Cultivating Dynamic Samādhi Based on Calm Abiding

The samadhi that combines movement and stillness is more conducive to giving rise to wisdom than samadhi in stillness alone, because it provides more conditions for wisdom to arise, making sudden realization easier to occur amidst external circumstances. When the mind remains in samadhi during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, such samadhi is relatively stable, enabling purification in physical, verbal, and mental actions, thereby yielding greater benefits. After proficiency is attained in contemplation practice during seated meditation, one should train to maintain samadhi during physical activities, making contemplation more focused.

When contemplation during seated meditation reaches a state of deep concentration, one should attempt to rise slowly and engage in walking meditation—walking, strolling, or moving at varying speeds on the ground—while observing whether the mind can still remain anchored to the breath without being carried away by surrounding sensory phenomena. However, without the foundation of samadhi in stillness as a starting point for practice, it is difficult to attain meditative concentration during physical, verbal, and mental activities. If, amidst activity, the mind remains undisturbed by sensory phenomena, it indicates an increase in samadhi power. Samadhi during activity is extremely important; it is even more stable than samadhi during seated meditation, more frequently applicable, and offers more opportunities for enlightenment. If the mind remains undistracted and maintains contemplative samadhi during activity, it signifies that the skill in breath observation has matured considerably, and the practice during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down has become seamlessly integrated.