The arising of thoughts...

So what did the Zen master mean when he said, "When I walk, I walk. When I sit, I sit." Does that not mean that his total attention is on the walking rather than on witnessing the thoughts?


That means that in the case of the master the arising of the thoughts will be rare and not arise as frequently as in the case of an ordinary person. But when they do arise, they'll be witnessed.

And therefore walking can be a true meditation. I know because it happens to me. I walk about an hour and a quarter every morning and every evening. I don't go out on the road because there'd be distractions.

I walk in my own apartment from one corner diagonally to the other corner. And during that walking, if there are no interruptions, it can happen without any thoughts. Or, if a rare thought arises, it gets cut off.


-Ramesh Balsekar