Breathing: 2 definitions

Introduction:

Breathing means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

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In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (natya)

(Normal) Breathing (expression) is associated with Udvāhita: one of the “seven movements of the chest” (in Sanskrit Dramas), as conveyed through Āṅgikābhinaya: one of the four divisions of Abhinaya or “ways to convey or represent one’s emotion to others”, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra and the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—The āṅgikābhinaya includes the histrionic representation of the limbs which is simply known as physical gestures. There are five kinds of chest movements accepted by the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa as well as the Nāṭyaśāstra. In the udvāhita movement, the chest position is kept slightly upward to show normal breathing and also yawning.

Natyashastra book cover
context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

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In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Khyentse Vision: Succinct Notes on the Eight Sessions Mind Training

Breathing refers to one of the topics for mind-training (in Tibetan: lojong) forming part of the Eight Sessions Mind Training.—Cf. the “Succinct Notes on the Eight Sessions Mind Training”—an instructional text on mind training (lojong) in the form of notes based on teachings given by Könchok Tenpa Rabgye (1801–1866)—one of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s masters from the Geluk tradition.—Accordingly, [Mind Training Pertaining to Breathing]: Start by taking, for example, your own mother as a mental object. As you fully exhale through your right nostril, imagine that you are giving away all your virtues and their fruits, which transform into white light. They enter your mother’s left nostril, giving her an extraordinary feeling of happiness. As you inhale again,feel that the wind of your breath draws out all the negativities and obscurations from your mother’s mind stream through her right nostril, like hair being sheared off with a sharp knife. Imagine that they then gather into a dark mass and enter you through your left nostril. Once this mass arrives in your heart, it directly strikes the cherishing of what you conceive as “I,” and then vanishes instantly.Visualize like this twenty-one times, or as many times as you wish, and then continue your giving-and-taking visualization by sending forth infinite rays of white light to your father and all other sentient beings. From time to time, take upon yourself the suffering of the beings from each of the six realms and practice sending forth your happiness and so on to benefit all of them.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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