Vipassana - Introduction

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.