Talk Fifteen: Walking Meditation and Observing Sensations (Step by Step)
(Walking meditation and its benefits)
Walking meditation supports a stable samādhi. The walking path should be no shorter than ten paces. A very short path with frequent turning is not suitable, as it can create restlessness. On the other hand, it should not exceed sixty arm-lengths; an excessively long path is also unsuitable. The Thai forest tradition often recommends around thirty paces.
The path should be even, with a width of about two arm-lengths.
Samādhi in Walking Meditation
(Experiential aspects of walking meditation)
When placing the foot down, it may feel as if the foot is sinking into the earth. Compared with sitting meditation, walking involves less mental proliferation. Therefore, it is generally not necessary to apply detailed verbal labels in walking meditation.
In sitting meditation, detailed noting is more useful to prevent sloth and torpor. In walking meditation, however, no need to note in detail with naming, because the existing and knowing mind may not be occurred together. Therefore contemplate only to know its nature, because the process happens faster.
Refinement of Contemplation in Walking Meditation
Therefore, one should contemplate only to know the nature of phenomena. When samādhi becomes stable, one may then contemplate in greater detail, such as in lifting, stepping, and putting down the foot.
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