Summary Anapanasati is one of the traditional major meditations methods. This technique is common to not only other mundane conditioned dhyanas but also other supramundane unconditioned dhyanas, even the uncommon bodhisattve dhyana. This viewpoint consists in various dhyana texts. Since the meditation methods in translated Chinese dhyana texts emphasize the mundane and supramundane dhyanas, most people consider anapanasati as mundane and supramundane dhyanas. The dhyana sutras translated by An Shigao in late years of Eastern Han Dynasty are the case. Even The Sutra of Stages on the path of Practice translated by Dharmaraksa in Western Jin Dynasty,and other dhyana sutras translated by Kumarajiva and Buddhabhadra in Eastern Jin Dynasty are also the case. Even On the Stages of Dhyana Parami written by Master Zhiyi during the Chen and Sui Dynasties also classifies the anapanasati technique as the mundane and supramundane dhyanas. Therefore,we can find that most of the sutras translated since the late years of Eastern Han Dynasty treat anapanasati technique as mundane and supramundane dhyanas, and take them as the mundane and supramundane dhyanas common to the practice of the gradual path of a bodhisattva. It is very rare to treat anapanasati technique as the uncommon dhyana of bodhisattva path. However,we can still glimpse the hidden implication.
The raw materials of this study range from the dhyana sutras translated by An Shigao to the meditation methods advocated by Master Zhiyi of Tiantai School. The meaning of the six wonderful doors of anapanasati (i.e. counting the breath, following the breath, tranquility,visualization,returning,and purification) is discussed from two perspectives according to the process of a bodhisattva's practice of dhyana parami:
1. The bodhisattva's gradual practice of anapanasati consists of three parts:The common mundane dhyana of anapanasati,the common supramundane dhyana of anapanasati,and the uncommon dhyana of anapanasati.
2. The bodhisattva's non-gradual practice of anapanasati,i.e. the perfect and spontaneous tranquility and insight meditation.
The paper hopes to present the various aspects of anapanasati and the variety of meditation methods in Chinese Buddhism.