[1320] "That mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati) exists, Ariṭṭha; I do not say that it does not. But, Ariṭṭha, as to how mindfulness of breathing is fulfilled in detail — listen to that and attend closely; I shall speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ariṭṭha replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"And how, Ariṭṭha, is mindfulness of breathing fulfilled in detail? Here, Ariṭṭha, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest, or gone to the root of a tree, or gone to an empty dwelling, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him, just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. Breathing in long, he knows, 'I breathe in long' … he trains thus: 'Contemplating relinquishment (paṭinissagga), I shall breathe in'; he trains thus: 'Contemplating relinquishment, I shall breathe out.' It is in this way, Ariṭṭha, that mindfulness of breathing is fulfilled in detail."
¹ Variant reading in the PTS and Burmese editions: *ajjhattabahiddhā* (footnote in the Siam Raṭṭha edition, pertaining to the preceding passage).
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.