Dec.

19, 2019

Different Interpretations on
Anugama (following breathing) in
the Theravāda and Sarvāstivāda

南北传对“随息”的不同解释

Fa Qing (Lang Heping)

Dec. 19, 2019

1
安那般那念，简称为安般念（入出息念
ānāpānasmṛti ，巴利： ānāpānasati ）
For those in training it leads to the
destruction of the taints; for arahants it leads
to a pleasant dwelling here and now and to
mindfulness and clear comprehension
(S.54:11).
修行者体验禅定后，能增加对佛法的信
心；对于阿罗汉来说，入出息念定是当下愉
快的居所。 2
 一、 念处经
The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
Mindfulness of breathing covers all Four
Establishments of Mindfulness.
安般念涵盖了所有四念处。

Suttas for the Four Establishments of

Mindfulness:
1. Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttaṁ 长部 22 大念处
经
2. Satipaṭṭhānasuttaṁ 中部 10 经 ( 中阿含
98 念处经 ) 3
 一、 念处经

The topic of Satipaṭṭhāna are also preserved in

Chinese and Sanskrit, the Satipaṭṭhāna
Saṃyutta (S47), and the Satipaṭṭhāna
Vagga(A9:63-72).
最早有关四念处的经在 《南传相应部》的“
47 念处相应中”（ SN47 ）和《南传增支部
》的“念处部”（ A9:63-72 ）。
汉译相对应的经有《杂阿含经 · 念处相应
》共 54 经。 《摩诃般若波罗蜜经》。
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 一、 念处经

《中阿含 ·98 念处经》中有异于巴利文《大

念处经》的地方：

●
南传安般念顺序在“身念处”第一位，
●
北传则以“四威仪”为第一。

南传比较注重安般念的修习，而一切有部则
着重不净观。
Theravāda stresses on ānāpāna,
Sarvāstivāda on aśubha. 5
 二、安那般那念经
The Ānāpānasati Sutta
南传中部《安那般那念经》 (MN 118) 开示修
习安般念十六种法门（十六特圣），十六门
分为四组，与四念处相对应。也就是说修安
般念一项就包含了四念处。
MN118 explains sixteen steps in mindfulness
of breathing and of the relation of this
meditation to the four Establishments of
Mindfulness.
北传中阿含没有对应的经，但在杂阿含中
有相应的经（杂阿含 810 经）。 6
 安那般那的定义
The Definition of Ānāpāna
●
《修行道地经》定义为：“出息为安，入息为般
。”安那般那是“出、入息”。
●
《清净道论》：“安那般那”在律书中定义为“
出、入息”，在后期阿毘达磨论书中定义为“入
、出息”。《大毘婆沙论》也有类似的说法。
Saṃgharakṣa’s Yogacāryabhūmi Sūtra (trans. By
Dharmarakṣa 竺法護 cir. 226 CE.) defines “āna as
breathing out, apāna as breathing in.” The same was
defined in the Vinaya commentary according to the
Visuddhimagga.

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 安那般那的定义
The Definition of Ānāpāna
《达摩多罗禅经》说“持风来入内，是故说阿
那。”但全文主要用梵文音译“安那般那”和“
安般”，文中“入出息”和“出入息”两者都用
●
阿含经和早期翻译的汉文经论用“出入息”译
安那般那。 Mindfulness of breathing out and in
●
鸠摩罗什两者都用。以后的翻译如玄奘用的是“
入出息”。
Āgama sūtras and early translation of Chinese texts
used breathing-out for āna. Kumārajīva used both
breathing-in and breathing-out for āna, Xuanzang
uses breathing-in for āna.
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 十六特胜
16 Modes of Mindfulness of Breathing
First Tetrad:
1.Breathing in and out long 吸呼气长
2.Breathing in and out short 吸呼气短
3.Experiencing the whole body 体验全身
4.Tranquillizing the bodily formation 平静身行
Second Tetrad:
5.Experiencing rapture 体验喜
6.Experiencing happiness 体验乐
7.Experiencing mental formations 体验心行
8.Tranquillizing mental formations 平静心行

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十六特胜
16 Modes of Mindfulness of Breathing
Third Tetrad:
9. Experiencing the mind 体验心
10. Gladdening mind 令心喜悦
11. Concentrating the mind 令心等持
12. Liberating the mind 令心解脱
Fourth Tetrad:
13. Contemplating impermanence 观无常
14. Contemplating fading away 观离欲
15. Contemplating cessation 观灭
16. Contemplating relinquishment
(paṭinissaggānupassī) 观舍遣
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 十六特胜
16 Modes of Mindfulness of Breathing
Earlier Chinese translations and Tian Tai School have
different names for the first tetrad, which actually
become 5 parts: 天台宗第一组有 5 项：
1 breathing-in, 2 breathing-out,
3 breathing-long and breathing-short,
4 experiencing the whole body and
5 tranquilizing the bodily formation.

