Computer Studies in Buddhism - Meditation
"Vipassana Meditation Course: Series of Eight Talks", by Ven Sayadaw U Janaka
Buddha Dhamma Meditation Association, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Talk I
Introduction
Today we start our Vipassana Meditation Retreat: mental training, or mental
development. Why should we train our mind? Because we want to free it from all
kinds of mental distortions such as greed, hatred, anger, stresses, strains,
and despair. When our mind is free from all kinds of these mental distortions
we can live blissfully and peacefully. That's why we have to train our mind,
by means of Vipassana meditation or insight meditation.
* Samatha and Vipassana meditation.
There are two types of meditation in Buddhism. One is Samatha meditation; the
other is Vipassana meditation. Samatha here means concentration. Vipassana
here means insight or experiential knowledge of bodily and mental phenomena.
Of these two types of mental training Samatha meditation is practised to
attain higher concentration of the mind, peaceful and blissful living and the
cessation of suffering. Vipassana meditation is practised to attain not only
deep concentration of the mind but also liberation from all kinds of mental
and physical dukkha or suffering, through realisation of our body-mind
processes and their true nature.
As I explained to you, Samatha meditation is practised to attain higher
concentration of the mind. So when you practise Samatha meditation, the first
type of mental training or mental culture, you have to concentrate your mind
on a single object of meditation. You want to concentrate your mind on a
single object very deeply. That object may be a concept or observed reality,
but most Samatha meditative objects are concepts. There are also a few objects
which are observed reality as the object of meditation in the first type of
training and Samatha meditation. But whatever the object may be the aim of
Samatha meditation is to obtain deep concentration of the mind, or the higher
concentration of the mind.
So you have to take a single object and focus your mind on it. When you focus
your mind on this object gradually the mind will be concentrated on it very
deeply. But in the beginning of the practise your mind may go out or wander.
Your mind doesn't stay with the object always. Sometimes it just goes out and
thinks about something else. It wanders and goes astray. Then you have to
bring the mind to the object and focus it on that object again and again.
Whenever the mind goes out you bring it back and focus it on the object of
meditation. In this way your mind gradually becomes concentrated well on the
object of meditation.
As you have practised it for some days or months the concentration becomes
better and better, deeper and deeper. Finally the mind is absolutely
concentrated on the object of meditation as its absorbed into the object of
meditation. Such a state of mind which is absorbed into the object of
meditation is called jhana, or apana in Pali. Jhana means 'fixed as', or
absorption. When the mind is totally fixed to the object of meditation it's
called jhana, fixed mind. And also it is called absorption, apana.
Jhana has four stage, or five stages, in accordance with the teaching of the
Buddha. So, the second stage of jhana concentration becomes better than the
first. Then the third stage, the concentration better than the second. So with
the fourth. As long as the mind is deeply concentrated on the object of
meditation its free from all mental impurities such as desire, greed, lust,
hatred, anger, ignorance, and jealousy. Because there are no impurities in the
mind which is absorbed into the object of meditation you feel happy and
peaceful, and calm and tranquil. Tranquillity, serenity and calmness is the
result of Samatha meditation.
But in ancient times there were some devotees who practised Samatha meditation
with a view to obtaining supernormal powers such as clairvoyance and
clairaudience. These supernormal powers can be attained based on all the four
jhanas, of the four stages. When a meditator is skilled in entering any stage
of jhana he can then proceed with his meditation in order to attain psychical
or supernormal powers. But though he may be able to attain them through the
four stages of jhana, concentration, he is not able to rightly understand the
intrinsic nature of mental and physical phenomena. He is not able to destroy
any mental defilement because the purpose of Samatha meditation is to obtain
deep higher concentration of the mind and psychical or supernormal powers.
Because he is not able to uproot any of the mental defilements such as anger,
hatred, desire, and craving, he cannot get free from all kinds of suffering,
mental or physical, because these mental defilements are the causes of the
suffering, dukkha. As long as one can uproot or exterminate these mental
defilements, mental impurities, he is subject to suffering, dukkha.
