A Mind Full Of Kindness | Venerable Canda

In this guided meditation, Venerable Canda guides us gradually into a meditation focusing on loving-kindness. First, we settle the mind into the body and with that in the present moment. Allowing the mind to calm down naturally. With that peaceful mind, we can fill it up with kindness - drop by drop - until it overflows into the world. The meditation ends with a short blessing at the end.

A Buddhist nun since 2006, Venerable Canda emphasises kindness and letting go as a way to deepen stillness and wisdom.

Transcript

Please find some comfort and ease in your body first of all and really give yourself time to settle down.

Usually in the morning especially if you're in Ohio and it's 4 a.

M.

Or even if you're in Oxford and it's 9 o'clock you haven't finished your tea so finish some warm liquid to settle you down and gently close your eyes bringing inside the impression of being with spiritual friends so you know you're connected and yet you're alone,

Secluded,

Secluded from any social pressures,

Any busyness,

Any demand on your time for this this while whatever is yet to be done that's all in the future,

What's done has been done for now.

Just this morning we were talking about the meaning of the Pali word for gratitude,

Katanyuta,

Literally means recognizing what's been done,

Acknowledging what's been done,

What's been done for you,

What you've done for others is good enough for now,

You've got yourself here,

That's most of the work so now just landing,

Landing in your body and gently noticing your mind,

Your mental state,

Your emotional world,

Being so gentle and welcoming to that as well sometimes we think that we're adults,

We're all grown up but really our minds are just like little children,

Sensitive,

In need of love,

Afraid of rejection from others or from ourselves,

See if you can give your body and your mind a little hug,

A gentle smile of welcome,

It's not so bad,

You're not so bad,

I can be your friend giving yourself all the time in the world to arrive and recognizing all the silence,

The space around you so you don't need to contract,

You can just softly expand,

Relaxing the body into the space,

Noticing the air,

The ground beneath you,

The space above you and perhaps taking a long breath out,

A few long breaths helping you land and relax and as you become more sensitive to your body you may notice there are things that you need to adjust so just gently move any part that needs to be moved or stretched,

Readjusted,

Loosened up and this establishes a sense of connection and respect toward your body from the friendliness of your mind,

Really setting the body at ease and with a sense of kindfulness,

Mindfulness along with kindness,

Hand in hand,

Just gently scanning through the body so your body is surrounded and infused with a gentle mist or maybe soft gentle golden rays of the Sun soaking through your body from top to toe,

Listening deeply,

Softening into any sensations you experience anywhere on any part of your body,

Caressing any part of your body that feels tight or achy,

Perhaps where you have sickness,

Weakness or discomfort allowing this kindfulness to massage those areas simply by staying present with kindness,

Feeling that mindfulness build,

The silence build inside the mind even if it's just a moment of stillness but noticing that quiet between the thoughts and dropping into it softly gently with gratitude for that moment of quiet.

Now if you wish to continue with the Metta meditation you don't need to you can stay where you are and if you wish imagine you're in the company of a very dear friend,

Could be the company of all of us here or a particular friend or friends that you feel extremely comfortable around,

Perhaps the closest person to you in this life or maybe a spiritual teacher,

A guide,

Maybe a child,

A nephew,

Niece,

Grandchild,

Bring their presence to mind as if you were with them right now,

Perhaps you see images of their face,

Their smile or maybe tune into their energy,

Feeling that you get when you're with them,

Some beautiful quality of theirs and place them wherever it feels comfortable for you,

Maybe if it's a child even holding their hand or giving them a hug and check any feelings,

Come in contact with any feelings in the heart area if that's comfortable for you,

The area around the chest and from your heart imagine wishing them well,

Maybe finding some phrases that express your most deeply felt wishes for them and just repeat those words inside your mind offering them as a gift to this beautiful being in your life,

Simple phrases such as may you be happy,

May you be free,

May you be well,

May you be at peace,

Sometimes just one or two phrases is enough when it's offered from the heart connected to the meaning and said with sincerity,

Keeping that person in mind and allow yourself to pause between each phrase to listen to the emotional resonance of those intentions of loving kindness that can be felt as a feeling in the body,

In the chest,

Perhaps subtly at first,

Just staying present,

Allowing the mind to follow in the direction of loving kindness towards the meaning,

The felt sense of that love of those words before popping in the next phrase to keep the mind focused on the practice of loving kindness,

