Developing Peace, Cultivating Wisdom

Finding the Heart`s natural state of inner peace and joy. Developing peace through wisdom and wisdom through peace. Radiating this energy of peace to the world around us. Raising consciousness, spreading peace.

Transcript

We close the eyes, And we open the heart. Sitting comfortably, We can sit on a chair, We can sit on the floor. The important thing is the back should be comfortably straight. Not too stiff, Not too loose. So we sit with mind relaxed, Body relaxed. Being aware of our body, Centering our attention, Centering our energy with the body. Bringing our attention to here, To now. Being aware of the body posture. Being aware of the sensations of the body. Our feet on the floor, Or our contact with the floor as we sit. The arms, The hands resting on the legs. The back, The shoulders. We can drop the shoulders, Just let them drop. Being aware of any tensions around the shoulders, Around the neck, Around the head, Around the forehead. Just watching, Observing, Letting go. And we can visualize ourselves sitting here. Where we send our attention, We send our mental energy. So by being aware of the body, Being aware of our body posture, The sensations of the body, Or by visualizing the body, We are directing our attention, Our energy to our own body where the energy increases. When we scatter our mind in all directions, We scatter our energy in all directions. So we can sit on a chair at a desk in one place all day, But we throw our mind in all directions and so we become drained, Depleted. Now we bring our attention to our own body, Keeping our energy with our own body where the energy increases. As we bring our awareness to the breathing, We can focus our attention at the nose, Where we feel the air passing the nostril. Just keeping our attention at that one point, The gateway of the breath. Or if we prefer, We can focus our attention at the lower abdomen, As we feel the abdomen rising on the in-breath, Falling on the out-breath. So we decide where we prefer to focus our attention, And we keep the attention there. Keeping our attention with the breathing, Keeping our attention with the body, And keeping our attention with the present. We don't dig up the past, We don't worry about the future. Just being aware of this present moment, As it arises, As it passes away. Just watching, Observing, Letting go. Being aware of the breathing in, Being aware of the breathing out. Being aware of the body, Being aware of the mind. Being aware of all that contacts the mind, Through the six avenues, The eye, The ear, The nose, The tongue, The bodily sensations. And what forms in the mind itself, The thoughts, The feelings, Memories, States of mind, Whatever contacts the mind from outside, From inside. Just watching, Observing, Letting go. We don't react, We don't get entangled. We stay at the level of higher consciousness. Just watching, Observing, Letting go. At the level of higher consciousness, We observe it as physical phenomena, Mental phenomena, Arising and passing away. If we stay at the level of lower consciousness, Then it's always, He did this, And she did that, And I don't like this, And I want that, And the heart becomes a punch bag. But just watching, Observing, Letting go. The heart becomes calm, Cool and clear. We don't try to force the mind to stop thinking. We simply stop to energize the thinking process. We stop to pay attention. Whatever mind bubbles appear in the mind, Whatever waves appear on the surface of the mind, We don't feed them. We watch them as they appear. We watch them as they pass away. We make them all part of the practice. Observing arising, Watching passing away. Staying with just the higher consciousness, The bare awareness. Every moment, Every breath. Breathing in, Being aware of the breathing in. Breathing out, Being aware of the breathing out. The heart becomes more disentangled. Just watching, Observing, Letting go. The heart becomes more calm. The heart becomes more clear, Like a body of water. We stop to shake, We stop to disturb, We stop to agitate. The water becomes clear and clean. We can see the nature of the water. And same with the heart. We stop to agitate the heart. We stop to react with desires. We stop to react with irritation. The heart becomes clear and clean. We stop to shake the heart. And we find the normal, Natural state of the heart, Like the normal, Natural state of the water, Is to be clear and clean, Is to be at peace. Peace is the normal. The normal state of the mind, The normal state of the heart, Is what's called in the Buddhist tradition, The Vedic tradition, The four divine states of mind. The four wholesome states of mind. We clear the heart, We clean the heart. We make the heart whole. What's left is the wholesome state of mind, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity. We clear the heart, We make the heart whole, And these wholesome states of mind are what remain. And as we cultivate these states of mind, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity, They make the heart whole. So we start our meditation cultivating this state of equanimity, Just watching over our own mind. Whatever appears, We see it, We observe it, We don't suppress it, But we let it go. Equanimity. Never mind, Let it pass. And the heart becomes more clear, More clean. The heart becomes more whole. The heart becomes more and more at peace. And the peace becomes deeper and deeper, Stronger and stronger, More and more refined, More and more sublime. We find deeper and deeper dimensions opening up as we go deeper and deeper into our own