Son Meditation in the Midst of Turmoil

Kenneth

I stumbled onto this while researching ways to incorporate mindfulness into my daily aerobic walking exercise ("power walking" in the US and perhaps elsewhere), which is obviously way too fast to accommodate the commonly cited slow walking meditation practice.

Son Meditation in the Midst of Turmoil

Have any of you experimented with this or established it as a daily practice? Any suggestions? This sounds very cool and worthwhile

Theswingisyellow

I skimmed over the article. Sounds like mindfulness to me. So rather than thinking our practice is just when we sit, it is extended to all we do. Paying attention, experiencing life directly. Sounds promising.

Kenneth

Yes, indeed, mindfulness. And I guess I'm still really just beginning to get the full extent of what that can mean. I've considered it in a intellectual sense, seeing, understanding and accepting thoughts and actions for what they are, but this, from the article: "The Dharma that I teach is washing dishes, sweeping and mopping the floor, doing laundry with your hands, hammering nails, and digging with a shovel..." is really what pulled me in. If you are doing something physically that requires really intense concentration to do well, it would seem that the mindfulness is automatic. But mindfulness during the routine, autopilot stuff - to clarify - that's what I'm asking about. It strikes me that it would be much easier said than done, at least at first. I intend to play with it during my aerobic walking, but I'd love to hear anyone's experience with it.

Shoshin

Thanks @Kenneth,

I like Son Master Songdam's simple explanation of the two forms of meditation (on and off the cushion) and how they complement each other...When the bottom leaves the cushion it doesn't end there.....The Butt doesn't stop there so to speak

"Korean Buddhism's answer to that question, of course, is "Yes." In the Son Buddhist tradition, there are two basic modes of meditation. The first is called, "Son meditation in the midst of stillness." This refers to the type of meditation that most people are familiar with, namely, seated meditation in some quiet place. The second kind of Son meditation is called "Son meditation in the midst of disturbance," and this refers to maintaining the state of meditation as you engage the many tasks of living.

What's important to understand here is that these two styles of meditation are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are interdependent and taken together, they represent a way of life."

"From the Buddhist perspective, to have a functioning mind is to live within a hurricane of sensations. To call meditation a way of life, then, is to say that meditation is a way of regulating all of that information, of finding a still center within the storm of our thoughts and feelings, and, more than that, of learning to guide our thoughts, feelings, speech, and actions in a way that leads toward sanity, clarity of insight, good judgement, and, eventually, wisdom, finally, love."

karasti

My first introduction to mindfulness was from the book "Zen and the Art of Running" and it was life changing Sakyong Mipham has also written a book on meditation and running, so surely it works with power walking, too. Running in monks robes seems like it might be a challenge!

DairyLama

@Kenneth said:l "Son Meditation in the Midst of Turmoil")

An interesting description of mindfulness.

lobster

@Kenneth said:

Have any of you experimented with this or established it as a daily practice? Any suggestions? This sounds very cool and worthwhile

I feel it is spot on. Indeed cool. Indeed worthwhile.

For most of us, cushion practice enables, empowers and draws us naturally into as @SpinyNorman mentions, 'mindfulness' which is the 'meditation amongst turmoil'.

It is also possible to just practice mindfulness and be drawn to moments of deep formal stillness as a regular preference.

Please remember both are committed and powerful practices at the heart of power and sangha standard dharma.

I personally practice both. Formal awareness and continued awareness. My suggestion is try for as much as is appropriate to your aspirations.

Kenneth

@karasti said:
My first introduction to mindfulness was from the book "Zen and the Art of Running" and it was life changing Sakyong Mipham has also written a book on meditation and running, so surely it works with power walking, too.

Thanks, karasti! I'll look those books up