Saturday, August 29, 2015

Walking meditation (2)

The following Thay's messages are very useful.

It's like you sign, you put your signature on it, "I have arrived, truly arrived". The seal of arrival is there. And if you know you have not arrived 100%, then stay there. And breathe in and out until you arrive. And when you know that you have arrived completely in the here and the now, smile! Smile a smile of victory! And take another step. And you can afford to do that because you are alone. You can take as much time as you want in order to truly arrive. ("I have arrived" means that I have transformed myself from ego (separate self who is wandering in the past or the future) to true self (non-separate self in the present moment).)

And if you succeed in arrival with one step, you know that you can succeed with another step and so on. And when you walk with a sangha, you can walk more quickly and you arrive at every step. Walking with a sangha, you may like to take two steps while breathing in, "I have arrived, I have arrived". And breathing out, you may make three steps, "I am home, I am home, home". 

Bring your attention to the sole of your foot. And walk as if you kiss the ground with your foot. I'm not here (head). I'm here (the sole of my foot). I'm aware of the contact between my foot and the ground. Every step is solid. Every step is free. "Solid" means  I'm established firmly in the here and the now. That is why I'm solid. (Head or the brain means ego and the sole of my foot or the consciousness means true self.)

Solidity is what I cultivate during walking meditation. I'm not being pulled by the past. I'm not being pulled by the future. I'm well established in the present moment and enjoy touching life in the present moment. I'm solid and I am free. Because I am free of the past and I am free of the future, I am myself. And the solidity and freedom, they are together. And solidity and freedom are what you cultivate while doing walking meditation. (Because true self revives and stops thinking, we are free from separation or discrimination. That's why we attain freedom and solidity.)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04

"I have arrived, I am home". This is not a statement. This is a realization. Every step helps you to go home to the here and the now, your true home. Every step will help you to arrive. 
So, if you know that you have arrived and you are home, you don't need to run anymore. That is the practice of stopping. And meditation is first of all to stop, stop running. (It's easy to realize that true self has revived because we can touch the wonders of life.)

(to be continued) 

(Notes) The descriptions in the parenthesis are my commentaries.

(Cf.) https://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/walking-meditation-62204227
http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/3-versions-of-oneself

Thích Nhất Hạnh