Facing The Pandemic With The Support Of The Dharma 10/26

How to deal with uncertainty and fear around us and also within us. How can Dharma teachings support us? How can we deepen understanding and love for life in the midst of chaos? This talk invites us to reflect on how to nourish what really matters to us and what could be cultivated to achieve this.

Transcript

Making the spine straight if we're sitting. More keeping your shoulder low, And the lower belly free to move. We can make our intention very clear, Making clear to ourselves that we want to engage in this meditation. We want to be fully into it. That's our intention, That's our aim. We can start with bringing our attention to the area of the heart, And seeing if there's any sensation there. What can you feel there? And maybe we can awaken sensations there, With a memory of a moment we were really in love, Or imagining that we hold a small baby in our arms, And feeling the love of a small animal. Thinking if that touches something, Maybe not. Now thinking about ourself, We can start to ask ourself, What is really important for me in this life? What kind of quality, Specially, What kind of quality, Way of being, Would I incarnate, Would I be what I want to be? And when we find something that really we want to become more like that, That is important for us, Then we wish ourself that that takes place in our life, That it becomes true. It can be like a prayer also, More formal like, May this become true in my life, May I become like this, May I be like this or like that, May I always remember humbleness for instance, Whatever you find. And of course in this practice too, The mind wanders into stories, And then drop the stories, And come back to being in touch with yourself, And really wondering, Questioning, What is important, Which kind of qualities do I really long for, Which kind of being do I want to be, Which kinds of soul use your own vocabulary. So it can be just a whole thing, And that's what I'm asking you, Whether it's a document that is in your mind, That is significant, A May not be easy to find ideas in the beginning, But after it will come if you practice like that you will become very creative and more clear, More clear. Try to find the right words. Try to find the right words. Try to find the right words. We can also try to feel when we find the quality, Try to feel how it would be, How would we feel if we would be like that, How do we feel when we are like that. Try to feel when we find the quality, Try to feel how it would be, How do we feel if we are like that, How do we feel when we are like that, How do we feel when we are like that. And just drop the visualization, Drop the search and just fall into your breath with the in-breath and the out-breath. And that's it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And again as soon as you notice you're lost into your thoughts, Just come back nicely, Gently, Firmly. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And from time to time we can use the in-breath to make the spine straight and on the out-breath just relaxing the whole body, Keeping the spine straight. And then not going from there into thinking but back to presence. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now we can all again be with the breath, Following the whole in-breath, Following the whole out-breath. Being there at every moment of the breath, Well anchored. And still following the breath, We are aware of being present. Don't think about it, Just stay with the breath. But sense the atmosphere that is there. That atmosphere doesn't belong to the breath. Thank you. Thank you. And when you come back from thoughts, Know how you feel. When you come back to the breath, But know how you feel, Notice the difference between being lost in thoughts and being present to the breath. That noticing of the difference is crucial. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you feel some sleepiness that comes, You can take a few deep in-breath to bring Oxygen to the brain and then return to normal. Or if you notice that the mind is very agitated, You can extend a little bit the out-breath for a few breath. It will help calming down. And then come back to the breath as it is, Let it be. Observe it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you find yourself lost into long stories, One after another, Maybe before coming back to the breath, You just pause and ask yourself again, What do you want? And make clear what is your intention. Do you want to keep being lost in long stories or do you want to come back to the breath and feel your own presence and keep practicing meditation? Give a clear answer to that and if you want to come back to the breath, Then do it and stay there. Do again some effort to stay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you have time, You can stay there longer. Quietly. Quiet witness.