Actually, the suttas and the commentaries do not support your position. As Ven Dhammanando states:retrofuturist wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:34 am Greetings Tilt,
Despite your protests, it is indeed much less. Zom and I have provided Sutta, Suttānuloma and Atthakathā. Advocates of the coarse breathing have provided mere Attanomati.tiltbillings wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:23 am If it is feeble it is no less so than the arguments you and zom have proffered.
'But no such stipulation {"[The yogi] should not purposely breathe very long or very short breaths."} is found in the Suttas or the Visuddhimagga or in any other Theravadin source. The status of the claim in the Theravada is not that of a "traditional understanding" but merely that of a widely held modern opinion, though not by any means a universally held one.'
That is to say, there is nothing in the Theravada tradition that says no to the practice developed by the Ven Sunlun.
Interestingly, and in keeping with Theravadin tradition, Ven Sunlun was carefully evaluated and tested by learned Elders, finding that his teachings were very much inline with the suttas. I will take these learned monks learned opinions and assessments of Ven Sunlun over the less learned contrarian positions presented in this thread.retro wrote:It is clear how the Theravada tradition would judge such a situation based upon the ranking system provided below, but in respecting the intellectual and spiritual autonomy of others, it can be left for the individual to decide which source of reason is more compelling to them personally.
1. Sutta: the three baskets of the Tipiṭaka.
2. Suttānuloma: a direct inference from the Tipiṭaka.
3. Atthakathā: a commentary.
4. Attanomati: the personal opinions of later generations of teachers.
Living Buddhist Masters by Jack Kornfield Unity Press, 1977 page 85 wrote:He next betook himself to the caves nearby and practiced diligently, until in October, 1920, he attained the final stage of freedom, arahatship. His achievement became known among the monks and many came to test him.Though he was a barely literate man, his answers satisfied even the most learned monks. Very often they disagreed with his replies but when his answers were checked against the texts they found many important passages in the scriptures to support his statements. Many learned monks from various parts of the world went to practice mindfulness under him, including the Nyaung Sayadaw, who also became fully enlightened after intense practice.