The aim of Vipassana meditation is to free oneself from all kinds of dukkha,
mental suffering and physical suffering, through realisation of the body-mind
processes and their true nature. So if you are able to realise mental and
physical phenomena as they really are you can do away with all kinds of mental
impurities or mental defilements which arise dependent on misunderstanding or
ignorance of mental and physical phenomena and their true nature. That's why
we have to practise Satipatthana Vipassana meditation, insight meditation.
But you may practise Samatha meditation with a view to gaining some deep
concentration on which your insight knowledge is built. Such a kind of Samatha
meditation is more beneficial than that which I explained to you for the
purpose of higher concentration and supernormal powers. So in ancient times,
in the time of the Buddha some meditators developed Samatha meditation
further, first of all so they could gain some degree of concentration such as
access concentration, and if was possible jhana concentration or absorption
concentration. When they had attained absorption concentration or jhana
concentration they made this the basis for Vipassana meditation or Insight
Meditation.
Here access concentration means that neighbouring concentration to jhana
concentration. When you have attained access or neighbouring concentration you
are sure to attain jhana concentration, absorption concentration, in a short
time. If the purpose of a meditator is to practise Vipassana meditation based
on excessive concentration he or she can attain this by means of Samatha
meditation. Such kind of Vipassana meditation is known as Vipassana meditation
or insight meditation preceded by Samatha meditation.
So Vipassana meditation is of two types. The first, Vipassana meditation,
insight meditation is preceded by Samatha meditation. The second is the pure
Vipassana meditation or insight meditation not preceded by Samatha meditation.
The first type of Vipassana meditation or Insight Meditation is practised by
those who have ample time to devote to their meditation. They have to spend
maybe three or four months on Samatha meditation. And when they are satisfied
with their attainment of jhana concentration they proceed with Vipassana
meditation.
Pure Vipassana meditation is practised by those who haven't enough time to
devote to their meditation like yourselves, because you do not have three or
four months or six months or a year for your meditation. So you can spend
about ten days on your meditation. For such meditators pure Vipassana
meditation is suitable. That's why we have to conduct a ten days Vipassana
meditation retreat. Actually ten days meditation is not enough. The period is
too short a time for a meditator to succeed in any noticeable experience in
his meditation. But there are some who have some experience in Vipassana
meditation who when their meditation experience becomes major can attain the
higher stages of insight knowledge of the body-mind processes of their true
nature. Although you can spend just ten days on your meditation, if you strive
to attain the deep concentration with a strenuous effort without much interval
or break in the course of your meditation for the whole day, then you are able
to have some new experience of meditation. So the point is to practise
intensively and strenuously as much as you can.
* Preparatory Stages
Before you practise insight meditation there are some preparatory stages you
should go through. The first the Pali scriptures mention is when one has
spoken contemptuously or in jest or malice to or about a noble one - a puggala
in Pali - who has attained some state of sanctity or enlightenment in
accordance with the teaching of the Buddha. Then he should apologise to the
Buddha. He should apologise that noble one, a puggala. If he is not available
here, if he is deceased, he should make apology through his meditation
teacher. I think you need not do this because you may not have spoken ill of
any noble one, a puggala, because you may not met such a person in Australia.
The second stage is that you should entrust yourself to the Lord Buddha who
teaches the technique of Vipassana meditation, by interesting yourself in the
Buddha you can go through your course happily and peacefully. Though you may
have unwholesome or dreadful visions in your meditation you won't fear them
because you have entrusted yourself to the Buddha. Also you have to place
yourself under the guidance of your meditation teacher so he can frankly
instruct you without any hesitancy. If you do not place yourself under the
guidance of your teacher he may not be reluctant to instruct you even though
you have some defects in your practise.
