BUDDHIST PRACTICE: Street Practices

When walking down the street, there are a few practices I may use. I do not use them every time I go out, but I would estimate that 50% of my excursions have some form of Buddhist practice in situ.

One of the things I sometimes do is to concentrate on each person I walk past, thinking to myself - THAT PERSON is a lump of Buddha-mind covered in karmic residue inside their body. Doing this enables me to focus on the equality of sentient beings, and ignore any first impressions that might arise from my think-mind. It also reminds me that whether they appear as pretty or ugly, intelligent or dumb, polite or scum, cute or sloppy, tired, old, dirty, plain, happy, dizzy, drunk, or whatever - they are have something of great value hidden deep down inside of them.

If I have had a difficult day and am then going to the shop or library, I may instruct myself to take the first ten or twenty people that I pass and to offer them a vibe of peace or compassion. It is much the same as smiling or saying good morning to someone, but I seem to do better when keeping to spiritual practice than practical practice. This helps me to remember that everybody I pass on the street would be suffering in some form. It is not only me that is being troubled by life, society, or govt dictations. I have learned how to survive difficulties and am learning how to live underneath their pains and remain calm and stable in the places that matter - but maybe these people are still panicking up top and could do with someone caring just a tiny bit in passing.

Another thing I might do when taking a short local excursion is to remind myself that whatever the people I pass are wearing, my personal attitude to their image and clothing is not relevant. I do this by trying to find something good and something unpleasant about the appearance of everyone I pass. This proves to me that looks do not really matter, as everybody has something good or bad about their image.

A fourth practice I might indulge in is that of walking very slowly, calmly, and steadily. Focusing on my actual walking, whilst taking in things neutrally. What I mean is that whereas normally I might go 'ooh, what a lovely scent that bush has - ugh, I could never wear what that woman is wearing - that car just did an illegal move! - oh what a pretty song that bird is singing - how can that girl walk in those shoes! - that man's underwear is showing - am I ever gonna get across this busy street?' I would instead be focused on my body movement and the 'fact' rather than 'thought-emotion' of each situation I encountered.