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The Walk...

I was sitting under the Bodhi tree in Gaya, the same place where Buddha got enlightened. My eyes were filled with tears. It was such a pleasure to be there. My emotions were over flowing. Saw two monks slowly walking around the tree, holding their begging bowls in the hands. They were moving very slowly, being aware of the every step they were taking. I felt that it was just not their body which was moving, there was so much to it. (Let me remember what took me there. It was the book I've read "Old Path White Clouds" by Thich Nhat Hanh. I've picked my next destination as Bodh Gaya as soon as I completed reading that book.)

Went back to the monastery where I was staying and bought one of the small books which was there and started reading. There it was written about walking meditation. Yes, I have done walking meditation once in my yoga course. But, the real picture I've seen was telling me that there is so much more.  Lifting, lifting, lifting the foot from the ground. Shifting, shifting, shifting the wait of the body. Placing, placing, placing the foot ahead on the ground and so on.

It was not long after, I have put it into practice. It was the best during Vipassana meditation courses. The little time in between 10hrs of meditation was the right time to do this.

Always liked long walks. Used to go for a walk for around 2 hrs during  weekends. I preferred to go to unknown places. It's always been interesting to go on a trip without pre decided destinations. Isn't it good to call it as a destination where ever we reach?

Now, if I figure out my longest walk, that was while ploughing the fields back in my village. It was around 8hrs continuously. I walk 5Kms per hr that means 40Kms in one day. That was the exact number of kilometers a normal human body is built to walk. In fact, we've unlearned those natural abilities. I was just a part time farmer. The full time farmers do this very often. It is part of their life and culture.

"In order to have peace and joy, you must succeed in having peace within each of your steps."
-Thich Nhat Hanh

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