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Walk like a Buddha
lobster
Crusty Veteran
Walking meditation. Easy enough for the bored, statically challenged and wannabe enlightenees . . .
Normally I walk quite fast (for exercise) on the local common, whilst chanting inwardly. However today I walked in a circle indoors, using one of the methods I have been taught. Very good.
One centre near where I worked offered in their public meditation, sitting interspersed with slow walking. Great technique. As a trainee Buddha like others here, I have to practice till awake as a full time experience . . . So made a mindful omelette this morning . . .
If anyone has youtube links or other tuition links on walking practice do let us stragglers know . . . stroll on . . .
end of ramble
:wave:
Normally I walk quite fast (for exercise) on the local common, whilst chanting inwardly. However today I walked in a circle indoors, using one of the methods I have been taught. Very good.
One centre near where I worked offered in their public meditation, sitting interspersed with slow walking. Great technique. As a trainee Buddha like others here, I have to practice till awake as a full time experience . . . So made a mindful omelette this morning . . .
If anyone has youtube links or other tuition links on walking practice do let us stragglers know . . . stroll on . . .
end of ramble
:wave:
0
Comments
You may say I have an attachment to walking meditation, to the point where at one time I avoided sitting and just did walking. My meditation practice did not "take off" as it were, until I found walking meditation so I naturally grew the attachment. These days I try to stick to 50/50 and remove my likes and dislikes regarding meditation as I know that it doesn't matter what posture you are in, mindfullness flows on through.
Some teachers say walk slow (Bhante G teaches slow, as does Yutta down in the video) others say walk normal pace(Ven DhammaJiva).. and I've also heard it said your walking speed is determined by your mental state and need at the moment, which I like and I think makes sense. The main thing is that the focus shifts away from the breath to the awareness of the moving and lifting of the feet and legs.
A wonderful book by Venerable Dhammajiva of Sri Lanka, all of chapter 4 is on walking meditation.
http://www.box.net/shared/b51s7zu8v3
Venerable Yuttadhammo , video on walking meditation. It's very good and the only thing majorly different from what I do is that I don't note like the Mahasi tradition does.
Three different monks give their method and instructions of how to do walking meditation... Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Ñanadhammo, and Dharma Dorje.
In plain text
http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh464-p.html
In PDF
http://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh464.pdf
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
"Many monks and nuns have become enlightened on the walking meditation path. It’s a very effective way of developing both calm and insight. For some monks that I know in Thailand, their main practice is walking meditation. They do very little sitting. They do a lot of walking, and many get tremendously powerful insights while they’re walking."
I've actually heard this before from Bhante Seelananda, that many of the disciples of the Buddha became enlightened just from walking meditation. Now reading this from Ajahn Brahm.. I wonder if I shouldn't do more walking and less sitting... but my gut still says to do 50/50... even though it is true nearly all of my insights came while walking.
Thanks for the links guys . . . The booklet was good.
Also been looking at the very formal zen methodology and holding the wrist behind the back . . . never done that. Must admit the hand mudra would look weird, so will have to visualise or drop that when in a public setting . . .
Might also consider mala fondling in a coat pocket.