The article that follows is a FAQ List on insight meditation…
1.) “What is meditation and how does one practice?”
Well, I can only tell you how I practice.
Most Buddhists learn first to focus on their breathing. This is always good for beginners. Remember that the purpose of meditation is to teach you how to quickly and thoroughly focus your mind into concentration and how to achieve discipline of thought. It is not—I repeat, not—to empty your mind. (No one could do that anyway!)
When you begin meditating, don’t be concerned if your mind quickly steps away from counting your breaths and jumps about from this to that. What you’re experiencing is called Monkey Mind, and is just common brain chatter. Instead of trying to control or stop the monkey, just gently remind yourself to come back to counting your breaths or the other object of meditation you have selected…
A Wiccan I know uses gazing into the flame of a candle as her meditation object. Some Buddhists (as well as those of other faiths) chant. I usually begin with the breath, then when I feel my mind beginning to drift, I begin internally reciting the Metta Sutta (the Buddha’s words on compassion), being careful to really consider each line and not simply race through the mental recitation.
If you are a Christian, you may want to choose a Biblical passage to ponder for your meditation time. Some passage with meaning for you—long enough to remain interesting, but short enough to memorize in order to repeat it mentally many times.
2.) What is walking meditation?
Frankly, this entire concept sounded pointless to me at first, but after a short time, I actually discovered that I concentrate better while walking than sitting. Commonly, while in walking meditation, I will converse internally with what I like to think of as my “higher self”. A typical conversation may go something like this:
“What do you notice about walking today?”
“I notice I am tired, and it takes more concentration.”
“What else do you notice about being tired?”
“When I am tired, it’s harder to observe the precepts. I sometimes speak harshly to others or don’t practice generosity.”
Actually, this process has been named by psychologists “laddering”, stepping down deeper at each level while pondering one’s own actions and mental conditioning.
A walking meditation practice I read in a book and have had some success with, involves sending metta to each being you pass as you are walking outside. Literally, you think at them, “May you be peaceful and free from fear” as you go by. This is a wonderful practice, as it effectively keeps your attention focused on thoughts of well being as others pass your sphere of influence, rather than the judgments we humans are so prone to make.
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