Walking Meditation | Ajahn Maha Boowa

WALKING MEDITATION (CAṄKAMA)

In establishing the direction of the caṅkama path, the Venerable

Ācariya Mun followed the Ariyan tradition that was used during

the Lord Buddha’s time. The path should be parallel to the

East-West, Northeast-Southwest, or Northwest-Southeast

axis, the most preferred being the East-West and then the

other two paths. As far as the North-South path is concerned,

it was not recommended and was said to be avoided.

The length of the path is not fixed and can be established

according to suitability. However, it is recommended that

the shortest path be no shorter than ten paces, even when

limited by space. The normal length is about twenty paces

and a long path extends for about twenty-five to thirty paces.

The directions recommended should be strictly followed

unless it is truly necessary or unavoidable.

The rate of walking caṅkama back and forth should be

moderate, neither too fast nor too slow, so it is pleasing to

watch and in the good manner following the tradition of the

practitioners of the Lord Buddha’s time. This is walking caṅkama

bhāvanā. There are various positions of meditation (bhāvanā)

- walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. In whichever

posture of exertion, the purpose is for the cleaning up of

the kilesas with the same kind of tool. The tool, which is the

dhamma that suits one’s character and inclination, is not

changed. Before starting to walk caṅkama, the direction

and length should be established. One should then start by

standing at one end of the path with hands in anjali (palms

together) and raised to between the eyebrows reflecting

on the blessings of the Triple Gem (the Lord Buddha, the

Dhamma, and Sangha) that one takes as the refuge and

anchor for the Heart. One should also reflect on one’s father

and mother, Upajjhāya and Ācariya, and everyone else who

has been kind and compassionate to one. Then, one should

note the purpose of one’s exertion and that one is about to

do it earnestly for that particular purpose. The hands are

then lowered and rested just under the navel, the right hand

covering the left – following the Lord Buddha’s example

when he would stand in reflection. One then radiates the Four

Brahma-Vihāras7 before starting, with gaze downwards, in

a reserved manner. One establishes sati with the citta and

with the dhamma one uses as a parikamma object or

investigates the various dhammas as one was doing in the

other postures.

One begins walking from one end of the path to the other, in

a reserved manner, having sati constantly attending to the

parikamma object or to the object under investigation. One

should not send the citta away from the work it is doing at that

time. One should not walk with the arms swinging, or walk with

the hands behind the back, nor folding the arms across the chest,

nor looking here and there, which is not a reserved manner.

One may stand at any point along the path for reflection, the

length of time depending on the subtlety of the dhamma that

one is reflecting on. One reflects until understanding clearly

before continuing to walk. Sometimes this may take nearly

an hour before one comes to a clear understanding. When one

uses a parikamma object or is doing investigation one does not

count the steps. One only counts the steps when one is using

the counting as the ārammaṇa for that exertion. In all postures

of exertion, sati is the important factor. Lacking mindfulness

means lacking exertion for that particular period. The cultivator

should place as much emphasis on sati as on the parikamma

object, for even if the parikamma object is being continuously

recited out of habit, if sati is lacking, the result – calmness of the

heart – will not arise in accordance with the intention.

The length of time for walking caṅkama is left to the practitioner

to decide for himself. In the various postures for exertion, some

may find one posture more suitable than others. However,

exerting in the other postures is also for the purpose of

changing postures and not only for the eradication of the

kilesas. This is because of the necessity of maintaining the

body, which is the tool which performs practically and usefully.

The changing of postures is suitable for the body which is

constantly at work. If it is not maintained by the various means,

the body can turn to be a menace to the owner: it will be injured

and put out of order and finally will not be able to finish the work

according to the pre-established goal.

The kammaṭṭhāna bhikkhu takes walking caṅkama as his

life’s work. Mostly, he spends an hour or more on each walk.

In the morning, after finishing the meal, he will enter the

caṅkama path and will not leave until about eleven o’clock

or midday. After a short rest between one and two o’clock

he goes again to the path to walk caṅkama until it is time to

sweep and bathe. When this is finished, he enters the path

until about eight o’clock, but, if it is not the Cold Season, he

will continue walking until about ten or eleven o’clock before

retiring to his dwelling place to carry on the practice of

samādhi-bhāvanā.

The practice of walking caṅkama and sitting in samādhi must

be done constantly, regardless of place and season, over

a long stretch of time. The kammaṭṭhāna bhikkhu’s exertion is

constantly maintained, not allowing any lapse which will give

opportunity for the kilesas to disturb and bring trouble to the

Heart. He is constantly trying to curtail them in every posture.

With this kind of effort, he comes to see some of the results

of his exertion. He will see this increasingly as he progresses.

In observing the mind and establishing mindfulness while

walking caṅkama, please do it seriously and systematically,

befitting one’s intention in seeking good things. Walking

caṅkama bhāvanā is the correct way in the search for good

things. It is blameless and praised by the sages all over the world.

One should endeavour to make the citta calm during that

time. Do not merely perform it. One will then come to see the

supreme marvel within oneself. The filth that wraps the

heart blinds one from seeing the importance of that which is

being wrapped. One is fooled into thinking that the filth itself is

important and one is totally immersed in that delusion. The

truth, concerning the renowned Buddha, Dhamma, and

Sangha of the Three Worlds, arises out of the Heart which is

both the cause and the result of the aforementioned marvel.

It is this Heart that is free from those filthy wrappings; and it

is this Heart that is either known as Buddha or Sangha,

according to the state of each possessor.

Once without the possessor, it is absolute, total Dhamma.

Then there are no terms within, like ‘citta’ or ‘Lord Buddha’,

which are just conventions (sammuti) of the highest level.

