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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 35

Walking Meditation Posture

At first, the Buddha refused to answer him. But as he According to this discourse on the establishment of
kept asking, over and over again, the Buddha finally mindfulness the prescribed three places are as follows:
admonished him. “Bāhiya, this is the way you should
train yourself: ’In the seeing there is just the seeing. In the woods (about 300 feet away from any human
In the heard there is just the heard. In the thought habitation)
there is just the thought. In the cognizing there is just
the cognizing’.” These are certainly deeply meaningful At the foot of a tree (any tree but the environment
words, but for the practitioner when observing things should be quite calm, and peaceful)
objectively, it is not that difficult to grasp their deep
meaning. In an empty house (the house may even be in a city or a
village, but it has to be secluded).
Objective Observation as Given in the Satipaṭṭhāna
Sutta With regard to these three places, seclusion is the

With this background we can now come to understand most important condition. Therefore, any place that
how the Buddha has taught this wonderful method of offers seclusion is a suitable place for meditation.
objective observation in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. We Then one should sit properly adjusting one’s posture,
see that, from the beginning to the end of the Sutta, it using full lotus, half lotus, or easy posture and practice
is nothing but objective observation. Once the Buddha mindfulness of breathing. That is the observation.
said, “Friends, things that are not yours, abandon”. So Observe your breath objectively.
Satipaṭṭhāna is for this purpose.
Breath

As we mentioned earlier, the Buddha categorized As you breathe in and out you have to give your
mindfulness of body first. In this category there are attention (wise attention) to the breath and strive
six subdivisions. First, the Buddha explained how to to understand the breath clearly but also allow it to
observe the breath objectively. When it is observed flow naturally, peacefully and smoothly. Observe the
objectively one can see it as it is. breath objectively. This breath is not yours, it is not
you, and it is not yourself. This is impermanent, this
For this objective observation of the breath, one should is unsatisfactory and this is insubstantial. That is
find a comfortable place and sit properly. The Buddha how one should observe one’s breath objectively. The
recommended three types of places that provide Buddha of our Era, Gotama, observed natural breathing
peacefulness, seclusion, and extra energy respectively. as the object for his attainment of Buddha-hood. All of