Walking meditation

As I was walking yesterday, some spontaneous thoughts came to mind.

Still waters ...

Vapours rising ...

Clouds moving ...

Rain falling ...

It was a fusion of two sets of ideas:

1) Four element walking meditation
Earth - Feet feeling the ground. Soft, hard, rough, smooth
Fire - Lifting the feet. Lightness, ascent.
Air/wind - Movement
Water - Descent, heaviness, trickling down

2) Thay's (Thich Nhat Hanh) teachings

You are afraid that after we die we become Nothing. From Someone we become No one. From Being we pass into Non-being…

Now let us look deeply into the nature of a cloud.

In the morning when we look up in the sky, we see a cloud, and in the afternoon we look up and see that the sky is desperately empty.

And we conclude that the cloud has died. But it’s not possible for a cloud to die. A cloud can become rain or snow, or ice, but a cloud can never become Nothing. It is impossible for a cloud to die.

The cloud is just no longer in the form that you used to see, but it doesn’t mean that the cloud has disappeared. It is in another form now.

A cloud may manifest itself in the form of a cloud, but it may also like to manifest as rain or snow. And if you look deeply into your tea, you will see that your Cloud is in the cup!

Yesterday your Cloud was in a form of a cloud, but today it is in a form of Tea! Then when you drink your Tea mindfully and with wisdom, you will know that you are drinking your Cloud…

One form succeeds into another form.

So when you can’t see your Beloved Cloud in the sky anymore don’t cry…

Your Cloud has become the Rain falling into the ground joyfully and it is calling you: Darling… Darling… Can’t you see, I am here!.. Darling… Don’t cry, I am always here for you!…