While the second tetrad only has three parts, leaving

out “tranquilizing mental formations”.
天台宗把知息入出长短分为三项，没有“觉心行”
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 十六特胜

天台宗（天台宗法界次第初门）：
●
(1 ～ 4) 知息入、知息出、知息长短、知息遍身
●
(5 ～ 8) 除诸身行、受喜、受乐、受诸心行、
●
(9 ～ 12) 心作喜、心作摄、心作解脱、观无常
●
(13 ～ 16)) 观出散、观离欲、观灭、观弃舍
天台宗把知息入出长短分为三项，没有“觉心行”
修习这十六种呼吸方法，分四组，每一组与四念
处相对应。可见这十六特胜涵盖了四念处。
The 16 modes of meditation are divided into four
groups which correspond to the Four Establishments
of Mindfulness.
1
 三、六妙门 The Six Gates
in the Mindfulness of Breathing
在早期阿含经和巴利五部经中，没有提到六
妙门，只提到以上十六特胜。
The sixteen modes are the earliest teaching
found in the Nikāyas and Āgamas, and that the
“four gates” and “six gates” were developed
later.

十六特胜分为四组，第一组开始，观息长，
息短；看起来容易，可实际修习时，初学者
很难观到。 1
 三、六妙门 The Six Gates
in the Mindfulness of Breathing
后来阿毘达磨在解释第一组时，让初学者从
数息开始， 也就是六妙门的由来。
如鸠摩罗什的《坐禅三昧经》说初学者修
十六门时，修六妙门。现在各派禅师在教导
弟子禅修时，多数从数息开始。

The six gates doctrine was originated within

the northern commentary traditions. While
the four-stage doctrine is shared by both Pali
and northern traditions 1
 三、六妙门

The sit gates are 六妙门是：

1. counting (gaṇanā 數 )
2. following (anugama 隨 )
3. stilling (sthāpanā 止 )
4. observing (upalakṣanā 觀 )
5. reverting (vivartana 轉 )
6. complete purity (pariśuddhi 淨 )

1
 三、六妙门

修习六门时，没有固定顺序，行者可忽略某一门。
经文和论疏中有时解释四门，有时六门，八门等。
解释内容也有出入。 These six stages are not fixed,
sometimes explained as four stages, eight stages
etc. The contents sometimes differ.

《解脱道论》说：“先师说四种修念安般，所谓算
、随逐、安置、随观。”“先师” (pubbācariya)
在这里表明四种修习安般念的方法比该论文的组成
日期更早。 The Vimuttimagga: “The four ways of
practicing mindfulness of breathing as the teaching of
the ancient masters (pubbācariya 先師 ).” 1
 三、六妙门

法护译《修行道地经》只提到四门说：“数息、随
息、观息、还净。” 此处定义“还净”为“还净之
行制其心”；与六门相比，这里的“还净”就包含
于“止”、“转”和“净”三项。也可以说这是早
期的四门，六门是在此基础上发展出来的。

安世高译的《大安般守意经》里提到的六门：数、
随、止、观、还、净。“净”只是简单定义为“念
断为净”，没有象以后解释净为果位。

1
 三、六妙门

Why do we need to contemplate the six gates,

not the sixteen modes?
The Ānāpāna Mindfulness Sūtra suggests that
contemplating the body should occur only
after finishing all six stages of ānāpāna.
为什么不直接修习十六胜行而修习六妙门？
在修习四念处时，初学者杂念太多，不易观
身，所以先修六门。《大安般守意经》说：
用意不净故不见身；意已净 , 便悉见身内外
。 1
 三、六妙门

《坐禅三昧经》总结了修习六妙门的次第：
1. 若初习行，当教言，一心念“数入息出息
”，若长若短数一至十。
2. 若已习行，当教言，数一至十，“随息入
出”，念与息俱，止心一处。
3. 若久习行，当教言，数、随、止、观、转
、观清净。阿那般那三昧，六种门十六分。
可以理解为：初学者，修数息；进一步
修数，后修随、止。高级阶段，则修六妙门
和十六特圣。 1
 三、六妙门

The Dhyāna Sūtra suggests that the six gates

are included in the first step of breathing in
and out of the sixteen modes.
Practicing mindfulness of breathing has six
methods. Counting is the first method for the
beginners. Following and stilling are good for
those “they have been practicing”. The sixteen
modes are suitable for the advanced meditators.
These six methods are based on the sixteen
modes of practice in the Nikāya/Āgama. 2
 四、随息
Anugama (Following)
《大毘婆沙论》 : 随者，系心随息从外入内：谓从
“口鼻”流至“咽喉”，复从“咽喉”流至“心胸
”，复从“心胸”流至“脐轮”；如是展转乃至“
足指（趾）心”，皆随逐心。复随息从内出
外 ...... ；随根势力，息去近远，心皆随逐。
The Vibhāṣā: One follows the breath from the
mouth or the nose to the throat, chest, navel and
finally toes. The mind follows the whole path from
outside to inside. When breathing out, the process
is reversed. It is stated that the mind should follow
the breath traveling out to the extent that the
practitioner is capable ( 隨根勢力 ). 2
 四、随息

