Hello Gabriel,

Thank you for your original translation of Aanaapaanasati sutta.

Personally I find useful 'the front of chest' rendition of
'parimukha.m':

[1] "There is the case where a monk -- having gone to the wilderness,
to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building -- sits down folding
his legs crosswise, holding his body erect and setting mindfulness to
the fore [lit: the front of the chest]. Always mindful, he breathes
in; mindful he breathes out."

It seems to me that literal meanings of Pali words are often taken for
something more abstract.

GBPGU> That is how I instruct it at Buddhâyatana. The idea expressed in the
GBPGU> Suttas, I think, is that, with both lucidity and detachment, one observes
GBPGU> oneself observing (some aspect of reality), and then you can expand to
GBPGU> yourself observing yourself observing yourself... until this multi-layered
GBPGU> process of sati-observation dissolves itself, and what is left is pure,
GBPGU> detached sam'â'dhi and vi'mokha.

This reminds me of another passage in Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translation:

"And how are the four frames of reference developed & pursued so as to
bring the seven factors of awakening to their culmination?

"[1] On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of
itself -- ardent, alert, & mindful -- putting aside greed & distress
with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is
steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without
lapse, then mindfulness as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He
develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its
development.

"[2] Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, & comes to
a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains
mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, & coming to a comprehension
of that quality with discernment, then analysis of qualities as a
factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it
goes to the culmination of its development."

Thus 'analysis of qualities' is applied to 'mindfulness', bringing the
development further (see also chapter II-g from the "Wings of
Awakening"
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/modern/wings/2g.html ).

I found the sequence to work as described, i.e. from mindfulness to
analysis of qualities to persistence, and so on.

Mettena cittena,

Dimitry