heart. We train our mindfulness, We develop our mindfulness. Mindfulness means to know, To be aware what is contacting the mind right now, And what is forming in the mind right now. And along with this sharp self-awareness, We train the mind to have the wisdom to let go. Equanimity, Let it go, Let it pass. Mindfulness coupled with equanimity. Mindfulness coupled with the wisdom to let go. Moment by moment, Breath by breath, Watching the breathing, Watching the mind. Whatever contacts the mind, We make it all part of the practice. Whatever sounds appear, Just moments of ear contact arising and passing away. Or we can feel it as a vibration passing through the body. Moments of sound vibration arising and passing away. Whatever bodily sensations arise, Just moments. Moments of sensation arising and passing away. Being aware of the impermanent momentary nature of these bodily sensations, And being aware of the impermanent nature of this body. This body composed of earth, Water, Wind and fire, Solids, Liquids, Gases, Heat. We borrow these elements for a time to form this body. And while we have this body, It's always changing. Components always being replaced. Even the bones, After a period of years, 7 years or 12 years, Whatever it is, Even the bones completely replaced. So this body, An assemblage. Assemblage of earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Solids, Liquids, Gases, Heat. Always changing, Always being replaced. The time comes, We must give it all back, Whether we want to or not. The time comes, We must give it all back, Back to the cycle of elements. So these momentary sensations from the body, Through the eye, The ear, The nose, The tongue, The bodily sensations, Just momentary sensations. Momentary sensations from an impermanent body. Being aware of the impermanent nature of all that forms in the mind. These thoughts, Like bubbles in the mind, Arising and passing away. They appear, We don't feed them, And they just pop, They burst, They pass away. Bubbles in the mind, Mirages in the mind. Being aware of the states of mind, Like clouds in the sky. Sometimes we look to the sky, All we see are clouds. But in time they all pass away, Leaving the sky clear and open. Same with the heart, All states of mind, All pass away, Leaving the heart clear and open. Leaving the heart at peace. Leaving the heart whole, The natural state of mind, The natural state of the heart. Being peace, Joy, Happiness, Contentment, Inner fulfillment. The four divine states of mind, The four wholesome states of mind, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity. The natural state of inner peace. As the heart becomes more whole, The heart becomes more unified, The heart becomes more and more energized. Energized with a divine energy, Sublime energy. Energized with the prana of the universe, The life force energy, The light force energy of the universe. We breathe air with our lungs, And with our inner chakras we breathe this life force energy, This light force energy of the universe. And as we sit, Just watching, Observing, Letting go, The heart becoming more and more clear, The heart becoming more and more unified, More and more energized. The heart fills with this inner divine energy, And we feel it, As a sense of well-being, Of harmony, Of contentment, Of ease, Of refinement, Simply happiness, Simply peace. The heart fills with this inner life force energy, And as the heart fills with this life force energy, We feel more and more alive. We feel more alert, We become more and more awake. To someone looking from the outside, We sit with our eyes closed, We may look like we are sleeping, But as the heart fills with this inner life force energy, We become more and more awake, Super awake, Super alert, Super alive, Super at peace, The peace becoming deeper and deeper, Stronger and stronger, More and more refined, More and more sublime. We observe this inner state of peace, And we let it go, We let it pass, We don't hold on to this inner peace, And as we let go of the inner peace, The inner peace becomes deeper and deeper, Stronger and stronger, More and more refined, Because the mind of happiness, The mind of peace, Is the mind of letting go, Just moment by moment, Breath by breath, Watching the breathing, Watching the mind, Being aware, Letting go. Sometimes the mind will wonder, This is normal, Everyone's mind wonders, But always we have the patience, The persistence to keep bringing our attention back to the breathing, Back to the present, Watching, Observing, Letting go. The heart becoming more and more clear, More and more cool, More and more clean, More and more unified, More and more energized. As the heart becomes more and more energized, There comes a point where we actually start to see this inner light. We start to see an inner brightness. The brightness fills the whole body, And when we have our inner light firmly established, We have our own inner torch, Our own inner lantern to light our way on our spiritual journey, The journey inward. No longer walking in the dark, The inner eye has inner light to see. No longer sleepwalking, We become more and more awake. The heart becomes our beacon, Showing us the way home, The way home back to the heart. Before we see the inner light, We simply feel a sense of ease, Of lightness, Refinement, Comfort, Sense of peace, Of harmony. And if we get to this stage, This is already wonderful. This is showing us we are already on the way. Always clearing, Cleaning, Letting go, Being aware of whatever contacts the mind from outside, Whatever contacts the mind from