This compassion meditation was recorded on a cold winter's day at a day retreat at Mount Kirra Scout Camp,
June 2020.
A reminder that pity is feeling sorry for someone.
Sympathy is seeing someone's suffering.
Empathy is feeling someone's suffering.
Compassion adds to that.
It's feeling someone's suffering,
Including our own,
With a sincere wish to alleviate suffering.
Finding yourself a comfortable seated or lying posture.
Have the sense of settling in.
Not too relaxed and casual,
But not too rigid or forced.
Looking for that lovely middle ground of relaxed alertness.
Remembering that this practice is for the cultivation of compassion.
Perhaps having that attitude of just planting one little seed and seeing what might emerge.
Feeling yourself settle into your posture.
Noticing what's present right now in the body,
Heart and mind.
No need to change your experience.
Just allowing what's present as best you can.
Noticing as I guide the meditation,
Where you might connect to a suggestion,
Or feel resistance.
Noticing the breath coming in and out,
Perhaps of the heart.
Or perhaps just noticing it wherever it's clearest in the body.
Knowing that at any point in this practice,
If it feels supportive,
Simply returning to noticing the breath.
If you are breathing in and out of the heart,
Just noticing how the heart feels.
Does it feel soft,
Open?
Is there a flicker of compassion already there?
Or perhaps it feels hard or closed off,
Or even numb.
This is not a forceful practice.
Gently noticing whatever the experience is in the heart,
As you perhaps breathe in and out of the heart.
Perhaps having a sense of tenderizing the heart a little.
Now bringing to mind or to your heart,
Someone that you're close to that's suffering right now.
Maybe someone that it's really easy to feel compassion towards,
Not choosing the most difficult person in your life.
Perhaps in your mind's eye you might have them sitting facing you,
Or maybe you have the sense of them being in your heart.
And as best you can,
Allowing yourself to feel their pain.
Pain and suffering is a part of being human.
Allowing yourself to feel this particular person's pain.
Maybe a difficult situation in their life.
Physical or mental health problems.
Losing or aging or loneliness.
Emotional or physical pain,
Or both.
And doing this as much as your heart allows at the moment.
Noticing any thoughts or judgments that might arise.
No need to block these out.
Allow them to float past like clouds in the sky.
Bringing the attention back to the heart.
Perhaps you might notice the expression on this person's face.
Notice their pain and suffering.
Maybe notice if they know that you're here.
Breathing in and out as you feel their pain in your heart.
Maybe silently saying some words to them.
I am aware of your pain.
I care about your pain.
May your pain be relieved.
May you be at peace.
Using your own words if you don't particularly connect to these.
Or otherwise.
Continuing to breathe the pain of this person in and out of your heart.
And sending them these words.
I see your pain.
I care about your pain.
May your pain be relieved.
May you be at peace.
I'm aware of your pain.
I care about your pain.
May your pain be relieved.
May you be at peace.
I'm aware of your pain.
I care about your pain.
May your pain be relieved.
May you be at peace.
Perhaps noticing if this person can feel your compassion.
Noticing how you feel in your heart.
Perhaps your heart feels very open and expanded and awash with compassion.
Perhaps there's just a little flicker of compassion.
Perhaps it's just not happening today.
Just being with the experience.
As it is.
Now sensing into the heart.
Seeing how it would be to expand that compassion to include yourself.
Noticing any reactions.
If the heart closes or becomes numb,
It's doing that for a reason.
It's protecting you.
And if that's the case,
As best you can,
Being kind and gentle towards the closing.
Perhaps you have the sense that there's enough room for you to breathe in and out compassion towards yourself as well as your loved one.
Or the person that's close to you that's suffering.
Because we're all human.
Life is imperfect.
Impermanent.
If you need some extra support,
Perhaps your hand placed gently over your heart might help.
Or perhaps bringing in someone else,
Someone who you love or a spiritual figure.
Who can surround you with a fine mist of compassion.
A mist of compassion seeping through and around your heart.
Perhaps softening and opening a little.
Perhaps just giving you the possibility of some softening.
Remembering this is a practice of cultivation.
Perhaps now your compassion could expand to include everyone in this room with you.
Each of us human.
Each of us with our own suffering.
In our own imperfect and impermanent lives.
People who are here for very similar reasons to yourself.
And again,
Noticing if this doesn't feel possible at the moment.
Being really kind and gentle about that.
Or perhaps allowing that mist of compassion that comes from outside of yourself to settle on everybody in the room.
Breathing in and out of the heart if that works for you.
Perhaps now there's a sense that your compassion can expand to include all beings.
All humans all over the world.
All non-human beings,
Animals,
Birds,
Insects.
Maybe even beings that we don't really know if they have any consciousness.
Trees and plants.
The earth itself.
And knowing it's always fine to come back to just noticing the breath.
Or perhaps for a while you can sit in the compassion that's expanding to include all beings,
Including yourself.
Just noticing how the heart feels.
Being kind and gentle to however you find it as best you can.
No need to force this practice.
It doesn't come easily.
Just backing off a little.
It's fine.
Looking after yourself.
No need to force this practice.
No need to force this practice.
No need to force this practice.
May all beings be at peace.
May all beings be free of suffering.
May all beings heart open.
Thank you.
