1.
The Discourse at Icchānaṅgala
987.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Icchānaṅgala in the Icchānaṅgala forest thicket.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"I wish, monks, to go into seclusion for three months.
I should not be approached by anyone except for one bringing almsfood."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks, having assented to the Blessed One, no one approached the Blessed One there except for one bringing almsfood.
Then the Blessed One, by the elapse of that three months, having emerged from seclusion, addressed the monks - "If, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics were to ask you thus - 'With which abiding, friend, did the ascetic Gotama frequently dwell during the rains residence?' - thus asked, you, monks, should answer those heterodox wandering ascetics thus - 'With the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, friend, the Blessed One frequently dwelt during the rains residence.' Here I, monks, breathe in mindful, I breathe out mindful. Breathing in long, I understand: 'I breathe in long'; breathing out long, I understand: 'I breathe out long'; breathing in short, I understand: 'I breathe in short'; breathing out short, I understand: 'I breathe out short'; I understand: 'Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in.' Etc. I understand: 'Observing relinquishment, I shall breathe in'; I understand: 'Observing relinquishment, I shall breathe out.'"
"If anyone, monks, speaking rightly would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding' - speaking rightly of the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, one would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding' - Those monks, monks, who are trainees, who have not attained their goal, dwelling aspiring for the unsurpassed freedom from bondage - for them the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, leads to the elimination of mental corruptions. But those monks, monks, who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what had to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have utterly eliminated the fetters of existence, who are completely liberated through final knowledge - for them the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, leads to pleasant abiding in the present life and to mindfulness and full awareness.
"If anyone, monks, speaking rightly would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding' - speaking rightly of the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, one would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding.'" The first.