Walking Meditation

"A monk, in going forward and back, applies clear comprehension; in looking straight on and looking away, he applies clear comprehension; in bending and in stretching, he applies clear comprehension; in wearing robes and carrying the bowl, he applies clear comprehension; in eating, drinking, chewing and savoring, he applies clear comprehension; in walking, in standing, in sitting, in falling asleep, in waking, in speaking and in keeping silence, he applies clear comprehension." 
-- Satipatthana Sutta

Theravada: cankama

Straight line 15 to 50 or so paces. Hands clasped in front. Turn and walk back. Awareness of feet as they reach the ground.

"The Buddha stressed developing mindfulness in the four main postures of the body: standing, sitting, lying down and walking. If you read about the lives of the monks and nuns at the time of the Buddha, you will see that many obtained the stages of Enlightenment while on the walking meditation path. In the Forest Meditation Tradition in Northeast Thailand, there is a great emphasis on walking meditation. Many monks will walk for long hours as a way of developing concentration sometimes as much as ten or fifteen hours a day.  The Buddha spoke of five benefits of walking meditation. In the order that he listed them in this Sutta, they are as follows: It develops endurance for walking long distances; it is good for striving; it is healthy; it is good for the digestion after a meal, and the concentration won from walking meditation lasts a long time." 

--Ajahn Nyanadhammo

Mahayana in East Asia

Circumambulation, called kora and synonymous with pilgrimage in Tibetan Buddhism, is done clockwise around holy sites, or straight ahead when in transit, as seen throughout Mahayana Buddhism. 

In China and Korea this is generally faster than Japan and gets the blood flowing after a cold sit. Swing the arms. "Fast walking meditation, also known as pao-xiang (跑香) in Chinese, is a practice method unique to the Chinese Chan tradition, which is not taught in other traditions such as Theravada, Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism. In this method, practitioners walk quickly in clockwise direction around a circle, starting with a normal speed, and then gradually speeding up. This approach requires practitioners to remain mindful of nothing but the idea of walking fast. Doing so helps us get rid of wandering thoughts and dispel our bodily and mental attachments. During the walking sessions of a group retreat, both older practitioners and those who have difficulty walking quickly can walk in the inner circle, while others walk in the outer circle." -- Dharma Drum

  

In Korea yeonghyaeng is like in China but typically takes place outside, for example in a courtyard. 

Or, as also in China (shown below), there may be walking in a straight line; for example along the road leading to the temple.

This shades over into pindapata (takuhatsu) and pilgrimages.

In Vietnam, it is kinh hành. As in China and Korea, or, Plum Village style: just walk mindfully, a little more swing than hiking. "Walking meditation unites our body and our mind. We combine our breathing with our steps. When we breathe in, we may take two or three steps. When we breathe out, we may take three, four, or five steps. We pay attention to what is comfortable for our body." 

 

This, when undertaken less formally, can be like what is called forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku), a secular health practice originating in Japan.

Kinhin (Soto)

Dogen, Bendoho: "Do not let the feet get ahead and the body behind. Move body and feet together. Look directly ahead at the ground one fathom ahead. The measure of the pace is equal to the instep of the foot. Be as though standing in one place, as though not moving forward. It is splendid to move slowly, walking in magnificent ease and quiet. Do not make noise with your slippers and rudely distract the assembly. When you are walking, clasp both hands together, putting them inside the sleeves. Do not let the sleeves dangle down to the right and left near your feet."

Menzan adapts it thus for Kinhin in his Kinhinki: 

"Clasp both hands in front of the chest, putting them inside the sleeves, and not letting the sleeves fall down near the feet to the right and left. Look directly one fathom ahead (about six or seven feet). When walking properly, use the breath as measure: a half step is taken in the time of one breath. The measure of the pace is equal to the instep of the foot. Do not let the feet get ahead and the body behind. Move body and feet together. Do not look around right and left or gaze up and down. Do not move your chest and shoulders. Do not make noise by dragging your slippers. Be as though standing in one place, as though not moving forward. It is splendid to move slowly, walking in magnificent ease and quiet."

Shashu (sotozen.net)

"Step out with your right foot. When you do kinhin, start to do it right away. Keep an equal distance between you and the people behind and in front of you. At the end of kinhin the bell is rung once. Stop and bow in shashu. Then walk at a normal pace following the person in front of you. Walk around the hall until you return to your seat." 

I came across some discussion of hand position. Sawaki lineage and some others notably in Rinzai, use isshu, which is similar to the hand position of a gesture of fealty in Imperial China.

"Fold your left thumb into your left palm and curl your fingers over it to make a fist.  Cover your left hand with your right and hold your hands in front of you against the body, with forearms parallel to the floor."

Disability in Kinhin: do what you do as way opens. Some remain seated or lying down, in shashu. Some stand in place in shashu or do bows from the waist. If sitting, can you bend your ankles? Experiment. Everything that happens in Dharma began as experiments. Those who cannot walk have already arrived with the first step. Gratitude crosses all space and time.

   -- shonin