* Four Protective Meditations
When you have done this you should develop the four protective meditations for
some minutes. These four are (1) recollection of the Buddha's attributes; (2)
development of love and kindness or metta towards all living beings; (3)
reflection upon the loathsome nature of our body; (4) reflection on the nature
of death.
When you recollect the attributes of the Buddha you can select one of nine
attributes. Out of these nine attributes of the Buddha you can choose the
first or the second or any of the nine as the object of your meditation and
reflect on it. Here Arahat is the first attribute. Arahat means the Buddha who
is worthy of honour because he has completely destroyed all mental activities
and attained to the cessation of all kinds of dukkha. You have to recollect
this achievement of the Buddha, thinking about its meaning. That's the
worthiness of honour through his attainment of the cessation of all kinds of
suffering by destroying all mental defilements so he lived in peace and bliss
and happiness. When you recollect these attributes you feel happy and brave to
face any kind of dukkha or suffering in the course of your meditation as well
as in your daily life. This must be done about two minutes.
Then you have to develop your metta, loving-kindness, the feeling of
loving-kindness towards all living beings, wishing all living beings peace and
happiness, and free from all kinds of mental and physical suffering, dukkha.
This feeling of detached love is developed in yourself. Then you feel happy
and tranquil, your mind easily concentrated on any object of meditation. This
must be done about five minutes.
After that you have to reflect upon the loathsome nature of the body, thinking
about its repulsiveness such as blood, pus, phlegm, intestines, and so on.
This body is full of these impurities and repulsiveness. The result is you are
detached from this body to a certain extent because you find it loathsome or
repulsive. This also must be done about two minutes.
Then after that you should reflect upon the nature of death. Life is
uncertain, death is certain. Life is precarious and death is sure. Everyone
who is born is subject to death. So all men are mortal. In this way you have
to think about the surety of death for every living being. You can arouse
strenuous effort in your practise by thinking, 'I'll have to practise this
meditation strenuously before I die, or before I am dead.
This is what the Buddhist meditational texts mention as a preliminary stage
for both the Samatha meditator and Vipassana meditator. They are not
compulsory, not indispensable. But the texts mention they should be done.
These four protective meditations, recollection of the Buddha's attributes and
development of loving-kindness, metta, towards all living beings is the most
important thing for a meditator to pacify his distracted mind and also to
practise meditation happily and peacefully. So you should do that.
* Beginning Vipassana Meditation
When you have done these preliminary stages then you have to focus your mind
on your bodily and mental processes, be aware of any mental and physical
processes as they really are. That is the beginning of Vipassana meditation.
The principle of Vipassana meditation is to be aware of whatever arises in
your body and mind as it really occurs. In other words, any activity of the
body and mind must be very attentively observed as it really is. This is the
principle of Vipassana meditation. So any mental process or physical process
is the object of Vipassana meditation. When you find any mental process or
physical process on any part of your body and mind distinctively rising, then
you must note it, you must observe it, you must be aware of it as it really
is.
Any mental or physical phenomenon can be the object of insight meditation,
Vipassana meditation. You have a variety of meditational objects in Vipassana
meditation, not like Samatha meditation. In Samatha meditation you have to
take only a single object to focus your mind. But in Vipassana meditation
there are many varieties of mental or physical processes as the object of
meditation.
The mentality or physicality which is more pronounced than the other should be
observed, you should be mindful of as it is. But the beginner may get confused
what object to observe or to be mindful of. To avoid this confusion the most
Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw taught this technique of meditation to his disciples
in accordance with the four foundations of mindfulness, instructing them to
begin with the movement of the abdomen.
When you focus your mind on the abdomen you find a rising movement and falling
movement. When you breath in the abdomen rises; when you breathe out the
abdomen falls. So rising movement and falling movement is the primary object
of this insight meditation to begin with. But though the abdomen rises through
the pressure of the air you breathe, this meditation is not a breathing
meditation, not a respiratory meditation. Though the abdomen falls through the
pressure of the breath which is going out, this is not a breathing meditation
because there the Omniscient Buddha classified the wind or the air in six
groups.
