Cultivating A Compassionate Intention

This five-minute practice led by Christian takes us through the process of cultivating our compassionate intentions – a three-fold practice very often taught by the Dalai Lama as the best way to begin our day. Habituating our minds to compassionate intentions will lead to compassionate activity, and when enough people join their aspirations and effort, a true movement of compassion comes into being.

Transcript

For a few moments,

Just be aware of the sensations associated with your breath.

Release the tension with each out-breath,

While also maintaining vivid awareness and presence.

Having calmed your body and mind,

Remind yourself what compassion can inspire,

The wish for yourself and others to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

Tap into your deepest sense of why cultivating compassion inspires you personally.

Holding that inspiration,

I invite you to generate the aspiration to devote yourself to the development and practice of compassion for the rest of today.

Think,

For the rest of this day,

I will practice compassion.

For that aim,

As much as I can,

I will do my best to avoid harming others and avoid participating in systems of oppression.

I will do my best to bring as much benefit to others as I can.

And I will do my best to develop genuine,

Enlightened and educated altruism.

Rest in this determination for a short while.

Having generated this strong intention,

Return to your breath for a few moments.

And when you're ready,

Conclude your practice by returning to your normal state of awareness.

As the day moves on,

Remember your motivation and let it infuse all that you think and all that you do.

And with this,

We invite the bell.

Reviews

Inspiring to start the day with these words. Thank you!

A wonderful practice of intention-setting

Beautiful Thank you

Wisdom pathway to skillful thinking for a day of right consciousness, thank you!

Magnificent, calm, clear, concise!

Thank you 🙏🏾 11/29/20

The most noble way to start one's day. Thank you Christian!

What a blessing! Calming and warm guidance into the generation of compassionate, ethical motivation just as the Dalai Lama teaches it most often