Just connecting with the joy of giving without expecting anything in return,

All your energies flowing to this person,

This person whose presence you can sense,

Relaxing,

Filling up with joy and if you feel at ease and comfortable,

You can keep this person's presence with you,

That sense of loving kindness that flows between you,

Keeping you resourced and just bring to mind if it's comfortable for you,

Someone who you're going to meet in the next few days,

Maybe your whole family or maybe unknown people coming as guests or your carers,

Maybe you're going to be alone,

You are the recipient of your love,

Bring them to mind,

Perhaps someone you find slightly difficult to be around and from this place of safety,

Spread metta to them,

Wishing them well,

Recognising they too struggle sometimes,

Suffer sometimes,

Have their conditioning in certain skilful and unskilful ways,

Just sending metta using whatever phrases feel appropriate to you,

Being very gentle and at any time if you need to,

Returning to yourself,

Giving yourself that love,

Taking off any pressure,

Get along,

Have things go a certain way,

Just trusting that you wish this person or persons well and that's enough and staying connected to your own heart and any feelings that have arisen,

Accepting them all with the same kindness,

Allowing any images to fade and the metta,

The feeling or the intention of loving kindness to spread now,

Perhaps into your neighbourhood,

Where family is preparing to get together for Christmas,

Maybe with a sense of excitement and some trepidation,

Spreading our metta to them,

May all beings in this neighbourhood know that it's enough to be kind,

Take off those burdens,

Those pressures and just enjoy being together with acceptance,

With grace and all those people in your area,

Maybe your immediate neighbourhood or town,

All those who are sick over this Christmas and New Year,

May they too feel,

Feel cared for,

Feel held,

Those people who don't have a home,

May they be protected from the cold,

Those who are working in the hospitals,

Perhaps on emergency call,

May they too feel supported,

Feel peace,

May they all have enough to eat,

Know that someone,

Somewhere cares deeply for the well-being of all beings in this town,

In this city,

This neighbourhood,

And allowing your loving kindness,

Your compassionate concern to spread as far as your mind's eye,

Whichever direction feels natural for you,

Spread across this globe,

Maybe spending longer in places where there are people that you know,

That you love,

Lingering over those places,

Those countries and territories that are at war,

People in Gaza,

Palestine and Israel,

People in Russia and the Ukraine,

Myanmar,

Where their fear for their lives,

Their safety is not at all assured,

Those beings who are celebrating,

Feeling at ease,

And those beings who are feeling scared,

Cold,

Hungry,

May the power of this loving kindness spread to all beings,

May they know that they're not alone,

Just as the sunlight comes into the room where I'm sitting,

May that sunshine spread and touch every part of this globe,

All beings,

Human or non-human,

Visible or invisible,

Far or near,

Those who are enlightened or on the path,

And those who are lost,

Far from the Dhamma,

May all beings know the power of kindness,

Of virtue,

Of inner peace,

May their hearts be freed,

May all the animals enjoy their beautiful natural habitats without fear of them being destroyed,

May they be safe,

Free from harm,

May they find enough food in these cold winter months,

May all those beings in higher realms,

The Devas,

The Brahmaloka,

May they rejoice with the goodness that is there in this world,

That's very much alive,

The generous acts being done,

May they hear the Dhamma,

May they be liberated,

Free from all existence,

Even in those heavenly realms,

And all beings suffering in the lower realms,

Where they're real lower realms,

The hell realms,

The animal and ghost realms,

Or realms we create for ourselves,

Or all those who are suffering intensely,

May they share the goodness of our lives,

The merits that we make,

Through our practice,

Through our virtue,

Through our generosity,

May they too be free,

With the mind spacious and wide,

Coming into connection gently,

Softly,

Once again with your body,

Noticing any feelings of lightness,

Of ease,

And just resting with the same loving kindness towards yourself,

Being held,

Being bathed in this universal,

Shared loving kindness.

So chant the final blessing to wish you well,

For Christmas and the New Year,

And every moment of your life,

May it be filled with loving kindness,

Or the intention of loving kindness,

Never far away.

Sabe Pana,

Sabe Deva,

Sabe Pugala,

Sabe Atabawa Pariyapana,

Sabe Itiyo,

Sabe Povisa,

Sabe Arya,

Sabe Anaviya,

Sabe Deva,

Sabe Manusa,

Sabe Winipadika,

Awe Rahanto,

Abya Paja Hontu,

Aniga Hontu,

Sugiyatana Pariharantu,

Dukhamunjantu,

Yadalada Sampadhito,

Mawegachantu,

Kamasaka.

Reviews

Another beautiful meditation. Thank you 🙏

May All Beings Be Welcomed Around The Hearth of Loving Kindness.
💐🔥🧡🔥💐
(P.s. You can’t spell “hearth”
without “heart”.)