Anapanasati with chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
This guided meditation shares the Buddha’s Anapanasati - Mindfulness of the Breath - meditation combined with chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. The Anapanasati has 16 verses organized into four groups guiding us through awareness and observation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: Body – Feeling – Mind – Phenomena. We begin with 5 minutes of Shamatha and 5 minutes of slow chanting to calm and focus our awareness.
Transcript
Good morning,
Good afternoon,
And good evening to everyone around the world.
Thank you for tuning in.
Hello,
My name is Ryugan White Lotus.
I am a novice minister with Nature in Shoe.
I am a student of the Reverend Michael McCormick.
This guided meditation is recorded at the Nature in Shoe Sangha of the San Francisco Bay Area's Oakland Armahol.
This video shares the Buddhasana Panasati Sudha,
Or mindfulness of the breath meditation.
The Anapanasati has 16 verses or instructions organized into four groups called tetrads,
Which guide us through awareness and observation of the four foundations of mindfulness,
Body,
Feelings,
Mind,
And the phenomena around us.
I personally really enjoy this meditation and do it several times every week.
It's also very easily adapted for chanting and when you're walking.
So if you're out and feeling a little stressed,
You can tune in and use this to guide and calm yourself and get into a really nice space.
We begin this session with five minutes of calming,
Or shamatha meditation,
And five minutes of slow mantra chanting meditation to calm and focus our awareness in preparation for doing the Anapanasati,
Which itself will last about 20 minutes.
The total time for this session will be about 35 minutes.
Enjoy.
Coming now to sit.
Entering into your meditation.
Eyes closed or open,
Whichever you prefer.
Affirming your intention to be here,
Present and alert.
Taking a moment to settle into your favorite meditation posture.
Sitting on the floor,
In a chair,
On the couch,
Or even lying down.
There is no correct or perfect meditation posture.
The ideal posture is one where you are using the least amount of effort,
Finding the balance between effort and ease.
Begin by taking three deep breaths.
Breathing in fully through your nose and gently exhaling all the air through your mouth as you make a soft sighing sound as if the wind were blowing through the spring leaves of a tree.
Breathing in fully through your nose and gently exhaling all the air through the spring leaves of a tree.
Closing your mouth and continuing to breathe in and out through your nose.
With each exhale,
Allowing your body to release a little more tension.
In your forehead,
Eyes,
Cheeks,
Jaw,
Mouth,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Hands,
Upper body,
Lower body,
Belly soft,
Warm,
Relaxed,
Hips,
Pelvis,
Legs,
Feet.
Activating your equanimity by being open and easy going.
Not concerned or worried about sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts,
Or distractions.
Everything is welcome.
Bringing your attention to the sensation of breathing.
The cool feeling of air as it enters your nose,
Filling your belly.
As you exhale,
A gentle settling of your whole body as the warm air passes back out your nose.
In between each breath,
A peaceful sense of rest,
Stillness,
In,
Out.
Don't try to control your breathing in any way.
Just breathe,
Whether it's a short breath or a long breath,
Whether it's deep or shallow.
Allow your breath to find its own natural rhythm.
Breathing through your nose into your belly,
Being aware of it without any judgment or self-criticism or trying to do it right.
Just this breath coming in,
Just this breath going out.
Aware of all the sensations of breathing as each breath follows the other in a constant cycle of renewal and flow.
Sometimes if you're floating along a river,
Flowing into the great sea,
Each breath unique,
Each in breath a new beginning,
Each out breath a letting go.
When the bell rings,
Stay in your meditation posture,
Opening your eyes slightly,
Softly resting your gaze upon the mandala on screen or at home in your own personal sacred space.
Aware both inside and outside you,
Focusing your attention on each syllable of Namu,
Myo,
Ho,
Ren,
Ge,
Kyo.
Even when your mind wanders,
Bring it back to the sound and resonance.
As you chant,
Imagine breathing in a warm,
Bright,
Beautiful light into your heart.
And with each syllable as you chant,
Spreading out from your heart,
Filling your whole body and then shining out all around you as if you are a shining beacon.