* The Wind or Air Element
One group of the air or wind is vayo-dhatu. That means the wind which exists
in the abdomen. This also must be focussed, must be realised by a meditator
and not identified with his self, his person or bis being. The other aspect of
wind or air is breathing, respiration. Though the respiration is connected
with the rise and fall of the abdomen, the rising movement/falling movement is
not breathing, not respiration. It's the wind or the air which expands and
contracts in the abdomen. So contemplation of the abdomen's movement is not
breathing meditation, not respiration meditation.
When you practise respiration meditation your mind has to focus at the
nostrils or the top of the upper lips. You focus the mind there and note it
and breathe in. When you breathe out you focus your mind on the nostrils or on
the top of the upper lips, and note outward breathing and so on. So, when you
focus your mind on the abdominal movement and concentrate on it then this
contemplation is not contemplation breathing meditation.
Then what is it? This is the meditation of elements. Element here means the
physical elements: wind or air. We have to focus our mind not only on the wind
or air elements but also upon the other mental or physical elements too.
Whatever is predominant, mental phenomena or physical phenomena must be
observed as they are. So you have to focus your mind on the abdominal movement
and notice or observe it: rising-falling, making mental note as rising-
falling.
* Sitting
When you sit in the wrong position you can't feel the pressure of the rising
movement or falling movement very well, so you have to sit comfortably in the
right position. You should not sit in the cross legged position because if you
cross one leg against another in a short time you feel pressure, a painful
sensation of aching or numbness. You need not sit in a cross legged position.
Your legs must be evenly placed side by side, the right leg inside and the
left leg outside. Then you don't feel any pressure because the two legs are
evenly placed side by side.
Then your body must be kept in an erect position. Your body must be straight.
The neck and head also must be in a straight line with the body. But you must
not stretch out your body. You must keep it straight erect, then close your
eyes. The right hand must be put on the left one with the palm upward. But you
may put both hands on both knees with the palms upward. Now relax yourself. Do
not feel tense both physically and mentally. Relieve all your tensions, mental
or physical tensions, and sit as comfortably as you can.
* Rising and Falling Movement of the Abdomen
Then focus the mind on the abdominal movement and observe the outward movement
and inward movement of the body, making a mental note: rising, falling. When
the abdomen rises you note rising; when the abdomen falls you notice falling.
You must not pay any attention to the form of the abdomen. What you should
perceive is the pressure of the rising movement and the falling movement.
Whenever the rising movement is distinct you should note it rising. When the
falling is pronounced you note it falling. In the beginning of the practise
you need to label such as rising, falling, sitting, touching and so on. You
have to make a mental note. Because for the beginner labelling or mental note
helps him to focus the mind on the object very precisely and closely. So in
the beginning of the practise you need to label or make a mental note such as
rising, falling, rising, falling.
During your contemplation of the rise and fall of the abdomen your mind may go
out. Then when the mind goes out you must now bring it back to the primary
object, that's the rise and fall of the abdomen. As soon as you are aware that
your mind is wandering you follow it and note it. Observe it as it is. Say,
'wandering, wandering,' or 'thinking, thinking,' or imagining, imagining,' and
so on until that wandering mind has disappeared. Only after the wandering mind
has disappeared do you return to the primary object, the rise and fall of the
abdomen. Then note as usual rising, falling, rising, falling.
In the beginning of the practise your mind is still with the rise and fall of
the abdomen, the primary object, about say five or ten seconds. And then it
goes out. Whenever you know that the mind is going out you should be aware of
it going out and make a mental note, 'we are going out,' or 'thinking,
thinking,' 'imagining, imagining.' If you see any mental image then you note,
seeing, seeing, seeing until that mental image has disappeared. Only after it
has disappeared do you return to the primary object and note as usual, rising
falling, rising falling.
