Meditation instruction

"When meditating, establishing samādhi, start at the nostril entrance. Isn't it taught to know both in-breath and out-breath? Touch-knowing is mindfulness. The breath touches first, then enters. When exiting too, doesn't it touch first?

The mere touch - #is_it_self_or_air_element?
The knowing - #is_it_self_or_body_consciousness?
Doesn't body-consciousness give nāma (mind)?
Doesn't air element give rūpa (matter)?
These are the two - nāma-rūpa.

#Only_mind_and_matter_is_found. Do you still find legs and arms? Nose? Belly? Cheeks? Consider this.

Therefore it's taught:
'When air element settles,
Rising and falling appears,
As it falls and hollows, see the air element,
With wisdom and mindfulness observe:
Falling is impermanent, falling is suffering,
In falling there is no self.'

#Know_it_as_air_element. Isn't this worth investigating?

When known as air element, #do_you_still_find_cheeks? #do_you_still_find_belly?

'When rising and swelling appears,
See the rising as air element,
With wisdom joined with mindfulness,
Rising is impermanent, rising is suffering,
In rising there is no self.'

Is rising cheeks or air element? Belly or air element? Air element is ultimate reality (paramattha), cheeks are concept (paññatti). #Concepts_are_what_don't_exist. #How_can_you_observe_what_doesn't_exist?

Wisdom is needed to distinguish between concepts and ultimate realities. Isn't this worth considering?

#You_can't_observe_cheeks because #cheeks_don't_ultimately_exist. Consider whether they exist or not.

To ordinary eyes, we say 'cheeks.' Touch and feel - do you find cheeks or softness? If everything soft were cheeks, would that make sense? Touch the belly - do you find belly or softness? That's earth element.

Don't we need to distinguish between what appears and what's really there? #Without_wisdom_to_distinguish_concepts_from_ultimate_realities_you_can't_practice_properly.

You can only abandon what you understand. Don't you need to know the aggregates? The Noble Truths? That's essential. Knowing aggregates removes identity-view. Knowing truths ends the cycles of defilements, kamma, and results..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.