Slow Down

One day I taught meditation for new practitioners. I gave them instruction, standing, walking and sitting. After that I demonstrated all positions I taught. When I demonstrated walking-meditation, it was slowly walking; right goes thus, left goes thus. One practitioner asked me, “Why is it so slow?” I said to him, “It is slow movement because now it is not normal walk. It is walking meditation. Slow movement can build up concentration, mindfulness, balance and patience”. He said, “I see”.

After instruction and demonstration, we practised together and because we practised silent meditation, I spoke out for the practitioners so they could walk at the same time. We walked back and forth about 30 minutes. Then I gave them chance to ask question before sitting meditation. The same man said that it was good and he could focus on the movement quite well. I said, “Yes, as I have said that walking meditation could build up concentration, mindfulness, balance and patience”. I asked the rest of them weather they had questions or not. “No, we don’t”, they answered. I said, “OK then, we practise sitting meditation together”.

30 minutes passed by, I rang the bell and asked them, “Before we leave, any question?” They looked at each other without any word. I said, “OK, that is good. Before, we leave I would like to tell you the short story to support your practice”. This was the Chinese story which I told them.

There was one boy whose family encouraged him to learn. But he always said that he learned slower than the classmates. His father also knew that so he employed a specialist teacher to teach his son. The teacher found many ways to help his slow learning student. One day while he was teaching the boy near a well, he saw the tortuous and asked him, “Do you think the tortuous is slow?” He answered, “Oh! I think it is the slowest animal in the world, sir”. The teacher said, “Yes, you are right. Let me ask you a question if I put the tortuous here and you stand immovably here, who will reach the well first”. When he finished saying, the tortuous started walking to the well. The boy said, “Sir, it is sure that the tortuous will get to the well sooner or later. But I cannot, because I just stand here”. The teacher smiled and said, “To walk to the well is like learning. If you learn slowly or quickly, one day you will be successful in learning”. When he heard that, he understood and strived to learn without complaining.

So slow walking or breathing can help us, meditator, build up concentration and mindfulness. The thing is that we must practise regularly, sooner or later, we can achieve the full outcome of our practice. See you next time, good night.