*Walking meditation.” -

*Walking meditation.”

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Question:  During walking meditation, I keep reciting ‘Buddho’ while keep watching my body movement, like the right and left footstep. Is it okay?

Than Ajahn:  Yes, you can do that also. You can recite ‘Buddho’ and watch your steps. If you don’t want to recite ‘Buddho’, but just watch your steps, that is okay also. The purpose is to stop your mind from thinking. You also have to watch whether you’re thinking or not. If you are thinking, it means you are not watching your steps or reciting your mantra continuously. I hope I answered your question.

Question:  Are we supposed to keep reciting ‘Buddho’ or just watch the steps during walking meditation?

Than Ajahn:  You can do both or do either one of them. You can recite the mantra. But you also have to know that you’re walking. Make sure that you don’t step on any slippery surface and fall down. So, you have to watch your steps and if you want to, you can recite ‘Buddho’ as well. Or you can just keep watching your steps without having to recite ‘Buddho’.

“Dhamma in English, Sep 12, 2020.”
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Monk:  We have two teachers who gave us meditation instructions. One of them told us that when we do walking meditation, we don’t have to bother about the feeling touching the floor or even noticing left foot or right foot, instead, we just concentrating on the mantra ‘Buddho’. The other teacher said that we should be aware of the foot touching the floor, we should be aware of which foot is moving. Some of my fellow monks are confused with regards to these two methods, could we ask some clarity about these two points from Luang Phor?

Than Ajahn:  Actually both methods are okay. It depends on individual preferences, that’s all. You can use ‘Buddho’ while you walk. The goal is the same, which is to prevent the mind from thinking aimlessly. When the mind has to recite ‘Buddho’ or when it has to watch the feet walking, then it cannot think aimlessly. That’s the whole purpose – to stop the mind from thinking aimlessly.

So, whichever method you want to use, it is okay. You can even use body contemplation, then you are developing both mindfulness and wisdom at the same time. In practice, there are many different methods. We have 40 kammaṭṭhāna, 40 ways of developing mindfulness and samādhi. So it is up to you to use whichever way you like, whichever way that will produce the result is that you want to have.

“Singapore via Skype, Aug 9, 2015.”
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Question:  Could you explain the proper method of walking meditation?

Than Ajahn:  It’s the same like sitting meditation, but instead of focusing on your breath, you focus on your walking or on your steps, on your feet. When you move your left foot, you say, ‘left,’ when you move your right foot, you say, ‘right.’ Left, right, left, right. That’s to stop you from thinking about other things. Do this until you feel tired, then you come back and sit again.

You cannot get full absorption from walking. You need to walk in order to alleviate your physical pain after sitting for a long time. After you sit for a long time, you feel painful, then you get up to relieve the pain. After you walk until you feel tired, then you go back and sit again. The important thing is to be mindful when you walk, and to be mindful when you sit. When you sit, be mindful of your breath. When you walk, be mindful of your feet, of your walking.

“Dhamma in English, Jul 26, 2017.”
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Question: What about walking meditation?

Than Ajahn:  Walking meditation has two purposes. Walking for the sake of cultivating mindfulness and walking for the sake of developing wisdom. Which purpose we choose depends on whether or not we have concentration.

If we are not yet able to attain concentration, then we should cultivate mindfulness. If this is the case, then as we walk, we shouldn’t allow the mind to think in terms of wisdom, but only allow it to think ‘Buddho’, ‘Buddho’, or to closely watch the movements of the body, such as observing the feet, noting whether the left or right foot is hitting the ground. We do this to prevent the mind from thinking about this or that issue.

“Mountain Dhamma, Apr 6, 2013”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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