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Arriving Home: Walking Meditation into the Here-and-Now of Nirvana

Thich Nhat Hanh · March 20, 2010 · Italy · Audio Only
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Walking meditation is practiced to enjoy every step, serving as an end in itself rather than a means to arrive elsewhere. Like an artist enjoying the masterpiece they are creating, there is no need to strive or fight; if there is suffering while sitting or walking, it is not being done correctly. Insight obtained through mindfulness and concentration reveals that life and all its wonders are already available in the here and the now. The Kingdom of God and the Pure Land of the Buddha are within and around us, and the appointment with life is found only in the present moment. To miss the present is to miss this appointment.

Mindfulness is the key to unlocking this kingdom, a capacity known as Buddha nature. Breathing in brings the mind back to the body, waking it from forgetfulness and distraction. Once the mind returns, it may recognize tension and pain. The third exercise on mindful breathing is to be aware of the whole body, followed by the fourth exercise: releasing the tension in the body. This practice allows for deep total relaxation, reducing pain and preventing illness caused by accumulated tension.

To aid in arriving one hundred percent in the here and the now, a specific gatha is used during walking meditation:

  • I have arrived, I am home — This is a realization, not a thought, signifying the return to the true home in the present moment.
  • In the here, in the now — Establishing oneself firmly where life is happening.
  • I am solid, I am free — Recognizing the stability and freedom gained by not being pulled by the past or future.
  • In the ultimate I dwell — Touching the dimension of reality that transcends time and space.

Nirvana is the realm of no birth and no death, no coming and no going. Using the image of a wave and water, the wave represents the historical dimension with a beginning and end, while the water represents the ultimate dimension. The wave does not need to look for water; it is water in the here and the now. By touching this ultimate dimension, fear and anger can no longer carry us away.

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