inside, Watching, Observing, Letting go. The heart becoming brighter and brighter, The heart becoming wider and wider. As the heart becomes brighter and brighter, The heart resonates at a higher and higher level. We raise our consciousness, We lift our consciousness to a higher and higher level. As the energy field of the heart expands, Our area of consciousness expands. And the heart becomes more stable, More secure. We let go of all these things which make the heart insecure, Unstable. We let go of anger, Irritation, Resentment towards the past, Which squeezes, Burns the heart. We let go of anxiety towards the future, Which squeezes and shakes the heart. We let go of all these things which make the heart insecure, Unstable. And the heart becomes much more secure. The energies flow, And this energy is a cool energy, Which counteracts the fire, The heat of anger, The fire, The heat of anxiety. So the mind simply becomes uninterested in burning with anger, In burning with anxiety. Calm, Cool, Clear and clean, Secure, Steady, Stable. The heart becomes more and more powerful. More powerful, But at the same time more gentle, More mellow. The heart becomes lighter and lighter, More and more refined. At the same time the heart becomes more secure. And the heart becomes still, Still but overflowing. Our consciousness still, Steady within, Like a post in the ground. But we feel an overflowing from the heart as the energy radiates in all directions. So we find that non-attachment is not a state of cold, Dry, Uncaring indifference. Non-attachment is a state of overflowing. Overflowing with happiness, Overflowing with peace, Overflowing with joy, Overflowing. At the same time energy welling up, Overflowing from the heart. The heart becomes a throne, A throne of overflowing light, Overflowing living light, Overflowing living waters. And we can just rest within, Like a king, Like a queen, Sitting on a throne, Becoming refreshed, Becoming recharged. And when we've rested long enough we can share this energy with the world around us. And as we share this energy with the world around us, It's like opening an inner water tap. The water gushes out, The inner energy gushes out. Breathing in we focus our attention at the heart chakra. We wish happiness for ourselves. Breathing out we simply let the heart overflow, Wishing happiness for all beings. So breathing in, May I be happy. Breathing out, May all beings be happy. Breathing in, The heart becomes more and more energized. Breathing out, We let this energy overflow from the heart. We can visualize the light of the heart flowing in all directions, Above, Below, All around. Breathing in, May I be happy. Breathing out, May all beings be happy. The heart becoming brighter and brighter, Resonating at a higher and higher level, Raising our consciousness higher and higher. The energy field of the heart expanding wider and wider, Our area of consciousness becoming wider and wider. And the heart becoming lighter and lighter, More and more cool. The inner light is like the light of the moon, Always cooling to the eye. If we look to the sun, It burns the eye. We can look at the moon for as long as we like. It's always cooling. This inner light is like this. As the heart becomes brighter and brighter, It becomes more and more cool. And as it becomes more and more cool, More steady, More stable. Breathing in, May I be happy. Drinking from our bottomless well of peace, Of joy, Of happiness. Breathing out, May all beings be happy. Radiating this inner divine energy to the world around us, Uplifting the world around us. Breathing in, May I be happy. Breathing out, May all beings be happy. The four divine states of mind, Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity. We start our meditation, Developing, Cultivating this state of equanimity. Clearing the heart, Unifying the heart, Energizing the heart. And we radiate this energy of peace with an attitude of kindness, An attitude of compassion. And we can be joyful. We can rejoice as we do this practice. Knowing this practice brings great benefit to ourselves, Great benefit to the world around us. Both now and in the future. This energy of peace which we radiate to the world is what will come back to us many times over. What we give to the universe, The universe will give us back many times over. So we can rejoice, We can be joyful. Breathing in, May I be happy. Breathing out, May all beings be happy. And now we can just observe the heart, How does it feel? Does it feel more open, More refined, More at peace? More steady, More stable, More secure? We watch, Observe and we let go. And we bring our awareness to the body. Being aware of the sensations of the body, Our feet on the ground or as we are seated on the floor. The arms, The hands on the legs, The back, The shoulders, The neck, Head, Forehead. Being aware of the sensations, Being aware of the posture. And we can visualize our body. We can visualize the body filled with light. And as we visualize it so, We make it so. We open the heart to this inner light. And we bring the hands to the heart, The palms together. And now the heart is very strong, The heart is very bright. Our power of intention is very strong. We make the intention to continue with our practice. Refining the heart, Strengthening the heart, Freeing the heart. We bring the hands to the forehead in gratitude, Respect. Gratitude opens the heart, Respect opens the heart. Back down to the legs. We open the eyes and we keep the heart open. Mangal Ho.

Reviews

Lovely and powerful

My heart truly overflows when I meditate with Finnbarr. Thank you, Teacher