am studying up a little bit on slow-walking, silent/slow dance forms -- as in Japanese Butoh which is not a spirit dance, but another industrial-state consumer dance ...] [I am open to instrumental sounds or abstract chanting, as in the Noh Theatre, or other aboriginal music and dance. ]
as to the Jhana states of inward meditation, have posted a first draft blurb on them here below -- obviously the text is not well thought out, so I will study up a little more on the concept and compose a list that fits with my experience.
this event is open to any of our friends who are of the feminine, nurturing, aboriginal, sacred ‘inlook’ -- who are able and act that part, and enjoy it -- in silence and slowness and respect for all people coming through the market. i.e., non-confrontational, simply ecstatic connecting inspiration ...
loving artistry,
Millennium Twain
(with Megumi Tatsuzawa)
Walking Meditation
February 23, 2005
By the contemplative Jhanananda
(Jeffrey S Brooks)
“Can one be in absorption (jhana) during walking or standing meditation?” The answer is, yes of course, as long as we are speaking of the material absorptions (rupa-jhanas). I have done it many times, and I have taught my students to do it. When I was visiting Millennium Twain last summer, in Santa Monica, we practiced various forms of walking and standing meditation. I also took the class through Surya Namaskar (sun worshiper), which is a Hatha Yoga set. We did the set in a very slow and contemplative form to support entry into absorption while in movement. We also engaged in some simplified Tai Chi movement, which I have found is very conducive to supporting jhana while in motion and with the eyes open.
When I teach moving jhana I begin with the Bahiya Sutta (U 1.10). I believe the central concept in this sutta is getting to a place were one does not objectify the objects of the senses. That means allowing oneself to sense without the mind engaging in the act of sensing. What I mean by this is simply allowing the sensory data to stream in without an attempt of the mind to interpret that data.
to attempt to paraphrase Ashle, “there were only a few minutes, yet there WERE those few minutes, when I really FELT myself centered in the meditation, just connected/flowing.”
and Scott, “when I look at all the photos from the Walk -- it is a completely different experience ... because the experience of the walking was wholly inward feeling/looking, and outward at all the group and at the children and town-people and the sun and wind and trees ...”
yeah, I said, “there were a few minutes there where I could feel myself truly descending -- into that gentlest ecstasy as the heart/mind/body slides into the dreaming” -- (the low frequency 3-12 hz wave continuum of deep sleep, aka real awaken-ness!)
Millennium Twain
(and the Dreamtime Walkers ...)
Blessings Jhanananda, for sharing the Colorado Mountain air! below is what I have written so far about the Jhana-Walking ....
The event was gentle, ecstatic, inward-deepening, and amazingly joyous for all participants -- and wondrously fun, culturally-stimulating -- even riveting -- for the population of ‘Awha’y (Ojai, Goddess Moon) and the Farmer’s Market vendors! They will be talking about it for years to come! The children could not be dragged away from the performers -- “I want to stay and watch Mom!” ... “I want to watch them” -- all the adults and elders
the Jhana-Walk, the Walking Meditation in costume with masks, at the Sunday Farmers Market in Ojai, Sunday, 28 May, 2006, 11am to noon.
had great smiles on their faces. and the cameras never stopped clicking and whirring .... the most recurring question -- then and over the insuing week -- has been, “what does it mean? what is it about? and our favorite question has been, “how do you move so..ooooo... slow?!” the group was quite surprised themselves, on that point ...
the only guidelines I gave the group was that we would attempt to take a full hour to walk through the short circuit of the organic vendor stalls ... everyone thought it was an impossible challenge ... until after we carried it out ... It took more than an hour ... and we were rushing!! perhaps we should rename ourselves “The Rush Hour”!
left to right: Scott, Millennium (with mask), Soriya, Megumi, Ashle
~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a little bit of backgrounder I threw together for our spirit-walking ... OK to share with anyone, and looking for feedback as I refine/evolve it into something meaningful.
A.K.A.
Here is a web-quote from Jhanananda about it:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking Meditation, Samadhi Yoga, Tai Chi-Jhana and other forms of moving meditation that produce meditative absorption.
Bahiya Sutta (U 1.10).
“When (Bahiya) for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen ... then, Bahiya, there is no you (there)...When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of anxiety (dukkha).”
