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Happy Birthday
Walking Meditation I
Copy from : Walking Meditation Book By Ajahn Nyanadhammo
Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati
"The Gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts"
I. Introduction
In this discourse, I want to focus on the nuts and bolts of walking maditation. I shall address the how, when, where and why of this form of maditation. I intend this discourse to include both practial instructions of ther technical aspects of walking meditation and instructions for creating the quality of mind that leads to concentration, insight and wisdom through the physical activity of walking meditation.
The Buddha stressed developing mindfulness in the four main postures of the body : standing, sitting, lying down and walking (DN 22, MN 10). He axhorted us to be mindful in all these postures, to create a clear awaremess and recollection of what we are doing while we are in any particular posture.
If you read about the lives of the monks and nuns at the time of the Buddha, you will see that many obtained the stages of Enlightenment while on the walking meditation path. Walking meditation is called cankama in Pali. Walking meditation is an activity in which one can focus and concentrate the mind or develop investigative knowledge and wisdom.
Some people find that they are naturally drawn to walking meditation, because they find ti easier and more natural than sitting meditation. When they sit they feel dull, or tense, or they are easily distracted. Their mind doesnt calm down. If this is the case with you, dont just persevere do something new and try a change of posture.
Do something different experiment with standing meditation or try walking meditation. This new meditation posture may give you some other skilful means of applying the mind. All of the four postures of meditation are just techniques, methods for developing and training the mind.
Try and develop walking meditation you may start to see the benefits of it. In ther Forest Meditaion Tradition in Northeast Thailand, there is a great emphasis on walking meditation. Many monks will wlk for long hours as a way of developing concentration --- sometimes as much as ten or fifteen hours a day!
..........
In the West, there is not such an emphasis on the practice of walking meditation. Thus I would like to describe the process and recommend it to you to complement your sitting practice. These instructions will hopfully help you develop your repertoire of meditative techniques -- in bothe formal meditaion and in your daily life. As so much of life is taken up with the activity of walking, if you know how to apply awareness to that, then even simply walking about in your house can become a meditation exercise.
The Five Benefits of Walking Meditation
The Buddha spoke of fie benefits of walking meditation (AN,III,29). In the order that he listed them in this Sutta, they are as follows : it develops endurance for walking long distances it is good for striving it is healthy it is good for the digestion after a meal, and the concentration won from walking meditation lasts a long time.
..........................
Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati
"The Gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts"
I. Introduction
In this discourse, I want to focus on the nuts and bolts of walking maditation. I shall address the how, when, where and why of this form of maditation. I intend this discourse to include both practial instructions of ther technical aspects of walking meditation and instructions for creating the quality of mind that leads to concentration, insight and wisdom through the physical activity of walking meditation.
The Buddha stressed developing mindfulness in the four main postures of the body : standing, sitting, lying down and walking (DN 22, MN 10). He axhorted us to be mindful in all these postures, to create a clear awaremess and recollection of what we are doing while we are in any particular posture.
If you read about the lives of the monks and nuns at the time of the Buddha, you will see that many obtained the stages of Enlightenment while on the walking meditation path. Walking meditation is called cankama in Pali. Walking meditation is an activity in which one can focus and concentrate the mind or develop investigative knowledge and wisdom.
Some people find that they are naturally drawn to walking meditation, because they find ti easier and more natural than sitting meditation. When they sit they feel dull, or tense, or they are easily distracted. Their mind doesnt calm down. If this is the case with you, dont just persevere do something new and try a change of posture.
Do something different experiment with standing meditation or try walking meditation. This new meditation posture may give you some other skilful means of applying the mind. All of the four postures of meditation are just techniques, methods for developing and training the mind.
Try and develop walking meditation you may start to see the benefits of it. In ther Forest Meditaion Tradition in Northeast Thailand, there is a great emphasis on walking meditation. Many monks will wlk for long hours as a way of developing concentration --- sometimes as much as ten or fifteen hours a day!
..........
In the West, there is not such an emphasis on the practice of walking meditation. Thus I would like to describe the process and recommend it to you to complement your sitting practice. These instructions will hopfully help you develop your repertoire of meditative techniques -- in bothe formal meditaion and in your daily life. As so much of life is taken up with the activity of walking, if you know how to apply awareness to that, then even simply walking about in your house can become a meditation exercise.
The Five Benefits of Walking Meditation
The Buddha spoke of fie benefits of walking meditation (AN,III,29). In the order that he listed them in this Sutta, they are as follows : it develops endurance for walking long distances it is good for striving it is healthy it is good for the digestion after a meal, and the concentration won from walking meditation lasts a long time.
