I would like to do today a meditation on compassion.
It is one of the Apamanya Vihara,
Brahma Vihara,
Macheto Vimuti,
The divine abode,
The limitless,
Infinite liberation of the mind,
In this case of compassion,
Karuna.
If you reflect on the Buddhist teaching of the Four Noble Truths,
If you develop a strong awareness of suffering,
Dukkha,
The first Noble Truth,
And Karuna is a very good combination on the Samadhi side together with a reflection,
Investigation of the Four Noble Truths.
It is a wish for other beings,
For all beings,
That they may be able to abandon their suffering,
That they be free from pain,
That whatever problems,
Difficulties,
Obstructions,
Agonies they experience,
That they may overcome those,
That they may be freed from them.
It is limitless because it includes all beings.
It doesn't matter whether they are our friends or enemies,
Whether they are stupid or wise,
Whether they are very noble,
Virtuous,
Or wicked criminals.
Everyone is included because everyone except those who are fully enlightened,
The Abhahants,
Everyone else is involved,
Overcome,
Burning with pain,
Suffering,
And disappointment.
We wish them to abandon that.
We include ourselves.
Very important.
The Buddha was teaching the Dhamma for the abandonment of suffering.
So if we act or speak or think to increase our own suffering,
We act in direct opposition to the teaching of the Buddha.
He wants us,
He desires us,
His intention is for us to be free from suffering,
To diminish suffering,
To reduce our pain.
So we should do,
We should follow the instruction of the Buddha.
We should wholeheartedly wish ourselves as well,
That we be free from suffering.
So we can again use a little mantra,
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
We just have to repeat that little mantra.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
Almost like a little prayer.
We really wish that to everyone.
We put our whole heart into this little prayer,
This mantra.
Repeating these words,
Wishing it for everyone,
Including ourselves.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
We really mean what we say.
We just repeat one time after the other.
Continuously,
Mentally,
Without interruption.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
When our mind wanders to thoughts,
Memories,
Past and future,
We have to immediately notice.
And then we come back to our mantra.
We don't complain,
We don't blame ourselves for being unable to meditate.
Mindfulness just recognizes that we are lost in thinking again.
And then straight away we return the focus of our attention onto our mantra,
Repeating it again and again,
Over and over.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
The important thing in this meditation is the intention.
The unconditional,
Non-judgmental intention for all beings to be freed from pain and suffering.
And the other thing is the feeling,
The emotion connected with that intention.
That's what we really develop in our meditation.
And the mantra is a means,
A tool to generate that intention in our heart,
To generate that feeling,
That emotion in our heart.
It is a very wholesome intention which makes tremendous amounts of good karma for us if we can develop it strongly.
And it's a very beautiful,
Uplifting emotion connected with that intention.
It feels good to wish other beings to be free from pain and suffering.
So the mantra is meant to make this intention very strong in our heart,
To make the connected emotion,
The feeling very strong in our heart,
So strong that it carries us away,
That we forget everything else.
Samadhi means that our whole mind is carried away by that intention,
By that emotion,
That feeling into absorption,
Into jhana,
Into deep concentration.
But we build up that intention,
That feeling,
That emotion by repeating our little mantra,
Our prayer,
Really meaning it.
With faith,
If we don't feel anything yet,
We just repeat.
With faith and confidence that at some stage the emotion,
The intention will kick in,
Will become strong.
But we are patient,
We just repeat again and again and wait and see what happens in our mind.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be free from suffering.
