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METHODS OF CONCENTRATION DEVELOPMENT
WALKING MEDITATION (CANKAMA)
PREPARATION FOR CANKAMA WALK
 

by Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno

 

 

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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