..........................
II. Preparation for Walking Meditation
Finding a Suitable place
The place where the Lord Buddha did walking meditaion at Bodhgaya after his Enlightenment still exists to this day. His walking path was seventeen steps long. These days the Forest Monks tend to make their walking meditation paths much longer. They can be up to thirty steps long. The beginner may find thirty paces a bit too long for them because their mindfulness is not yet developed. By the time they get to the end of the path, the mind may have been around the world and back. Remember, walking is a stimulating posture, and initially the mind tends to wander a lot. It is usually better for beginners to start off on a shorter path fifteen paces would be a good length.
If you are going to walk meditation outside, find a secluded place where you wont be distracted or disturbed. It is good to find a walking path that is slightly enclosed. It can be distraction to walk in an open area where there is a view, as you may find that the mind is drawn out to the scenery. An enclosed area is especially suitable for speculative personalities who like to think a lot it helps to calm their minds down (Vsm ,III,103). If the path is closed in, it tends to bring the mind inwards, into ones self and towards peace.
Preparing the Body and Mind
Once you have chosen a suitable path, stand at one end. Stand erect. Put the right hand over the left in front of you. Dont walk with your hands behind your back. I remember a Meditation Master who visited the monastery, commenting when he saw one of the guests walking up and down with his hands behind his back: Hes not walking meditation hes going for a stroll. He made that remark because there was not enough clear determination to focus the mind on walking meditation, by placing the hands in front --- to differentiate that from just walking.
The practice firstly is to develop Samadhi, and that takes focused effort. The Pali word Samadhi means focusing the mind, developing the mind to one-pointedness by gradual degrees of mindfulness and concentration. This firstly requires a degree of physical as well as metal composure. One begins composing oneself by clasping the hands in front. Composing the body helps to compose the mind. Having thus composed the body, one should then stand still and bring awareness and attention to the body. Then raise ones hands together in anjali, a gesture of respect, and with ones eyes shut reflect for a few minutes on the qualities of the Buddha, The Dhamma and the Sangha (Buddhanussati, Dhannanussati and Sanghanussati).
You can contemplate having taken refuge in the Buddha --- on the Wise One, on He who Knows and Sees, the Awakened One, the Fully Enlightened One. Reflect in your heart on the qualities of the Buddha for a few minutes. Then recall the Dhamma --- the Truth that you are striving to realize and cultivate on the walking meditation path. Finally, bring to mind the Sangha --- especially truth vy cultivating meditation. Then bring the hands down in front of you and make a mental determination on how long you are going to walk meditation, be it half an hour, on hour, or more. In this manner you are nurturing the mind at that initial stage of the meditation with zest, inspiration and confidence.
Its important to remember to keep the eyes cast down about ammeter and a half in front. Dont be looking around distracted by this or that. Keep awareness on the feeling at the soles of the feet, and in this way, you develop more fefined attention, and clear knowing of walking while walking.
III Basics of Walking Meditation and Choosing an object.
The Buddha taught forty different meditation objects (Vsm,III,104) many of which can be used on the walking path. However some are more suitable than others. Ill discuss a number of these meditation objects here beginning with those most commonly used.
Awareness of the Walking Posture
In this method, while walking place all your attention at the soles of the feet, on the sensations and feelings as they arise and pass away. (This is assuming that you are walking bare footed, as most monks do. Although light soled shoes can be worn if necessary.) As you begin walking, the feeling will change. As the foot is lifted and comes down again into contact with the path, a few feeling arises. Be aware of that sensation, as it is felt through the sole of th foot. Again as the foot lifts, mentally note the new feeling as it arises. When you lift each foot and place it down, know the sensations felt. At each new step, certain new feelings are experienced and old feeling cease. These should be known with mind fullness. With each step there is passing away feeling arising, feeling passing away.
To be continue
...........................................Walking Meditation I
Copy from : Walking Meditation Book By Ajahn Nyanadhammo
Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati
"The Gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts"
I. Introduction
In this discourse, I want to focus on the nuts and bolts of walking maditation. I shall address the how, when, where and why of this form of maditation. I intend this discourse to include both practial instructions of ther technical aspects of walking meditation and instructions for creating the quality of mind that leads to concentration, insight and wisdom through the physical activity of walking meditation.
The Buddha stressed developing mindfulness in the four main postures of the body : standing, sitting, lying down and walking (DN 22, MN 10). He axhorted us to be mindful in all these postures, to create a clear awaremess and recollection of what we are doing while we are in any particular posture.