All that remains is the term ‘Dhamma’, and even this is still

only a convention of the highest level; yet it has to remain in

usage as the principal basis for the world that is still dependent

on Dhamma. When one has attained to independence, one

will then definitely come to know the term ‘Dhamma’, even if

one has never experienced it before.

It is the same with the term ‘citta.’ Everybody’s citta all over

the world is essentially the same. But there are things beyond

our normal comprehension that make our citta different. There

are various kinds of existing, inter-related conditions and

environments beyond description that are interacting. The

citta, though quite different from these things, because it is

mixed, entangled, and covered with these things, becomes

indistinguishable from them. It is covered to the point where

it is impossible to know how much each citta is being covered

by these things, and also impossible to trace where each citta

previously existed or what covers it most.

Regarding all those things under the name of kilesas or filth

as seen by all the Supreme Ones, if anyone were able, to

whatever degree, to eradicate and uproot them, then they

would, to that degree, also experience happiness: all

according to their ability in clearing them up. If it can be

cleaned to the point of purity, one is then totally free of dukkha

within the Heart and yet still exist among the khandhas that

one still possesses, just as the Lord Buddha and Arahant

disciples who attained to Enlightenment and realized Dhamma.

They all experienced the bliss of deliverance (vimutti sukha)

right then and there without depending on time and place.

All that is required is for the kilesas, the enemy of the mind and

Heart, to totally disappear, and therefore it is only the kilesas

that obstruct the citta from attaining magga, phala, and

Nibbāna. There is nothing else that has this power of

obstruction.

The teachings of Dhamma, therefore, concentrate on the heart,

which is the hiding-place of all the defilements, having the prac-

tical dhammas of sīla, samādhi, and paññā 8 as the principal

basis among the Dhamma for correcting and clearing.

In summary: if one finds walking caṅkama suitable and

experiences calm and gains various kinds of upāya (skillful

means) to a greater degree than when sitting in samādhi, one

should then walk more than sit. But if the citta gains better

results in sitting, one should sit more than walk. But one

should not exclude the changing of body postures because it

is very important for the body, which is the tool that performs

the work.

Both of these methods are the means for the destruction of

the kilesas, the things that accumulate lives, existences and all

the kinds of dukkha within the Heart. Please give attention to

your heart, which is also the essence of the world. The world

and oneself will then live in harmony and not in turmoil

and trouble. One is protected because the mind is well trained.

This is better than not having any protection at all. When it

is time for the dissolution of the body (khandhas), one can

depend on the inner sanctuary of virtue that has been built up.

Worldly beings come and go according to their good and

bad kamma. They experience the results of happiness and

suffering all the time. There has never been a single being

that has escaped experiencing undesirable results. Even in

the human world, we can fully see both in ourselves and in

others, and with the animals, that all experience some

happiness and some pain, here and there, now and then.

The training in the way of virtue, which is having sīla, samādhi

and paññā as the Heart’s sanctuary, is something which

the cultivator can experience in the present, today, and in this

life, without any doubt – just as in the Lord Buddha’s time.

This discussion on the methods of walking caṅkama and

sitting in samādhi-bhāvanā has been treated generally and

is practical both for householders and those ordained.

The primary result of walking caṅkama and sitting in samādhi-

bhāvanā is calmness of the citta. When the citta converges,

it is singular, having only one ārammaṇa.

The secondary results vary according to each type of

character. The practitioner should not, therefore, be concerned

about the minor results which one hears about from other

practitioners, some of whom will describe the experiences they

have had, like for example, seeing various kinds of visions

(nimitta).

One should be concerned with the primary result: the state

of calm when the citta converges. Generally, this is the

essential result of practising samādhi. One who exerts and

endeavours, regardless of profession – householder or

ordained – will definitely come to see the marvel of the heart

from samādhi-bhāvanā. The news that one reads about those

enlightened disciples will eventually become the news about

oneself; for the kilesas, the bad deeds, and the dhamma,

the device for overcoming the kilesas, are impartial with

everyone, both in those days and in the present.

One who engages correctly (sāmīci-kamma) – the right

practice of samādhi which gives appropriate results, like

those experienced by the Noble Ones – will also experience

those same results. The important thing is not to speculate

more about the time and place of magga, phala, and Nibbāna

than about the actual practice, with the magga, the suitable

dhamma, as the means. This is the device that totally

eradicates the kilesas from within the Heart, together with

the heap of dukkha. This path (magga) is the dhamma that

directly counters the kilesas and has been from that time up

to the present day without change. Please use it to correct the

citta – which is the origin and home of all the various kinds of

defilements – until one comes to see fully that the Heart has

changed from being the container for kilesas to the container

for dhammas, gradually, until the whole Heart becomes

Dhamma.

Once the Heart is wholly Dhamma, no matter where one lives

the ‘dukkha within the Heart’ will never appear, only the dukkha

of the body (which is the true home of dukkha). The khandhas

are just khandhas; and dukkha is just dukkha. They remain so

until the end, when they cease to be khandhas and dukkha.

The ignorance (avijjā) that previously was all powerful over

the Heart loses its powerful grip at the time when the heart

becomes wholly Dhamma. This is the work of Dhamma. It has

an ending. One can gain deliverance, unlike the work of avijjā

which spreads infinitely all over the world of saṁsāra without

ever coming to an end. Even if this latter work is done for ages

upon ages it will continue to revolve eternally.

But there is one work that has the possibility of an ending. One

does not have to revolve with the burden of dukkha forever;

and one who has experienced both of these ‘works’ will know

their contrasting results: like two different worlds. If one were

to choose with intelligence, which would one choose? One can

see with this that there is a way out. One does not have to be

entangled with this revolving work to the point where one forgets

to pay attention to the treasures of Dhamma that one could have

for oneself in the future.