这里主张随息到脚趾说，与庄子所说一样：
“ 真人之息以踵，众人之息以喉。”

Zhuangzi (cir BCE369—286), the pivotal figure in

Classical Philosophical Daoism, has a similar
statement to the Vaibhāṣika.
“Their breathing came deep and silently. The breathing
of the true man comes (even) from his heels, while
normal men generally breathe (only) from their
throats.”

2
 四、随息

论中还给予了补充，认为入出息随身，指从口入息
后到脐轮，后渐渐流散到全身：
问：入出息风为先入耶，为先出耶？
答：应说先入。谓此息风先入口鼻，流至咽喉，
复从咽喉流至心胸，复从心胸流至脐轮，复从脐轮
渐渐流散，遍诸支节。

When one’s practice progressed, one can visualize

the wind in and out through the whole body, which
is the stage of “Experiencing the whole body” (the
third mode of the sixteen).
2
 四、随息

有说：“先出。谓脐轮中有息风起流散上下，开诸
毛孔方出至外。”

评曰：“彼不应作是说，息风不能开毛孔故。

应作是说，有业生风开诸毛孔，毛孔开已乃有息风
于中入出。”

2
 四、随息

“ 业生风”也就是息念有所成就后的行者，如下解
释：

问：此观息风，从鼻而入还从鼻出？何故乃说“我
觉遍身入出息”耶？

答：息念未成，观入出息从鼻入出。
息念成已，观身毛孔犹如藕根，息风周遍于中入出
。

2
 四、随息

达摩多罗禅经》给“随”的定义：
修行出入息，随到所起处，
如是知升进，能离外贪着。
“这里的所起处是脐部，随息从鼻到脐。
The Dharmatrāta-dhyāna Sūtra defines
anugama: “Practicing ānāpānasati, one
follows where the breath is arising. ” It refers
to the navel. Thus anugama means following
breathing in from the nose to the navel, and
out from the navel to the nose. 2
 四、随息

《坐禅三昧禅经》也说修随息念时，不
数即是随；修止息时才知息从脐、心等
轮出入。

In the Dynāna sūtra, it only mentions

four places where the breathing-in ends
at the navel, not the toes when defining
stillness.
2
 四、随息

《顺正理论》进一步解释：心随息出入，经过喉、
心、脐等到足指，为修习“知息遍身”的一部分。

众贤还继续列举其它两种的解释，反驳世亲对这两
者的批判. 众贤认为随“息从足下出”，是观想的
方法（胜解作意）为了成就实修，无过。
Saṁghabhadra in his Nyāyānusāraśāstra defends
opponents’ argument that visualization of breathing
goes through the nose, throat, chest, navel and the
toes are not REAL breath though, but this
visualization can enable one to reach reality quickly
( 为令眞实作意速成 ). 2
 《清净道论》 Anugama
in the Visuddhimagga
The Visuddhimagga further explained the
First Four Tetrad in 8 stages,
– (1) counting 数
– (2) connection (anugama 随 ):
– (3) touching 触 (4) fixing 止
– (5) observing 观
– (6) turning away 还
– (7) purification 净 (8) looking back on
these, 中午没有第八，只有七种，第三“触
”和第四 “止”是一起修的，也可以理解为六
2
 四、随息

We can consider Visuddhimagga’s eight stages are

similar to the six gates of the Sarvāstivāda.

The main difference is that Visuddhimagga criticizes the

Sarvāstivādin’s interpretation of anugama by using the
chakras such as nose, throat, chest and navel.
《清净道论》主张出入息自然 , 反对随观“喉、胸、
脐轮”

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 四、随息

Having given attention to it in this way by

counting, he should now do so by connection
(anugama). Connection is the uninterrupted
following of the in-breaths and out-breaths
with mindfulness after counting has been
given up. And that is not by following after
the beginning, the middle and the end...