If you read about the lives of the monks and nuns at the time of the Buddha, you will see that many obtained the stages of Enlightenment while on the walking meditation path. Walking meditation is called cankama in Pali. Walking meditation is an activity in which one can focus and concentrate the mind or develop investigative knowledge and wisdom.
Some people find that they are naturally drawn to walking meditation, because they find ti easier and more natural than sitting meditation. When they sit they feel dull, or tense, or they are easily distracted. Their mind doesnt calm down. If this is the case with you, dont just persevere do something new and try a change of posture.
Do something different experiment with standing meditation or try walking meditation. This new meditation posture may give you some other skilful means of applying the mind. All of the four postures of meditation are just techniques, methods for developing and training the mind.
Try and develop walking meditation you may start to see the benefits of it. In ther Forest Meditaion Tradition in Northeast Thailand, there is a great emphasis on walking meditation. Many monks will wlk for long hours as a way of developing concentration --- sometimes as much as ten or fifteen hours a day!
..........
In the West, there is not such an emphasis on the practice of walking meditation. Thus I would like to describe the process and recommend it to you to complement your sitting practice. These instructions will hopfully help you develop your repertoire of meditative techniques -- in bothe formal meditaion and in your daily life. As so much of life is taken up with the activity of walking, if you know how to apply awareness to that, then even simply walking about in your house can become a meditation exercise.
The Five Benefits of Walking Meditation
The Buddha spoke of fie benefits of walking meditation (AN,III,29). In the order that he listed them in this Sutta, they are as follows : it develops endurance for walking long distances it is good for striving it is healthy it is good for the digestion after a meal, and the concentration won from walking meditation lasts a long time.
..........................
Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati
"The Gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts"
I. Introduction
In this discourse, I want to focus on the nuts and bolts of walking maditation. I shall address the how, when, where and why of this form of maditation. I intend this discourse to include both practial instructions of ther technical aspects of walking meditation and instructions for creating the quality of mind that leads to concentration, insight and wisdom through the physical activity of walking meditation.
The Buddha stressed developing mindfulness in the four main postures of the body : standing, sitting, lying down and walking (DN 22, MN 10). He axhorted us to be mindful in all these postures, to create a clear awaremess and recollection of what we are doing while we are in any particular posture.
If you read about the lives of the monks and nuns at the time of the Buddha, you will see that many obtained the stages of Enlightenment while on the walking meditation path. Walking meditation is called cankama in Pali. Walking meditation is an activity in which one can focus and concentrate the mind or develop investigative knowledge and wisdom.
Some people find that they are naturally drawn to walking meditation, because they find ti easier and more natural than sitting meditation. When they sit they feel dull, or tense, or they are easily distracted. Their mind doesnt calm down. If this is the case with you, dont just persevere do something new and try a change of posture.
Do something different experiment with standing meditation or try walking meditation. This new meditation posture may give you some other skilful means of applying the mind. All of the four postures of meditation are just techniques, methods for developing and training the mind.
Try and develop walking meditation you may start to see the benefits of it. In ther Forest Meditaion Tradition in Northeast Thailand, there is a great emphasis on walking meditation. Many monks will wlk for long hours as a way of developing concentration --- sometimes as much as ten or fifteen hours a day!
..........
In the West, there is not such an emphasis on the practice of walking meditation. Thus I would like to describe the process and recommend it to you to complement your sitting practice. These instructions will hopfully help you develop your repertoire of meditative techniques -- in bothe formal meditaion and in your daily life. As so much of life is taken up with the activity of walking, if you know how to apply awareness to that, then even simply walking about in your house can become a meditation exercise.
The Five Benefits of Walking Meditation
The Buddha spoke of fie benefits of walking meditation (AN,III,29). In the order that he listed them in this Sutta, they are as follows : it develops endurance for walking long distances it is good for striving it is healthy it is good for the digestion after a meal, and the concentration won from walking meditation lasts a long time.
..........................
II. Preparation for Walking Meditation
Finding a Suitable place
The place where the Lord Buddha did walking meditaion at Bodhgaya after his Enlightenment still exists to this day. His walking path was seventeen steps long. These days the Forest Monks tend to make their walking meditation paths much longer. They can be up to thirty steps long. The beginner may find thirty paces a bit too long for them because their mindfulness is not yet developed. By the time they get to the end of the path, the mind may have been around the world and back. Remember, walking is a stimulating posture, and initially the mind tends to wander a lot. It is usually better for beginners to start off on a shorter path fifteen paces would be a good length.
If you are going to walk meditation outside, find a secluded place where you wont be distracted or disturbed. It is good to find a walking path that is slightly enclosed. It can be distraction to walk in an open area where there is a view, as you may find that the mind is drawn out to the scenery. An enclosed area is especially suitable for speculative personalities who like to think a lot it helps to calm their minds down (Vsm ,III,103). If the path is closed in, it tends to bring the mind inwards, into ones self and towards peace.
