One Step at a Time: Walking Through Life with Awareness
Putting one foot in front of the other seems like a simple act, yet through
walking meditation, it became a revelation that moved through my entire being.
As I walked slowly, deliberately shifting my weight from foot to foot, I became
almost painfully aware of everything: the sharpness of stones cutting into my
consciousness, the heat of the sun penetrating my skin, the resistance rising
in my mind. Bhante Deepankara's voice echoed deeply within me, his reminder
that this practice, like life, is full of conditionalities, now hitting me with
startling clarity. The rough ground, the distractions, even the discomfort,
made me understand how none of it was separate from the path itself. The
Buddha's teachings on mindfulness weren't just concepts anymore; they were
alive in my body, coursing through every step.
My task wasn't to escape discomfort, but to embrace it and
move forward. Over time, the focus I had to manifest slowly transformed my
scattered mind. With practice, the
walking meditation became easier, not because the ground changed, but because
something fundamental shifted within my awareness. I could feel how easily the
mind gets flooded with noise, how negative thoughts don't just create a
negative world, but instead shape our entire reality. Meanwhile, I learned
positive thoughts bring lightness to ourselves, and I could feel the heavy
weight of life begin to lift from my shoulders.
Like in life, staying focused in walking meditation meant
facing what appears without being swept away, but now I felt this truth in my
core. Bhante Deepankara helped teach us the lesson the Buddha reminds us of
constantly: peace comes from watching the mind, over and over, until stillness
emerges. In this year’s retreat, this simple practice of stepping with one
foot, then the other, didn't just teach me how to walk, but had cracked open something
inside me, showing me how to live with patience, resilience, and a mindful
presence.
With metta,
Thenulya Jayasinghe