<blockquote>
<p>Are there any suttas that distinguish between the life force and the breathing?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Breathing is just exchange of respiratory gases.</p>
<p>Life force isn't the breathing.</p>
<p>What if someone holds their breath and stops breathing temporarily, does the life force distinguish?
No, right?</p>
<p>Life force is what keeps a person alive in the deep.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-22T02:40:20.727Z
2024-04-22T02:40:20.727Z
Pycm
<p>MN 44 defines the term "kāyasaṅkhārā" as the in &amp; out breathing. </p>

<p>MN 43 says in the state of "cessation of perception &amp; feeling" (<em>saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ</em>), which is compared to a corpse with life, the "<em>kāyasaṅkhārā</em>" ("breathing") ceases but heat (<em>usmā</em>) &amp; life force/vitality (<em>āyusaṅkhārā</em>) remain. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>When a mendicant has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, their physical, verbal, and mental processes have ceased and
  stilled. But their vitality is not spent; their warmth is not
  dissipated; and their faculties are very clear.</em></p>
  
  <p><em>Yo cāyaṃ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ samāpanno tassapi kāyasaṅkhārā niruddhā paṭippassaddhā, vacīsaṅkhārā niruddhā paṭippassaddhā,
  cittasaṅkhārā niruddhā paṭippassaddhā, āyu na parikkhīṇo, usmā
  avūpasantā, indriyāni vippasannāni.</em></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn43/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>MN 43</em></a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>It follows, at least in Pali Buddhism, it seems the “life force” &amp; the “breathing” are not the same thing. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-02T11:39:49.100Z
The word "kāya" in "kāyasaṅkhārā" refers to the physical body. The breathing is the sankhara (conditioner) of the physical body because the breathing conditions the health & life of the physical body. Similar, thinking is the "vacisankhara" because thinking condtions speech (vaci). Thinking and speech are not the same thing; just as breathing & body are not the same thing; yet the body & speech are dependent upon breathing & thinking.
Dhamma Dhatu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-02T01:10:45.460Z
2018-09-02T06:33:32.383Z
2018-09-02T06:33:32.383Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>I read the following comment on the internet:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>A corpse has lost its life-force, hence a corpse, dead. A meditator has attainment would be free from disease, for the vibrant
  internal-breath kept one healthy.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Are there any suttas that distinguish between the life force and the breathing? </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-01T21:27:51.613Z
The comment wasn't about "breathing" but "internal-breath" which is Chinese -- the author of the comment said, "Indian called Prana, Chinese Xi".
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-01T21:29:54.973Z
So the author was talking about non-Buddhist things?
Dhamma Dhatu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-01T21:33:19.713Z
They were referring to what they know of Chinese Buddhism ... but, have also been reluctant to answer questions about that in the past -- saying for example that relevant translations into English don't exist.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-01T21:34:09.433Z
An angel (deva) just appear to me and said the answer might be in MN 43.
Dhamma Dhatu
<papanca>
Is the "life force" and the "breathing" the same thing?
# Is the "life force" and the "breathing" the same thing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-01)

I read the following comment on the internet:

> *A corpse has lost its life-force, hence a corpse, dead. A meditator has attainment would be free from disease, for the vibrant
> internal-breath kept one healthy.*

Are there any suttas that distinguish between the life force and the breathing?

**Tags:** papanca

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The comment wasn't about "breathing" but "internal-breath" which is Chinese -- the author of the comment said, "Indian called Prana, Chinese Xi".  
> **username_0**: So the author was talking about non-Buddhist things?  
> **username_1**: They were referring to what they know of Chinese Buddhism ... but, have also been reluctant to answer questions about that in the past -- saying for example that relevant translations into English don't exist.  
> **username_0**: An angel (deva) just appear to me and said the answer might be in MN 43.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-04-22. Score: 1

> Are there any suttas that distinguish between the life force and the breathing?

Breathing is just exchange of respiratory gases.

Life force isn't the breathing.

What if someone holds their breath and stops breathing temporarily, does the life force distinguish?
No, right?

Life force is what keeps a person alive in the deep.


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2018-09-02. Score: 0

MN 44 defines the term "kāyasaṅkhārā" as the in & out breathing.

MN 43 says in the state of "cessation of perception & feeling" (*saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ*), which is compared to a corpse with life, the "*kāyasaṅkhārā*" ("breathing") ceases but heat (*usmā*) & life force/vitality (*āyusaṅkhārā*) remain.

> *When a mendicant has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, their physical, verbal, and mental processes have ceased and
> stilled. But their vitality is not spent; their warmth is not
> dissipated; and their faculties are very clear.*
>
> *Yo cāyaṃ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ samāpanno tassapi kāyasaṅkhārā niruddhā paṭippassaddhā, vacīsaṅkhārā niruddhā paṭippassaddhā,
> cittasaṅkhārā niruddhā paṭippassaddhā, āyu na parikkhīṇo, usmā
> avūpasantā, indriyāni vippasannāni.*
>
> [*MN 43*](https://suttacentral.net/mn43/en/sujato)

It follows, at least in Pali Buddhism, it seems the “life force” & the “breathing” are not the same thing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: The word "kāya" in "kāyasaṅkhārā" refers to the physical body. The breathing is the sankhara (conditioner) of the physical body because the breathing conditions the health & life of the physical body. Similar, thinking is the "vacisankhara" because thinking condtions speech (vaci). Thinking and speech are not the same thing; just as breathing & body are not the same thing; yet the body & speech are dependent upon breathing & thinking.  

---