In the beginning of the practise the rise and fall of the abdomen is not so
pronounced, not so predominant to the beginner's mind. Then the meditator is
not satisfied with the movement of the abdomen so he makes it vigorous, rapid
or quick. You mustn't do that. You mustn't breathe quickly or vigorously or
deeply so that you can feel it very distinctly. Because if you do that you get
fatigued. You feel fatigue in a short time, then you can't concentrate on it.
So breathing must be normal. When you put some mental effort in your noting of
the rise and fall of the abdomen you can feel it to a certain extent and note
rising falling, rising falling.
As you have meditated say about four or five days then the rise and fall of
the abdominal movement will become clearer and clearer, more and more distinct
to your mind. So in the beginning of this practise, not satisfied with your
noting of the abdominal movement, you must not breathe in deeply or vigorously
or quickly. Breathing must be normal. Note as much as it is distinct to your
mind.
* Distractions
During your contemplation of the rising movement and falling movement of the
abdomen you may hear any sound, a voice, a noise. And you should observe it,
make a mental note, hearing hearing hearing hearing, about four or five times.
After that you come to the primary object, the rise and fall of the abdomen,
and note as usual.
Sometimes you may smell any scent or odour while you are contemplating on the
abdominal movement. Then you leave the abdominal movement alone and note:
smelling smelling smelling. Only after that you come to return to the primary
object and note as usual.
Sometimes you may feel hot or cold while you are engaged in the rising and
fall of the abdomen. Then you leave the abdomen alone and focus your mind on
the feeling of cold or the sensation of the hot, and observe it as it really
is. Make a mental note: hot, hot or cold, cold. When the feeling of cold or
hot subsides you return to the primary object, the rising and fall of the
abdomen and note as usual rising falling, rising, falling.
When you have sat say about fifteen or twenty minutes you may feel pain or
stiffening or itching on any part of your body. Then you must observe that
painful or itching sensation as it really occurs. Make a mental note: pain
pain pain pain pain. When you note the pain your noting should be energetic,
precise. When the pain is noted superficially and lightly then you can't
overcome it. Actually the pain doesn't become severe, but with the power of
deep concentration the mind becomes so sensitive to the pain that it perceives
it very well, so you think the pain becomes severe. So you have to continue to
contemplate the pain as much as possible with utmost patience. That patience
is the best quality of a meditator, to bear the pain and to overcome it.
However severe the pain may be you must not give it up. You should concentrate
on it as much as possible with the utmost patience.
So not only for the pain itself but also in other aspects of this meditation
patience is the best quality of a yogi. You have to be patient with your mind;
you have to be patience with your physical discomfort; you have to be patient
with the disturbances coming from outside. When you are not patient with these
things your concentration very often is broken, goes away. So you have to have
the best quality of a meditator, that's patience.
There is a Burmese saying: Ten yi khan neg ban yau . The meaning is: Patience
leads to Nibbana, or the cessation of all kinds of suffering. So patience is
the best quality of a yogi who will be successful in this meditational
practise.
Sometimes you can't bear the severity of the pain. Then you want to change
your position so that you can relieve it. You must not change your position in
a sitting, but there is an exception when a meditator can sit say an hour
without changing position. After an hour's meditation if he wants to change
his position he must not do that. He should get up and practise walking
meditation because the changing of the position in a sitting makes your
concentration break. So it's not good.
When you change your position very often this becomes habitual so that when
your meditational experience is even at an advanced stage you want to change
your position though you don't have any unbearable pain. Sometimes
unconsciously you have changed your position. Only after you have changed
position do you know, 'Ah, I have changed my position.' Then concentration
breaks.
So those who can sit without changing position an hour should not change this
position in a sitting even once. But for beginners if they are not able to sit
when thirty minutes, half an hour, is up without changing position they can
change once in a sitting, not twice.
