am standing.”
When sitting, know:
“I am sitting.”
When lying down, know:
“I am lying down.”
Or whatever posture this body is in,
know it just as it is.
When walking, know walking.
When standing, know standing.
When sitting, know sitting.
When lying down, know lying down.
There is no need to think too much.
There is no need to analyze.
Simply know clearly what the body is doing.
Then abide in this way:
Inwardly, be aware of the body’s inner sensations and changes.
Outwardly, be aware of the body’s posture, movements, and outward expressions.
Contemplate the body inwardly and outwardly together.
Contemplate arising.
Contemplate passing away.
Contemplate arising and passing away.
Establish the perception “There is a body”
only to the extent necessary for simple knowing and mindfulness.
Just knowing.
Just mindful.
Just clearly aware of the body’s posture and changes.
Abide independently.
Do not cling to anything in the world.
This, too, is how one abides contemplating the body as body.
(3) Clear Comprehension / Full Awareness: Bringing Practice Into Every Detail of Movement 🔍
Now, bring this awareness into even more subtle movements.
When going forward and returning,
act with clear comprehension.
When looking ahead and looking aside,
act with clear comprehension.
When bending and stretching the limbs,
act with clear comprehension.
When dressing, arranging clothing, and taking up objects,
act with clear comprehension.
When eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting,
act with clear comprehension.
When urinating and defecating,
also act with clear comprehension.
When walking, act with clear comprehension.
When standing, act with clear comprehension.
When sitting, act with clear comprehension.
When falling asleep, act with clear comprehension.
When waking up, act with clear comprehension.
When speaking, act with clear comprehension.
When remaining silent, act with clear comprehension.
Whether the movement is large or small,
be fully clearly comprehending.
Whether the movement is coarse or subtle,
be fully clearly comprehending.
Do not let practice remain only in seated meditation.
Do not let awareness remain only in quiet moments.
Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down,
eating, drinking, speaking, and remaining silent—
all can become practice.
Then abide in this way:
Inwardly, be aware of the body’s inner sensations and changes.
Outwardly, be aware of the body’s posture, movements, and outward expressions.
Contemplate the body inwardly and outwardly together.
Contemplate the body’s nature of arising.
Contemplate the body’s nature of passing away.
Contemplate the body’s nature of arising and passing away.
The perception “There is a body”
is established only to the extent necessary to support simple knowing and mindfulness.
Just knowing.
Just mindful.
Just clearly aware:
“There is a body.”
Abide independently.
Do not cling to anything in the world.
This, too, is how one abides contemplating the body as body.
Closing Guidance: Bringing Mindfulness Back to the Present Moment 🪷
When you are ready to end the practice,
do not rush to open your eyes.
First, gently
return to this moment.
Feel that this body is still sitting here.
Know that this body is still sitting here.
Notice what feeling is present right now.
Whether it is calm,
a subtle movement,
a sense of ease,
or something not very obvious,
just know it.
Now look at the mind in this moment.
Whether it is focused,
peaceful,
or still slightly scattered,
it is okay.
Just know it as it truly is.
In this moment,
there is nothing more you need to do.
There is nothing special you need to seek.
Just abide.
Just be clear.
Just know:
There is body.
There are feelings.
There is mind.
Then gently say in your heart:
Thank you to this body,
for allowing me to learn and practice in this life.
Thank you to this moment of awareness,
for helping me slowly learn to know and see as things truly are.
Thank you, Amitabha Buddha.
May I continue to follow the Buddha’s teaching,
contemplating the body, contemplating feelings, and contemplating the mind.
May I have a little less clinging,
and a little more clarity.
May my body and mind gradually become purified.
May my afflictions gradually come to rest.
May I always remember Amitabha Buddha.
May I not be separated from right mindfulness.
May I walk step by step on the path of awakening.
Now, slowly recite three times:
Amituofo…
Amituofo…
Amituofo…
Then gently move your fingers.
Gently move your toes.
Slowly open your eyes.
Bring this mindfulness,
this stability,
and this clarity
back into the present moment before you.
Note: During your own meditation practice, if thoughts keep arising, there is no need to feel anxious. Thoughts are like clouds, coming and going, arising and passing away. We should remember: we are not the clouds; we are the sky. As long as we do not chase after thoughts or let ourselves be carried away by them, no matter how many clouds appear, they cannot cover the light.
In practice, simply observe quietly. See how each thought arises, how it lingers, and how it fades away. Do not follow it, suppress it, or fight against it. Through steady practice, mindfulness and clear awareness will gradually grow, and your alertness and insight will become clearer.
As you become more able to see the arising and passing away of thoughts, you will notice the first signs of mental afflictions earlier. Thoughts that have already arisen can be allowed to cease in time; distracting thoughts that have not yet arisen can be guarded against before their conditions fully form, so the mind is no longer so easily pulled away.
Prefer Chinese? Read it here.