The title, description and transcript may contain inaccuracies.

Short guide to Walking Meditation

Thich Nhat Hanh · November 7, 1988 · India · Monastic talk

Walking meditation is a crucial practice that enables living mindfully and stopping at every moment in daily life, whether drinking, sitting, or lying down. Diligent practice brings about a change in how life is lived. The story of the bandit Angulimala illustrates this: while chasing the Buddha, he demanded the Buddha stop. The Buddha replied, “I have already stopped. It is you that has not stopped,” meaning he had stopped on the way of doing bad things, while the bandit continued to run.

The purpose of walking meditation is to learn how to live in the present moment. Walking is not for arriving; walking is for stopping. Although we are used to running toward a destination, we must resist the tendency to accelerate and instead walk leisurely and peacefully. Often, the destination is not as pleasant as anticipated, such as a tiring meeting, making the act of going more important than the arrival.

The final destination is the grave or the cremation stupa, a future of death, so there is no need to hurry. To go in the direction of life is to go to the present moment. The left foot goes to the present moment, and the right foot goes to the present moment. Practicing this way even once a day has a significant influence on daily life. The keyword is to stop running.