Recognizing Our Equality With Others

This practice of recognizing our shared fundamental wish for happiness and freedom from suffering serves as a simple but powerful precursor to the more elaborate practices of empathy, loving kindness, and compassion. While thinking "All others are just like me" is easy, truly living from that position requires elaborate training—but such training can be life-changing if taken to a deeper level, allowing us to strengthen what psychologists call "theory of mind" (understanding that the experiences of others are as real for them as ours are for us) and living from a place of greater equanimity.

Transcript

To begin the practice, We find a comfortable stationary position. And allow all of our body parts to align themselves nicely around the central axis of our spine. And then, For a few moments. . . Or just enjoying the process of natural breathing. And resting there. With our body relaxed and still as a mountain. Then reminding ourselves of our highest aspirations for this practice, Our highest contemplative, Spiritual, Psychological goals. May this practice contribute. To their Realization. For a little while breathing life into that wish. And then for the actual practice of seeing equality between ourselves and others, First bringing to mind the fact that we want to be happy and free from suffering. Recognizing that and resting in that awareness for a little while. I do instinctively seek happiness and try to avoid suffering or discomfort. Resting in this vivid recognition. And then bringing to mind a friend. Someone close to us, Someone dear to us. Someone whose feelings, Emotions, Moods, Wishes, Desires are familiar to us. And recognizing this person also wants to be happy and wants to be free from suffering. For them, Their experiences are real and very important. Just like me, This person wants to be happy and free from suffering. And then playing with the method of free associations, Where we allow our mind to move from one being to another, In a free-form sequence. But we stay with each being for at least a few cycles of breathing. Establishing the same clear recognition. Just like me, This person wants to be happy and free from suffering. And so, Choosing our first person. . . For a few cycles of breathing, Staying with them, Establishing that clear recognition, Just like me, They want to be happy, They don't want to suffer. And then allowing our mind to move on. A different figure, And so on. Eventually gently extending our awareness to all beings, Or at least numerous beings at the same time. All of the ones we've covered, But also everyone else as well. Recognizing that these beings want to be happy and do not want to suffer, Just like me. And just resting without recognition, Enjoying it. Then, For a few moments, Coming back to the breath. Just enjoying its gentle movements. And then mentally dedicating the energy of this practice to our highest aspirations and to the happiness and well-being for all who live. Then coming back to our body introducing some gentle movement to it. And then slowly and gently concluding this practice.

Reviews

Thank you for this quiet and all-encompassing practice on the universal desire to be happy and free from suffering. 🤓🙏🏻

Thank you so much for this and all your other practices, particularly Green Tara. You lend a unique elegance and generousity to your practices and they have became very meaningful to me.

Simple, powerful groundwork for equanimity. Thank you, Michael.