...at the Chicago Zen Buddhist Temple

Zen and the art of bicycle commuting

By Ross Tierney

The sights and sounds of Chicago opened up for Pearl “Kunaka” Ratunil when she took her meditation practice from her cushion to her bicycle – “moving sitting,” as she calls it.

“There’s this idea of meditation as being blitzed-out,” she said. “But on my bike it’s more immediate – I can see what’s ahead of me without having to look for it.”

Ratunil has been an urban commuter since 1990. She found time to practice her Buddhist precepts – a tradition that involves introspection into one’s moral livelihood – on her bike. For her, this involved chanting and counting her cranks.

“Counting is bringing yourself into the moment,” Ratunil said, who practices at the Chicago Zen Buddhist Temple. She explained that it isn’t merely counting, but rather consciously following the motion all the way from the top of the crank to the bottom, up to 36 times and then starting again if she reached 36.

If there was ever an activity that invites meditation, it is bicycle commuting. In addition to a repetitive cadence and use of breath, bicycle commuting requires concentration on the road and the surrounding environment. There are countless variables on the road – from traffic and pedestrians to road conditions and weather. In order to react safely to each variable, a bicyclist first needs to be aware of it. Modern stresses can also be a distraction, replacing concentration with thoughts and internal dialogues.

Joe “Kosa” Schuman, who also practices Buddhism at the Chicago temple and has been a bike commuter for 35 years, mimics the sentiment that biking is well equipped for meditation. “When you get on a bike and everything is right, you can really hear your breath and the bike – the rubber humming on the road.”

But sometimes, everything is not “right” on the bike. Most people have seen it or experienced it for themselves – rage after a near collision with a car. Whether induced by fear or a sense of righteousness, rage leaves a person more susceptible to the unsafe elements of the road. Rage is counterproductive, but awareness can help restore calm.

“As [the founder of the temple Ven. Samu] Sunim says, ‘Anger makes you crazy,’” said Schuman. “One time, a car cut me off and I flipped him the finger. He said, ‘Nice gesture,’ and then I managed to say to myself, ‘Yes, I was being crazy; thanks for helping me stop.’”

As far as my research extends, there is no sanctioned bicycle meditation method. The desired effect is being completely in the moment, in the act of cycling – aware of oneself and one’s environment. To this end, whatever method works for you is the best one. For me, I exhale audibly and focus my ears on my breath. This centers myself on my bike and allows me to focus my visual awareness on the road. And for the time I’m on my bike each day, I can shed the stresses of my job and simply enjoy the ride.

Ross Tierney is a ModeShift contributor.

online: www.zenbuddhisttemple.org