4.
The First Discourse on Fruit
980.
"Mindfulness of breathing, monks, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and great benefit.
And how, monks, is mindfulness of breathing developed, how is it cultivated, so that it is of great fruit and great benefit?
Here, monks, a monk, having gone to the forest, or having gone to the root of a tree, or having gone to an empty house, sits down, folding his legs crosswise, directing his body upright, having established mindfulness in front of him.
He, mindful, breathes in; mindful, he breathes out, etc.
he trains: 'Observing relinquishment, I shall breathe in'; he trains: 'Observing relinquishment, I shall breathe out.'
Thus developed, monks, mindfulness of breathing, thus cultivated, is of great fruit and great benefit.
When mindfulness of breathing is thus developed, monks, thus cultivated, one of two fruits is to be expected:
final liberating knowledge in this very life; or, if there is a residue of clinging, non-returning."
The fourth.