[178] Then the Blessed One approached the attendance hall; having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared for him. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:
"Bhikkhus, this concentration (samādhi) through mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati), when developed and cultivated, is both peaceful and sublime, an unadulterated pleasant abiding, and it makes evil, unwholesome dhammas, whenever they arise, vanish and subside on the spot. Just as, bhikkhus, in the last month of the hot season, when a mass of dust and dirt has been stirred up, a great unseasonal rain cloud makes it vanish and subside on the spot — even so, bhikkhus, concentration through mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is both peaceful and sublime, an unadulterated pleasant abiding, and it makes evil, unwholesome dhammas, whenever they arise, vanish and subside on the spot.
"And how, bhikkhus, is concentration through mindfulness of breathing developed, how is it cultivated, so that it is both peaceful and sublime, an unadulterated pleasant abiding, and makes evil, unwholesome dhammas, whenever they arise, vanish and subside on the spot?
"Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest, or gone to the foot of a tree, or gone to an empty dwelling, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness (sati) in front of him. Mindful he breathes in; mindful he breathes out. Breathing in long, he knows, 'I breathe in long'; or breathing out long, he knows, 'I breathe out long.' Breathing in short, he knows, 'I breathe in short'; or breathing out short, he knows, 'I breathe out short.' He trains thus: 'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Calming the bodily formation, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Calming the bodily formation, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Experiencing rapture (pīti), I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Experiencing rapture, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Experiencing pleasure, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Experiencing pleasure, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Experiencing the mental formation, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Experiencing the mental formation, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Calming the mental formation, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Calming the mental formation, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Experiencing the mind (citta), I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Experiencing the mind, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Gladdening the mind, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Gladdening the mind, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Concentrating the mind, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Concentrating the mind, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Liberating the mind, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Liberating the mind, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Contemplating impermanence, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Contemplating impermanence, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Contemplating dispassion, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Contemplating dispassion, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Contemplating cessation (nirodha), I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Contemplating cessation, I shall breathe out.' He trains thus: 'Contemplating relinquishment, I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Contemplating relinquishment, I shall breathe out.'
"Thus developed, bhikkhus, thus cultivated, concentration through mindfulness of breathing is both peaceful and sublime, an unadulterated pleasant abiding, and it makes evil, unwholesome dhammas, whenever they arise, vanish and subside on the spot."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.