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Namo Myoho Rengekyo Nā mū mio hōren gekyō Nā mū mio hōren gekyō We will now begin the Anapanasati meditation.
Breathing in,
I am aware if my breath is long or short.
Breathing out,
I am aware if my breath is long or short.
In,
Out.
Breathing in,
I am aware if my breath is deep or shallow.
Breathing out,
I am aware if my breath is deep or shallow.
In,
Out.
Breathing in,
I am aware of my whole body.
Breathing out,
I am aware of my whole body.
Aware of my whole body.
Breathing in,
I calm my whole body.
Breathing out,
I calm my whole body.
Calming body.
Breathing in,
I feel joyful.
Breathing out,
I feel joyful.
Feeling joyful.
Breathing in,
I feel at ease.
Breathing out,
I feel at ease.
Feeling at ease.
Breathing in,
I am aware of my mental formations.
Breathing out,
I am aware of my mental formations.
Aware of mental formations.
Breathing in,
I calm my mental formations.
Breathing out,
I calm my mental formations.
Calming mental formations.
Breathing in,
I am aware of my mind.
Breathing out,
I am aware of my mind.
Aware of mind.
Breathing in,
I gladden my mind.
Breathing out,
I gladden my mind.
Gladdening mind.
Breathing in,
I concentrate my mind.
Breathing out,
I concentrate my mind.
Concentrating mind.
Breathing in,
I liberate my mind.
Breathing out,
I liberate my mind.
Liberating mind.
Breathing in,
I observe the impermanent nature of all phenomena.
Breathing out,
I observe the impermanent nature of all phenomena.
Impermanent.
Breathing in,
I observe the fading of craving.
Breathing out,
I observe the fading of craving.
Fading of craving.
Breathing in,
I observe cessation.
Breathing out,
I observe cessation.
Breathing in,
I observe letting go.
Breathing out,
I observe letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Slowly begin to emerge from your meditation.
Taking a deep breath in and stretching your arms up toward the sky.
As you lower your arms into your lap,
Breathing out through your mouth,
Letting out a nice long sigh.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers.
Gently rock side to side,
Back and forth.
And then rubbing your hands together to warm your palms.
Tightly cupping your palms over your eyes as you breathe in,
Open your eyes into your palms.
And as you breathe out,
Slowly lower your hands into your lap,
Returning your full awareness to the room around you.
And thank you so much.
The Anupana Sadi's meditation instructions are included in the description below.
If you would like to print them out and use them as a handy guide,
That's what I did when I first learned it.
I would read the instruction,
Then I would close my eyes and do it for as long as I wanted and open my eyes,
Read the next one,
And so on.
Once you've memorized the 16 verses,
You can set aside the instructions.
You can also enjoy the Anupana Sadi while chanting or walking.
You simply focus on your in-breath as we learned,
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
And then as you breathe out,
You're holding the verse silently in your mind as a focus point.
And for example,
When you're chanting,
You would,
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
Namo Myoho Renge Kyo.
As you silently were reciting in your mind,
Chanting Namo Myoho Renge Kyo,
I am aware of my body.
I am calming my body.
I am happy.
I am joyful,
Etc.
Or if you're walking,
The same thing.
You can breathe in for four to five,
Six steps as you silently say to yourself,
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
And then as you breathe out for four or five or six steps,
You repeat the instructions,
Aware of my body,
Calming my body,
Feeling joyful,
Etc.
,
So on.
And then you can modify how many steps for each cycle based on how fast you're walking and how you feel and where you are.
And of course,
When you're walking,
I would definitely keep my eyes open.
While the Anupana Sadi is written in a linear order,
One need not adhere to that precise order.
It's just a guide.
Please feel free to weave and flow in any order that moves you.
And depending on how you feel,
You can do just one instruction during that session of sitting or just one of the groups,
One of the tetrad's,
However you feel you want to work on,
Whether it's pure calming,
Shamatha or insight,
The Pasana.
And until next time,
I wish you all be happy,
Be well,
Be safe,
Be peaceful and at ease.
Namo Myoho Renge Kyo.
