We should go back to the third tetrad of the sutta on mindfulness of
breathing:
(IX) He trains thus ³I shall breathe in experiencing the (manner of)
consciousness²; he trains thus ³I shall breathe out experiencing the (manner
of) consciousness². (X) He trains thus ³I shall breathe in gladdening the
(manner of) consciousness²; he trains thus ³I shall breathe out gladdening
the (manner of) consciousness². (XI) He trains thus ³I shall breathe in
concentrating the (manner of) consciousness²; he trains thus ³I shall
breathe out concentrating the (manner of) consciousness². (XII) He trains
thus ³I shall breathe in liberating the (manner of) consciousness²; he
trains thus ³I shall breathe out liberating the (manner of) consciousness²-
on that occasion, monks, a monk abides contemplating citta in citta, ardent,
clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and grief
regarding the world.
I do not say, monks, that there is mindfulness of breathing in one who is
forgetful and does not clearly comprehend. That is why on that occasion,
monks, a monk abides contemplating citta in citta, ardent, clearly
comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and grief regarding the
world.
The Visuddhimagga states:
IX: In the third tetrad the experiencing of the (manner of) consciousness
must be understood to be through four jhanas.
As regards the words in the third tetrad: ³(X) I shall breathe in...breathe
out gladdening the (manner of) consciousness², the Visuddhimagga (VIII, 231)
states that there is gladdening in two ways, namely through concentration
and through insight. We read:
How through concentration? He attains the two jhånas in which happiness
(piti) is present. At the time when he has actually entered upon them he
inspires the mind with gladness, instils gladness into it, by means of the
happiness associated with the jhåna. How through insight? After entering
upon and emerging from one of the two jhånas accompanied by happiness he
comprehends with insight that happiness associated with the jhåna as liable
to destruction and to fall, thus at the actual time of insight he inspires
the mind with gladness, instils gladness into it by making the happiness
associated with jhåna the object.¹
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