In this question I'm asking about posture -- holding the body straight, for example -- not especially asking about posture *during formal meditation*, which was the topic of previous questions.
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I was surprised to read [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/24013/254) , which includes,
> ... walking straight, aware of body posture, like a king/queen, straight, not like a cowboy or a pig, awareness of the body and correct it.
Sometimes (though, not often) I see something similar in other answers, [for example](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/14092/254) :
> You need to develop a good posture, good grace, and good gait. You should sit, stand, and walk conveniently, with good energy flow.
I was surprised to see that because:
- I don't remember that's being a doctrine in the suttas -- at most maybe I remember comments on (or descriptions of) the Buddha's or Rahula's physical appearance, e.g. "like a lion" etc.
- Buddhist doctrine emphasises view, and knowledge, and wisdom and so on -- if there is a mind-versus-body dichotomy, I'd expect Buddhism is more on the "mind" side of things.
- Some doctrines seem intended to deemphasise the value of the body -- meditations on the foulness of the body, contemplation of corpses, etc.
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So -- *what* is doctrine about posture (from suttas, from what you've been taught, and/or from your personal experience)? And, do you know, *why*? And what is *difficult* about that practice? And does that affect your *social* relationships, somehow? How does it interact with practicing prostration?
Asked by ChrisW
(48745 rep)
Dec 1, 2017, 10:03 AM
Last activity: Dec 2, 2017, 12:03 AM
Last activity: Dec 2, 2017, 12:03 AM