How to do standing meditation properly?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

Question:  How to do standing meditation properly?

Than Ajahn:  The proper way to meditate regardless of your position is to have mindfulness, either by reciting a mantra to have mindfulness or by watching the action of your body. If you’re standing, just observe that your body is standing. If your mind cannot stop thinking yet, then you have to use a mantra. If you can watch your breath, you can use your breath as your object of mindfulness. Watch your breath or recite a mantra while you are standing, just like when you are in sitting meditation. The difference is only the position of the body. But as far as the mind is concerned, the mind still has to do the same thing: to keep being mindful regardless whether you sit, stand or walk. 

You have to maintain mindfulness in any method that you use, you can use a mantra, or if you are walking, you can watch your feet, when you move your right or left foot, you just keep reciting, ‘left’ or ‘right’. 

The purpose is to stop your mind from thinking, so you have to have something for the mind to do in order for it not to go think about other things.

“Dhamma in English, Apr 25, 2018.”

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Question:  I do standing meditation. Is this the correct way?

Than Ajahn:  If it works for you, you can do it. There are 4 postures of meditation: walking, sitting, standing and lying down. The fourth one is not preferable because it is easy for you to go to sleep. So, you can use the other 3 postures. If you like standing, you can use it. If you like walking, you can use it. 

If you like sitting, you can also use it. Watch for the result, which one is best for you.

“Dhamma in English, Apr 25, 2018.”

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Question:  Which posture is the most beneficial for meditation?

Than Ajahn:  You can do it in any posture. The posture is not essential. The essential factors are mindfulness and wisdom. 

People can practice in various postures, either standing, sitting, walking or lying down.

When you first practice, you have to avoid lying down posture because you don’t have strong mindfulness yet. When you don’t have strong mindfulness, you will fall asleep and you will waste your time. 

For beginners, as they don’t have strong mindfulness, they have to stick to three postures: standing, walking or sitting. You can switch to those different postures as you find it appropriate. You cannot sit too long, stand too long or walk too long. You have to change your position in order to maintain your body health. If you just stick to one posture for a long time, your body can become sick. So you have to know how to balance it.

The real practice is not in the posture but in the mindfulness and in your contemplation of the truth: these are the real determinants whether you can become enlightened or not, not in your bodily postures.

“Dhamma in English, Dec 10, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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