Suppose the beginner meditates in sitting then after ten minutes' meditation
feels a painful sensation and wants to change his position. Then he can change
it because he cannot sit even an hour. So he should change his position, but
this must be done mindfully. When you want to change you must note, wanting
wanting. That's a mental process which must be observed: wanting wanting, or
wishing wishing, intending intending. Then you change your position, you
stretch out your legs, and stretching, stretching, stretching. Then again you
shift your body, then shifting shifting, moving moving. When you settle it on
again, then touching touching, sitting sitting. When you bend your legs,
bending bending, and so on. All actions and movements involved in changing the
position you must be mindful of as they really are.
After you have changed position then you return to the primary object, the
rise and fall of the abdomen, and note as well rising falling, rising falling.
But after five or ten minutes' meditation you may feel pain unbearable, then
you may feel you want to change your position. You mustn't do that. Patiently
observe the pain as much as possible as long as you can. When you feel it
unbearable then get up and practise walking meditation. You may sit say about
twenty minutes or thirty minutes, it doesn't matter. You may sit as long as
you can with a change of position once - only once, not twice. After that you
practise walking meditation.
As I told you this Vipassana meditation, insight meditation, is to put an end
to all kinds of suffering through realisation of our body-mind processes and
their true relation. That's why we have to observe whatever mental states,
emotional states or physical activities become prominent to our mind. That's
why we have to be mindful of our painful sensation. Make a mental note, pain
pain. The same with the stiffening, itching or any physical discomfort or
mental or emotional states which are arising very prominently.
Sometimes you may have two or more objects of meditation, that's two or more
objects of physical mental processes which are arising at the same moment.
Then you may get puzzled which object should be noted. You should not get
puzzled about it. It is the most prominent object of physical or mental
processes that you must be aware of.
Suppose when you observe the rise and fall of the abdomen you feel numbness on
your leg. And also you feel an itching sensation in the back. And your mind is
also thinking about something, about your walk or your travel. Then you have
four objects of meditation. One is the rise and fall of the abdomen, the other
is numbness, the third is the itching sensation in the back, and the fourth is
a thought about your family. What should you do with these four objects that
you should be mindful of?
You should note the most prominent object. When numbness on the leg is more
distinct than the other three you should note, numb. You should observe it,
make a mental note, numb numb, or numbness numbness and so on until it has
subsided. After it has subsided you return to the primary object, the rise and
fall of the abdomen.
But it may be the itching sensation which is more distinct than the abdominal
movement. Then you should go to the itching sensation and note as usual,
itching itching itching. Focus in your mind on the itching sensation
attentively and precisely.
Of the four objects of meditation, if the thought about your family is more
distinct than the other three then you should observe the thought, observe
this mental state which must be realised by the meditator. Observing the
thought, make a mental note, thinking thinking thinking thinking. When you
note the thought that noting must be energetic, precise and somewhat quick, so
that the mindfulness or the noting becomes more and more powerful than the
process of thinking. When the noting mind becomes more powerful than the
process of thinking, then it overwhelms the process of thinking and that
process of thinking stops. After the thought has stopped or disappeared you
return to the primary object, the rise and fall of the abdomen, and note it as
usual.
In this way when you have two or more objects of a mental or physical process
you must be aware of the most distinct or prominent object of meditation,
making mental note as it is.
To summarise, be mindful of mental states, emotional states, and physical
processes in sitting meditation. You have to begin with the rise and fall of
the abdomen as soon as you have settled yourself on the seat. But if there are
any other mental states, emotional states or physical processes which are more
distinct than the abdominal movement then you observe the one which is the
more pronounced. Note it as usual. After that object has disappeared you
return to the primary object, that's the rise and fall of the abdomen, and
note it as usual.
