user254: 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.

I was surprised to read this answer, 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:

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.


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?

user43: I have a very vague memory of a sutta in which Buddha mentions graceful posture, in passing. Somehow in my memory, he specifically commented on someone's manner of sitting down. He said, one should sit down slowly, not crashing down. This may be a fake memory though, could come from another source, not sutta.
Buddha also gave specific instructions for behavior during an alms round. This included upright posture, looking down instead of staring or rubbernecking, not throwing one's arms randomly like a child, eating carefully etc.
As far as oral tradition, the explanation goes that your posture & grace is tightly connected with one's emotional energy and the state of mind. In Vajrayana the entire emphasis of mid-to-higher tantras is on one's energy expression, so there they practice extensively to have the right type of "deity pride" including corresponding posture and mood.
In my opinion, this is actually a very important part of the Teaching that deserves more attention. The three separate phenomena we call "body", "emotions" and "subconscious mind" are in fact facets of the same continuum. So the way we carry around our body, move our hands, use our facial muscles is a very direct expression of our awakening (or lack thereof).
Although, for a student, the body practice is mostly about internal benefit of overcoming one's bad emotional habits, for a teacher it becomes a tool of external influence and motivation. The right posture, grace, smile, demeanor are all parts of the rainbow body experience, utilized to arouse in students confidence in their teacher and entice them to imitate and develop similar wholesome qualities of mind. 

user-1: In the Theravadan tradition, most of the rules governing posture don't come from the suttas, but rather the vinaya.  Specifically, they are found in the 75 sekhiyas.  The first 26 are almost all about posture.  
The reason for these practices is really no different than those related to appropriate posture during seated meditation.  And it has a similar set of challenges.  In the West, we often set up a dichotomy between the mind and body.  No such division exists within Buddhism.  Form is just another skandha.  Just because Buddhism meditates on the foulness of the body does not mean that it should be ignored or viewed as somehow less important.  The body is also a tool that can be used on the way to liberation.  A posture maintained ardently, with mindfulness, and clear comprehension will have a comparable impact on cognition.  It establishes alertness and vigor while a bodily posture that is not meticulously maintained falls into sloth, heedlessness, and dissipation.  An upright body is an upright mind.  They are not different things.      

254: <p>In this question I'm asking about posture -- holding the body straight, for example -- not especially asking about posture <em>during formal meditation</em>, which was the topic of previous questions.</p>

<hr>

<p>I was surprised to read <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/24013/254">this answer</a>, which includes,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>... 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.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Sometimes (though, not often) I see something similar in other answers, <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/14092/254">for example</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You need to develop a good posture, good grace, and good gait. You should sit, stand, and walk conveniently, with good energy flow.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I was surprised to see that because:</p>

<ul>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Some doctrines seem intended to deemphasise the value of the body -- meditations on the foulness of the body, contemplation of corpses, etc.</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>So -- <em>what</em> is doctrine about posture (from suttas, from what you've been taught, and/or from your personal experience)? And, do you know, <em>why</em>? And what is <em>difficult</em> about that practice? And does that affect your <em>social</em> relationships, somehow? How does it interact with practicing prostration?</p>
 43: <p>I have a very vague memory of a sutta in which Buddha mentions graceful posture, in passing. Somehow in my memory, he specifically commented on someone's manner of sitting down. He said, one should sit down slowly, not crashing down. This may be a fake memory though, could come from another source, not sutta.</p>

<p>Buddha also gave specific instructions for behavior during an alms round. This included upright posture, looking down instead of staring or rubbernecking, not throwing one's arms randomly like a child, eating carefully etc.</p>

<p>As far as oral tradition, the explanation goes that your posture &amp; grace is tightly connected with one's emotional energy and the state of mind. In Vajrayana the entire emphasis of mid-to-higher tantras is on one's energy expression, so there they practice extensively to have the right type of "deity pride" including corresponding posture and mood.</p>

<p>In my opinion, this is actually a very important part of the Teaching that deserves more attention. The three separate phenomena we call "body", "emotions" and "subconscious mind" are in fact facets of the same continuum. So the way we carry around our body, move our hands, use our facial muscles is a very direct expression of our awakening (or lack thereof).</p>

<p>Although, for a student, the body practice is mostly about internal benefit of overcoming one's bad emotional habits, for a teacher it becomes a tool of external influence and motivation. The right posture, grace, smile, demeanor are all parts of the rainbow body experience, utilized to arouse in students confidence in their teacher and entice them to imitate and develop similar wholesome qualities of mind. </p>
 -1: <p>In the Theravadan tradition, most of the rules governing posture don't come from the suttas, but rather the vinaya.  Specifically, they are found in the 75 sekhiyas.  The first 26 are almost all about posture.  </p>

<p>The reason for these practices is really no different than those related to appropriate posture during seated meditation.  And it has a similar set of challenges.  In the West, we often set up a dichotomy between the mind and body.  No such division exists within Buddhism.  Form is just another skandha.  Just because Buddhism meditates on the foulness of the body does not mean that it should be ignored or viewed as somehow less important.  The body is also a tool that can be used on the way to liberation.  A posture maintained ardently, with mindfulness, and clear comprehension will have a comparable impact on cognition.  It establishes alertness and vigor while a bodily posture that is not meticulously maintained falls into sloth, heedlessness, and dissipation.  An upright body is an upright mind.  They are not different things.      </p>
