Walking Meditation Sutta

[KeepCalm]

Does anyone know a good canonical sutta to read to understand how to do walking meditation properly?

Does the Buddha discuss the exact methods in any suttas?

[Mr. Seek]

I don't think the exact method is described, other than: one walks back and forth, possibly alternating with sits once in a while; the benefits are described too.

Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Maha Boowa, and Ajahn Lee speak about this a lot. It's an interesting subject.

[befriend]

I do this as my main meditation. I think first " there is a body" then that thought brings me into a felt sense of my body as a whole. Then I start walking and think " I am walking" my awareness automatically goes to the feeling of my feet on the ground, when I stop at the end of the path or whatever I take a breath and count "1" then walk again either thinking there is a body or I am walking and taking a breath at the end eventually after about 20 minutes when I think I am walking the I am part makes me chuckle cause I've been mindful enough to see my experience is not self. So even that refrain " I am walking turns into an object that arises and passes. I have recently good results from just using the refrains from the mahasatipatthana sutta. Obviously you can also be aware of sounds and mental states sights etc..

[bodom]

"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then — percipient of what lies in front & behind — set a distance to meditate walking back & forth, your senses inwardly immersed, your mind not straying outwards. It's possible that by doing this you will shake off your drowsiness.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

Monks, there are these five benefits of walking up & down. What five?

One is fit for long journeys; one is fit for striving; one has little disease; that which is eaten, drunk, chewed, tasted, goes through proper digestion; the composure attained by walking up & down is long-lasting.

These, monks, are the five benefits of walking up & down.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .agku.html

[mikenz66]

And note that the last benefit is long lasting samādhi, translated as "concentration" by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

caṅkamādhigato samādhi ciraṭṭhitiko hoti.
And immersion gained while walking lasts long.
https://suttacentral.net/an5.29/en/sujato

Mike

[Lucas Oliveira]

1.2. The Postures

Furthermore, when a mendicant is walking they know: ‘I am walking.’ When standing they know: ‘I am standing.’ When sitting they know: ‘I am sitting.’ And when lying down they know: ‘I am lying down.’ Whatever posture their body is in, they know it.

And so they meditate observing an aspect of the body internally, externally, and both internally and externally. They meditate observing the body as liable to originate, as liable to vanish, and as liable to both originate and vanish. Or mindfulness is established that the body exists, to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. They meditate independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

That too is how a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body.

https://suttacentral.net/dn22/en/sujato

[KeepCalm]

Thank you for taking the time to post

[gavesako]

Instruction on walking meditation:

[DooDoot]

Does anyone know a good canonical sutta to read to understand how to do walking meditation properly?

The common distinction of methods between sitting & walking meditation appears to demonstrate a basic misunderstanding of sitting meditation. When sitting meditation is properly understood then walking meditation follows the same method.

Does the Buddha discuss the exact methods in any suttas?

There is no difference between the four postures. For example, a practitioner developed in the Path i imagine practises Anapanasati when walking.

[EmptyShadow]

Thank you for the video, Bhante. I never realised that you can do walking meditation backwards.

In confined space it feels wrong doing regular walking meditation with the constant turning around. I get dizzy/motion sickness and also it feels bad for the joints.

Going forward and beckward in a small room feels much better.

[frank k]

Lots of sutta references here on walking meditation:

http://lucid24.org/sted/8aam/8samadhi/w ... index.html

IMO, there is too much misconception about differences between "formal sitting" meditation and walking meditation, or meditation in any posture and time.

Almost everything you do in sitting you can also practice standing or walking.

It just confuses people if they think there's a "proper way" to do walking meditation. Perhaps that's the lesson we should take from the lack of specific walking meditation instructions in the suttas, because there isn't a differentiation between postures in terms of what you should be doing.
AN 4.11 and 4.12 sum it up best:
In whatever posture:
* You still still be practicing rememberfulness [of relevant Dharmas, 4sp as default] (sati, "mindfulness"),
* you should be doing that sati with the maximum amount of ekaggata (singular focus) and jhana quality that you can,
* you should always be working on lucidly discerning (sampajano) what you're intending, thinking, doing,
* always working on thinking what you want to think and not thinking what you don't want to think,
* always immediately removing any akusala evil Dharma that comes your way.
* being in a "forming sitting meditation" just means you've reduced your potential distractions in your field of awareness, otherwise, the job is always the same.