--- In Pali@..., Robert Eddison <robedd@...> wrote:

> Dear Dimitry & Jim,
> Dimitry:
> I think that Ven. ~Naa.namoli translated this phrase according to the
> >context. If I remember rightly, Buddhaghosa emphasizes that

mindfulness

> >of breathing is not suitable for everyone.
>
>ROBERT EDDISON: Possibly. But it occurs to me that a practice may be

as difficult as the

> Visuddhimagga maintains mindfulness of breathing to be, and may be

suitable

> only for certain persons, and yet could still be the "foremost among the
> various meditation subjects of all Buddhas, all Pacceka Buddhas and all
> Buddhas' disciples". I don't think there would necessarily be any
> contradiction in claiming both.

_______________

I think mindfulness of breathing, perhaps because it is rather 'neutral'
emotionally, is said to be suitable for all who have the great
accumulations to develop it: in contrast with subjects with other objects
which might be better suited to a dosa carita or lobha carita ect.

On the points abut the difficulty (I can't comment on the points of
grammar):
From visuddhimagga 211 viii the pali: Ki~ncaapi hi ya.mki~nci
kamma.t.thaana.m satassa sampajaanasseva sampajjati. Ito
a~n~na.m pana manasikarontassa paaka.ta.m
hoti. Ida.m pana aanaapaanassatikamma.t.thaana.m garuka.m
garukabhaavana.m buddhapaccekabuddhabuddhaputtaana.m
mahaapurisaa
na.myeva manasikaarabhuumibhuuta.m, na ceva ittara.m, na ca
ittarasattasamaasevita.m. Yathaa yathaa manasi kariiyati, tathaa
tathaa santa
~nceva hoti sukhuma~nca. Tasmaa ettha balavatii sati ca pa~n~naa ca
icchitabbaa.

Translation "Although any meditation subject, no matter what, is
successful
only in one who is mindful and fully aware, yet any other meditation
subect other than [anapanasati] gets more evident as he goes on
giving it his attention. But this mindfulness of breathing is
difficult, difficut to develop, a field in which only the minds of Buddhas,
Paccekabuddhas, and Buddhas' sons are at home. It is no
trivial matter, nor can it be cultivated by trivial people. In
proportion as continued attention is given to it, it becomes more
peaceful and more subtle. So strong mindfulness and understanding
are necessary here."Nanamoli

It is a not uncommon phrase in the commentaries with regard to
anapanasati. E.g:
Patisambhidhimagga -atthakatha anapanassatikatha and in the
Commentary to vinaya
Parajika khanda attakatha

It seems that anapanasati is singled out as being the most profound
object of samatha- all Buddhas develop it- but also the most difficult.
Robert