Friends with the Breath, Friends with the Buddha (extract)

"Ajaan Fuang has a nice passage where he talks about the breath as being like a nursemaid who’s been looking after you for all your life, but you haven’t paid that much attention to her to see what kind of person she is, why she’s been so kind to you. Whether you pay attention or not, she keeps breathing in, breathing out. Of course, if she’s neglected she can’t do her best for you.

So, give her some attention. How does the breath feel right now? Is it long? Is it short? Heavy? Light? What kind of breathing feels good right now? — because the breath is nourishment for the body, and it’s most nourishing when it feels refreshing.

The breath becomes even a better friend if you make friends with it. You do it in the same way that you make friends with someone: You have to listen, you have to ask questions, notice. People don’t tell you all about themselves all at once, and often the things they don’t tell you are most important for establishing a friendship.

So try to be observant. Which parts of the body feel nourished by the breath? Which ones don’t feel nourished? What can you do to give them some nourishment, too? Are you clamping down too hard on the breath? Or not enough?

This is something you have to learn over time, just as with a friendship. You don’t become fast friends in a day. It takes a while to get to know the other person. But fortunately the breath is always there to help you."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Friends with the Breath, Friends with the Buddha"

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