Of happiness,
Contentment,
Joy,
Ease,
Perhaps a feeling of satisfaction or even relief.
You've finished,
Completed this wonderful retreat.
And taking a few moments,
Not only to reflect on gratitude towards your companions and teachers here,
But also congratulating yourself.
So undertaking such subtle,
Immensely valuable,
Sometimes challenging and ennobling work for any purpose in understanding,
In peace,
In practice that you've made.
What a rare opportunity it is to deepen our practice together.
What an incredibly precious and valuable human life we have and we're not wasting it.
We found the dhamma,
Heard the teachings and gained inspiration and confidence in the path.
It's that inspiration and confidence that emboldens the heart,
Gives us courage to take the next step and that next step is taken just by landing in the here and now,
Just by being present to this tiny moment,
This tiny moment of being in contact with the reality,
The simple reality of sitting,
Breathing,
Being mindful and kind.
See if you can imagine your heart smiling,
Glowing,
Loving kindness for yourself and all beings sitting here together in this room,
Radiating happiness and peace.
Imagining this bright light,
This inner smile,
Radiating outward towards everyone,
The right unlikely to meet people you've planned to meet who you know who are perhaps dear or maybe a little bit challenging and to those beings you don't yet know that you'll meet.
Recognising staying connected to this inner smile,
This inner peace that's available to you at any time in all your encounters from here on in.
Realising that sometimes irritation is bound to arise,
Disappointments are bound to happen,
But we're learning to meet it all with a smile and with forgiveness and whatever happens in life you can always return to the goodness in your heart and the support of spiritual friends who are learning not to judge,
Who are learning along with you to be kind.
So I'd like to just suggest that you join in.
Join me in some intentions of seeking and offering forgiveness,
Just listening to the words and seeing if you can feel the meaning of these words with sincerity,
Opening your heart to forgiveness for anything you may have done that may have hurt or harmed another being,
Anything I've done with body,
Speech or mind that may have caused hurt or harm intentionally or unintentionally.
I seek forgiveness.
If anyone comes to mind you can imagine seeking forgiveness with that inner smile,
Radiating metta on this person from whom you're requesting genuinely forgiveness.
If anyone has hurt me through their actions of body,
Speech or mind,
Knowingly or unknowingly,
Or unintentionally,
I offer them my forgiveness or I offer them my intention to forgive in time,
Just gently opening your heart to that possibility,
Keeping in touch with the inner smile,
That place of safety inside.
No force,
Absolute gentleness,
Just planting the intention and letting that intention guide the mind in due course.
And now coming back to your body,
Your mind,
Your heart,
Your inner goodness,
Any virtue,
Any quality that you see inside.
We're now going to forgive ourselves.
So if there's anything that I have not forgiven myself for,
Anything I've done has harmed myself or another,
Any mistake or perceived mistake or fault that I have,
Perceived fault,
I offer myself complete forgiveness,
Full loving kindness,
Acceptance and peace,
Resting the beauty inside.
I forgive myself,
I accept myself completely and give myself a gift of freedom to keep developing on this beautiful,
Noble path,
Leaving the past mistakes,
The past unhappiness,
Despair,
Maybe sadness behind.
Always ready to connect to the beautiful intentions,
My highest values and purposes in life and keep taking just another step.
I'm going to chant a metta blessing,
Keep your eyes closed and just receive these words and sentiments of loving kindness that are generated from my heart and from everybody's heart here to support each other.
So from our heart to yours.
I'm going to chant a metta blessing,
Keep your eyes closed and receive these words and sentiments of loving kindness,
My highest values and purposes in life and in peace.
I'm going to chant a metta blessing,
Keep your eyes closed and receive these words and sentiments of loving kindness,
My highest values and purposes in life and in peace.
I'm going to chant a metta blessing,
Keep your eyes closed and receive these words and sentiments of loving kindness,
My highest values and purposes in life and in peace.
