Dear Yong Peng,
In the Co to Mahaaraaholovaadasutta there is reference to the Vis. as to
breathing. The Vis gives a detailed Co on this subject which can be used for
samatha as well as for vipassana. Four tetrads, groups of four are
discerned, referring to the four foundations of mindfulness: the body,
feelings, citta and dhammas. We can also compare with the Co to the
Anapanasatisutta. For those who are interested I can add a few points,
using a post I wrote to others.
op 07-12-2003 14:25 schreef Ong Yong Peng op ypong001@...:

>
> * sabbakaayappa.tisa.mvedii = sabba+kaaya+p+pa.tisa.mvedii : one who
> experiences entire body.
> * assasissaami (future tense) will breathe in.
> * sikkhati (v.) trains oneself.
>
> 'sabbakaayappa.tisa.mvedii passasissaamii'ti sikkhati;
> one who experiences entire body / will breathe out / trains himself
> 'I will breathe out as one who experiences the whole body', he trains
> himself;

> * passambhaya (causative) to calm.
> * kaayasa'nkhaara = kaaya + sa'nkhaara : bodily function.

N: Vis. VIII, 165 etc: "But their length and shortness should be understood
by extent (addhaana)...so in the case of elephants' and snakes' bodies the
in-breaths and out-breaths regarded as particles slowly fill the long
extent, in other words, their persons, and slowly go out again. That is why
they are called long...> the opposite is said of short. A note of the Tiika
to particles: <Regarded as particles: as a number of groups (kalapa). This
conception of the occurrence of breaths is based on the theory of motion as
"successive arisings in adjacent locations..>
As to group, kalapa, rupas arise in groups which are rapidly arising and
falling away. So is the rupa we call breath. In conventional sense we say
that the breath is long or short.
Another long footnote to Vis. VIII, 168. <That body: that in-breath-and
out-breath body and that material body which is its support. He contemplates
(anupassati): he keeps re-seeing (anu anu passati) with jhana knowledge and
with insight knowledge. ... the contemplation of the body as an
in-breath-and out-breath body as stated and of the physical body that is its
[material]support, which is not contemplation of permanence, etc. , in a
body whose individual essence {N: characteristic, sabhaava) is impermanence,
etc.... but which is rather contemplation of its essence [N: characteristic]
as impermanent, painful, not self, and foul, according as is appropriate, or
alternatively, which is contemplation of it as a mere body only, by not
contemplating it as containing anything that can be apprehended as "I" or
"mine" or "woman" or "man" all this is contemplation of the body. The
mindfulness associated with that contemplation of the body, which
mindfulness is itself the establishment, is the establishment (upa.t.thaana
or pa.t.thaana). The development, the increase, of that is the "development
of the foundation (establishment) of mindfulness consisting in contemplation
of the body"(Pm. 261)>
Thus, development: making much of, increase. Not only concentration, but
realizing the three charactristics is the goal. Mindfulness of the realities
appearing while breathing in order to know their true characteristics.

As we read at the end of the first tetrad, <I say, monks, that of bodies,
this is one, that is to say breathing-in and breathing-out...>The Commentary
explains, this is a certain body, kåya~n~natara: <We speak of a certain body
among the four bodies beginning with the Earth body (N: the four Great
Elements of Earth or solidity, Water or cohesion, Fire or temperature and
Wind or motion). We say that breath is a body. Further, the twentyfive
classes of rupa, namely, the sense-base of visible object (ruupaayatana)....
nutriment, are called the physical body, ruupakaaya (N:different from the
mental body). Of these, breathing is ³a certain body² because it is included
in tangible object base (pho.t.tabbaayatana). ³That is why²: because he
contemplates the body of wind (vaayokaaya, motion or pressure) among the
four bodies (N: the four Great Elements), or he sees breath as one body
among the twentyfive rupas which are the physical body, ruupakaaya.
Therefore he contemplates and sees the body in the body, is the meaning.>
Nina.