随逐即放弃了数以念随行于不断的出息入息
，然亦不是随行于（出入息的）初中后的。 3
 四、随息

The navel is the beginning of the wind issuing

out, the heart is its middle and the nose-tip is
its end. The nose-tip is the beginning of the
wind entering in, the heart is its middle and
the navel is its end. And if he follows after
that, his mind is distracted by disquiet and
perturbation (Vism. Chap. 8, Para. 196-197)
外出的息以脐为初，以心脏为中，以鼻端为
后；内入的息以鼻端为初，以心脏为中，以
脐为后。 ... 身与心皆成热恼、动乱而颤动 . 3
 四、随息

Here, Visuddhimagga has a long paragraph

criticizing other traditions who use navel,
heart, nose-tip as following or connection
because this kind of breathing is not a natural
flow and it may lead to one’s mind and body
being annoyed.
《清净道论》用了大量的篇幅批驳随鼻、心
、脐轮等，“身与心皆成热恼、动乱而颤动
”，应修止（“触”及“安住”）。
3
The Visuddhimagga concludes that when
cultivating ānāpānasati, one is able to know
when one is going to die. “… But when he has
reached Arahantship by developing this
mindfulness of breathing with its sixteen bases,
he can always define his life term. He knows,
‘My vital formations will continue now for so
long and no more.’ Automatically he performs
all the functions of attending to the body,
dressing and robing, etc., after which he closes
his eyes...” (Vism. Chap. 8, Para. 243) 3
 《清净道论》最后总结说修习安般念的长
处是临终时可自知时至：“如果是修习此十
六事的安般念而证阿罗汉的比丘，则必定知
其寿命的期间。他既得知‘我的寿命只能维
持这样长，更无多的了’，能够自己作其自
然的（沐浴剪发等）身体之事及穿着衣服等
的工作，然后闭其眼睛。”

3
In the Discourse on the Essential Secrets of
Meditation ( 禪祕要法經 T15, No. 613),
counting meditation is an antidote to
sensuous desire, and is practiced together
with mindfulness of the skeleton ( 白骨观
asthi-saṃjñā).

3
 五、总结

安那般那念是佛陀早期教授的禅修方法之一。
在南传中部、相应部 和北传的杂阿含中，佛陀
解说修习入出息念可以贯通四念处，分为十六
种层次或方法（十六特胜）。 Mindfulness of
breathing is one of the methods taught by the
Buddha. In the early sūtras, mindfulness of
breathing was explained under sixteen modes.

3
 五、总结
对于初学者来说观呼吸长短很难，所以在阿毘
达磨论中有建议初学者先修习四门或六门（六
妙门）；其中，数息、随息、止息、观息是南
北传的共同解释。
For the beginners, it is difficult to practice the
sixteen modes. The Abhidharmikas suggest the
four methods of practice breathing (counting,
following, stillness and observing), which are
also common among all traditions. In the
Northern tradition, mindfulness of breathing
was further developed as the six gates. 3
 五、总结

六门的前四种修习方法是早期教学，而六门则是后来
开发的。对随息的解释，《大毘婆沙论》认为入出息
随身，指从口鼻入息后，经过喉、心、脐轮，最后抵
达脚趾心。息念有所成就者，“毛孔犹如藕根，息风
周遍于中入出”。诚如庄子所说：“真人之息以踵，
众人之息以喉。”
The classical Daoist Zhuangzi had a similar
statement: “The breathing of the true man comes
(even) from his heels, while normal men generally
breathe (only) from their throats.”
3
 五、总结

The Visuddhimagga further explained the First

Four Tetrad as 8 stages, which is similar to the Six
Gates of the Sarvāstivādin tradition. The main
difference is that the Visuddhimagga criticizes the
Sarvāstivādin’s interpretation on anugama for
using chakras. The Theravādins stress on the
natural flow of breathing in and out, not
visualizing chakras. 《清净道论》主张出入息自
然，反对观想身轮。
4
 五、总结

《顺正理论》进一步解释心随息出入，经过喉、心、
脐、髋髀、膝、胫踝到脚趾，为修习“知息遍身”的
一部分，“念恒随逐”。认为修习随息可以用观想的
方法以成就实修。
Saṁghabhadra in his Nyāyānusāraśāstra defends
this method of visualization, for him, visualization
can lead one to reaching reality quickly.

4
 五、总结

现代人思想杂念偏多，最好的方法是修习安般
念。相对其它禅修方法，修习安般念比较容易
。修习安般念临终时，行者可自知时至，进而
把握生死。
Mindfulness of breathing is a perfect
meditation method for modern people. When
practicing mindfulness of breathing, at the
moment of dying the practitioners know the
time is coming and then “life and death” can be
determined. 4
 五、总结

为什么有部主张修习随息念时，观息风出入喉
、心、脐、髋髀、膝、胫踝到足趾？

有部重视不净观、白骨观，在这里得到了充分
的体现——有部大禅师在修习安那般那念时，
是与白骨观一起修的。

因为，白骨观配安般念，禅修效果更快！

4
 五、总结

Why does Sarvāstivāda advocate that when

practicing "following breathing", one can
visualize the breathing in and out of the throat,
heart, navel and even toes?
Sarvāstivāda meditation masters practice
mindfulness of breathing together with
mindfulness of the skeleton, because having
the skeleton meditation mixed with
ānāpānasati the meditation result is more
effective! 4
4