* The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
First of the four foundations of mindfulness, the meditator must be aware of
whatever arises within the body and mind as it really occurs. So while you are
walking also you must be aware of the movement of the foot. When you walk,
first of all you must stand still at the starting point of the walk. Stand
still and first make a mental note, standing standing standing, about ten
times, perceiving the inner posture of standing. Not the form of the body but
the erect posture for standing. After that you walk, left step, right step.
Then you note, left right, left right, being aware of the movement of the foot
very precisely and attentively. Or you can note, stepping stepping stepping.
But your mind doesn't stay with the movement of the foot very long. It may
stay with the movement of the foot say about one or two minutes, then the mind
goes out, wanders about. But in the beginning of the practise you are not
aware of the wandering mind. You think you are focussing your mind on the
movement of the foot but actually the mind is going out still asleep. As soon
as you know that the mind is wandering or thinking about something else then
unconsciously you bring it back to the foot. Then you have a chance to note
the wandering mind because the mind has already stayed with the movement of
the foot. Then you have to note left right, left right. Labelling or seeing is
not the important thing. What is important is to note the movement of the
foot, to perceive the movement of the foot, to be aware of the movement of the
foot, but without labelling or mental note.
Your mind may not at first be able to focus on the movement of the foot very
precisely. That's why we use labelling as an instrument to help focus our mind
on the movement of the foot. But when you have practised walking meditation
for say about half an hour, you may be able to note that the mind is wandering
when it goes out. As soon as you know the mind is wandering you must stop
walking and make a mental note, wandering wandering, or thinking thinking,
imagining imagining, as the case may be. After that you return to the movement
of the foot and note, left right, left right.
When you are able to concentrate to a certain extent by being aware of the
movement of the foot, make a mental note left and right, you should note two
parts of the step: lifting parts and dropping parts. When you lift the foot
note it, lifting. When you put it down note it, putting. In this way: lifting,
putting, lifting, putting. Or lifting dropping, lifting dropping. When you
note two parts of a step you need not label left and right. Left and right
must be dropped when you make a mental note, lifting dropping, lifting
dropping. Slowly not quickly. Gradually you must make your step slower and
slower so that you can easily note the movement of the foot very well.
When you are well able to note lifting dropping then you can increase to one
more object. Three parts of a step must be noted: lifting part, pushing part,
dropping part. When you lift the foot note lifting. When you push it forward
note pushing. When you drop it down you note dropping. In this way lifting,
pushing, dropping; lifting pushing dropping.
If you find it difficult to perceive the movement of the foot because of
labelling or making a mental note, then you should try without labelling or
making a mental note. Just be aware of the movement of the foot: lifting
movement, pushing forward movement, and dropping movement.
When you reach the other end of the walk you have to stand still and note your
posture of standing, the posture of your body, standing standing about ten
times. When you want to turn your body then note wanting wanting, then
intending intending, then turning turning, very slowly. The movement of
turning must be noted very slowly. Then again when you face the direction you
came, then you stand still and note the standing posture ten times. Then walk
again, lifting pushing dropping, and lifting pushing dropping. And so on.
If you are able to walk an hour it's better, because in walking meditation the
movement of the foot, the object of meditation is very distinct, very clear to
your mind so you can easily observe it. You can easily be aware of it. But as
the principle of Vipassana meditation goes on, any mental states, emotional
states or physical activities must be observed as they are so, except sitting
and walking.
There are many actions and movements you have to do in your daily life. Those
daily activities also must be noted such as stretching of the arms and bending
of the arms, raising the hand, putting down the hand, and sitting down and
rising from the seat. All the actions and movements you are doing must be
observed as they really occur: while you are eating, while you are washing,
while you are showering, while you are preparing your beds. There are many
many activities involved in these actions. These activities must be noted, you
must be aware of them. To be able to note these activities you have to
deliberately slow down your actions and movements.
In the next talk I'll continue to explain to you the practical exercise on
this meditation. May all of you rightly understand the technique of this
meditation and practise intensively during this retreat and achieve your goal.
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