The path
for cankama meditation walk should be about 1 metre wide and 15
metres long. It should be smooth so that the walker is not worried
about stumbling while walking. To get started, stand at one end of
the path facing the other end; the two palms are joined at the
chest or forehead as a token of reverence to the Lord Buddha. Then
make the following commitment :
" I now
intend to practise a cankama meditation walk as a tribute to the
purity of the Lord Buddha, Dhamma and the Noble Ones; also to the
virtues of my parents, teachers and those who have been kind to
me. May I be able to develop mindfulness, calmness and the ability
to know and see the Truth clearly. May the wholesomeness of my act
inspire all beings to forgive one another and be happy. "
Then put
your hands down, the right hand grasping the back of the left in
front of the body as when one stands in a solemn manner. Keep the
mind in a neutral mood. Do not let it incline to any pleasant or
unpleasant thought.
Think,
"
From this moment on I will set aside all other thoughts but the
intention to practise a cankama meditation walk. " Then follow
these steps :
1. Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking "Bud " Mindfully breathe
out slowly, thinking " dho " Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking
" Dham " Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking "mo " Mindfully
breathe in slowly, thinking "San " Mindfully breathe out slowly,
thinking " gho "
2. Do #1 ..... 3 - 7 times or more to bring Bud-dho, Dham-mo, San-gho
together into the mind.
3. Then do only the " Bud " - " dho " part and start walking
according to one of the following methods.
FIRST METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK
Mindfully take a step, thinking " Bud "; then another, thinking "dho
". Do this over and over as you walk along the path. At any time
your attention is not on your step, you know that you have lost
sati or mindfulness, and you must start again until your mind is
fixed firmly on every step. Do not walk too fast or too slow. Walk
at your regular speed.
This is a method of concentration development in which the act of
walking is used as the object of attention. When you reach one end
of the walking path, turn around by always making a right turn,
and walk back and forth.
SECOND METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK
In this method, one uses breathing instead of walking as the
object of attention. Think " Bud " as you breathe in, and " dho "
as you breathe out. In this way, you concentrate on your breath
and parikamma word- " Bud " -"dho " as a practice of
concentration. When you get tired of walking, simply stand still,
but continue fixing your mind on "Bud "- "dho " as before.
THIRD METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK
In this method, one concentrates on a part of one's body. Pick any
part that you feel is easy for you to concentrate on. This body
part will be used as the object of attention, at which mindfulness
and the " knowing " nature of the mind will stay together.
For a beginner, first practise by imagining the physical
appearance of the body part : for example, its color, texture and
location. By doing this over and over again, you can fix your mind
on that part more quickly, either with or without closing your
eyes. When you gain enough skill for one part, you can then move
on to do the same for other parts. Seeing all body parts as having
the same basic characteristics by this method provides a good
foundation for wisdom or insight development ( vipassana ). This
method does not depend on walking steps as the object of
attention. Instead, it uses the name of the body part-for example,
" taco " meaning " skin ", " qtthi " meaning " bone " --as the
parikamma word.
FOURTH METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK
In this method, one concentrates on the mental objects-crude or
delicate, pleasant or unpleasant-that arise in one's mind. Just be
mindful of the arising of mental objects, but do not think about
their source, because in doing so you will intensify that feeling
even more. Any mental object has its cause. Therefore you must be
mindful enough to know and see clearly the cause of a mental
object and watch how it can expand.
The cause here means the inner cause that already resides in the
mind. There is fuel ready in the mind; that is, craving for more
sensual objects and sensual moods. The mind has been craving for
its food in terms of forms, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile
sensations for a long, long time for innumerable past lives.
Similarly, in one's present life it craves for " hot " mental
objects through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. This has
been impressed profoundly in the mind and serves as the inner
cause of all mental objects. Forms, sounds, smells, tastes and
tactile sensations merely trigger the inner cause. When one
perceives anything from the senses, one's mind tends to hold onto
the perception and think about it until it is fastened in the
mind.
The mental object is where the mind is. Therefore when one
concentrates on a mental object, one is actually watching one's
mind. While watching it, one should be aware when greed, anger,
passion or delusion occur in the mind. One must be mindful enough
to spot any "invader " of the mind and tone it down until it fades
away. It is important, however, that you not let the mind think
about the source of the mental object, which could be form, sound,
smell, taste, touch or jealousy, because the feeling will be more
intensified and can do more harm to the mind. The right way is to
concentrate exclusively on the mental object as it arises in the
mind. Fix your attention on it until you see clearly what it is
really like. Soon it will lose strength and die down. This is the
" inner war " or the confrontation between mindfulness and mental
objects. Whether you will win or lose depends on the strength of
your mindfulness.
At the end of a cankama meditation walk, stand at one end of the
path facing the other end. Again, put the two palms together to
pay respect to the Lord Buddha as when you start, and say :
" I have
finished a cankama meditation walk as a tribute to the purity of
the Lord Buddha, Dhamma and the Noble Ones. May this practice of
mine be a blessing to myself as well as my parents, my teachers
and all who have been kind to me. May heavenly beings, small and
large animals and those who dislike me also be blessed by this
wholesome act. "
Then walk
away from the path mindfully to continue concentration practice by
sitting.
source:
http://www.knowbuddhism.info/2009/03/walking-meditation.html
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