Preparing the Body and Mind
Once you have chosen a suitable path, stand at one end. Stand erect. Put the right hand over the left in front of you. Dont walk with your hands behind your back. I remember a Meditation Master who visited the monastery, commenting when he saw one of the guests walking up and down with his hands behind his back: Hes not walking meditation hes going for a stroll. He made that remark because there was not enough clear determination to focus the mind on walking meditation, by placing the hands in front --- to differentiate that from just walking.
The practice firstly is to develop Samadhi, and that takes focused effort. The Pali word Samadhi means focusing the mind, developing the mind to one-pointedness by gradual degrees of mindfulness and concentration. This firstly requires a degree of physical as well as metal composure. One begins composing oneself by clasping the hands in front. Composing the body helps to compose the mind. Having thus composed the body, one should then stand still and bring awareness and attention to the body. Then raise ones hands together in anjali, a gesture of respect, and with ones eyes shut reflect for a few minutes on the qualities of the Buddha, The Dhamma and the Sangha (Buddhanussati, Dhannanussati and Sanghanussati).
You can contemplate having taken refuge in the Buddha --- on the Wise One, on He who Knows and Sees, the Awakened One, the Fully Enlightened One. Reflect in your heart on the qualities of the Buddha for a few minutes. Then recall the Dhamma --- the Truth that you are striving to realize and cultivate on the walking meditation path. Finally, bring to mind the Sangha --- especially truth vy cultivating meditation. Then bring the hands down in front of you and make a mental determination on how long you are going to walk meditation, be it half an hour, on hour, or more. In this manner you are nurturing the mind at that initial stage of the meditation with zest, inspiration and confidence.
Its important to remember to keep the eyes cast down about ammeter and a half in front. Dont be looking around distracted by this or that. Keep awareness on the feeling at the soles of the feet, and in this way, you develop more fefined attention, and clear knowing of walking while walking.
III Basics of Walking Meditation and Choosing an object.
The Buddha taught forty different meditation objects (Vsm,III,104) many of which can be used on the walking path. However some are more suitable than others. Ill discuss a number of these meditation objects here beginning with those most commonly used.
Awareness of the Walking Posture
In this method, while walking place all your attention at the soles of the feet, on the sensations and feelings as they arise and pass away. (This is assuming that you are walking bare footed, as most monks do. Although light soled shoes can be worn if necessary.) As you begin walking, the feeling will change. As the foot is lifted and comes down again into contact with the path, a few feeling arises. Be aware of that sensation, as it is felt through the sole of th foot. Again as the foot lifts, mentally note the new feeling as it arises. When you lift each foot and place it down, know the sensations felt. At each new step, certain new feelings are experienced and old feeling cease. These should be known with mind fullness. With each step there is passing away feeling arising, feeling passing away.
To be continue
...........................................Mindmap
Friday 21 Sep 2007
Ive spent the whole morning at home. Studied and wrote mindmap. Its a great tools. Heres what I got.
After got my clue to a hidden treasure then I went to office in the afternoon and starting actual work.
Owing to that a huge work so I couldnt finished it for today. I took notebook home. (Thats what I dont like).
Around 7 pm. Smith asked me to go for dinner. I couldnt deny poor Smithty because he got problems with his girlfriend again. After didner we went to shopping, bought a birthday gift for one of our closed friend "Mauy" she is the one of our ex-philips gang, her birthday is tomorrow. Since Smith has a girlfriend Muay and other friends seem to be forgotten from his life. But not this his lonely day.
A thousand thanks for your called. Thats very kind of you.
Youre so nice. Youre so nice. Youre so nice.
I love you so. I love you so. I love you so.
Ive spent the whole morning at home. Studied and wrote mindmap. Its a great tools. Heres what I got.
After got my clue to a hidden treasure then I went to office in the afternoon and starting actual work.
Owing to that a huge work so I couldnt finished it for today. I took notebook home. (Thats what I dont like).
Around 7 pm. Smith asked me to go for dinner. I couldnt deny poor Smithty because he got problems with his girlfriend again. After didner we went to shopping, bought a birthday gift for one of our closed friend "Mauy" she is the one of our ex-philips gang, her birthday is tomorrow. Since Smith has a girlfriend Muay and other friends seem to be forgotten from his life. But not this his lonely day.
A thousand thanks for your called. Thats very kind of you.
Youre so nice. Youre so nice. Youre so nice.
I love you so. I love you so. I love you so.
