Today,
I would like to share with you a loving kindness meditation.
Kindness,
Of course,
Being a great spiritual practice.
Some years ago,
I was in Atlanta to teach at a business conference for several days.
After I arrived on Sunday morning and settled into my hotel room,
I decided to explore my temporary neighborhood to scout out where I might find food for my dietary needs.
As I walked about,
A man approached me and as soon as he caught my attention,
He begged me to hear him out.
Please,
He implored,
I am not a panhandler,
But I need to ask you something.
I paused.
I smiled at him.
I listened.
He explained his situation.
He had been diagnosed with pancreatitis,
Now needing to have a prescription filled and finding himself six dollars short,
Thus needing my help.
I am not asking you for the entire six dollars,
He said,
Just something to help with part of it and I will look for others to help with the rest.
He seemed to find it difficult and painful to ask for help and he didn't want to impose on me for the full six dollars.
You and I both know how terribly expensive prescriptions are,
So his need for only six dollars to pay the pharmacy seemed like little enough for me to give.
He explained that due to his condition,
He usually could not work,
That he was subject to bouts of nausea and vomiting.
He was as nervous as my conference attendees would be later that week when they would have to present a business case to complete their program.
His hands were shaking and he was breaking into a sweat and had to pause for a moment to compose himself before he continued.
I have the prescription here so you can see.
He held out a piece of paper to me.
I didn't have my reading glasses on and,
Well,
I didn't need to see his papers anyway.
Where has it ever been indicated that a request from the universe for generosity and an open heart needs to be supported with proof or documentation?
I didn't need his papers.
I had in front of me an opportunity to be kind,
Generous,
And loving.
I didn't have much,
But I reached into my handbag and that day I found a ten dollar bill.
I folded it into a tiny little bit and slipped it into his hand in the middle of a handshake.
I didn't think it needed to be apparent to others around that I was helping this man.
He was embarrassed enough to be asking for help.
He was so grateful and so shocked.
Tears filled his eyes.
A rush of words ran from his lips.
He explained that he had just asked for help from church people leaving their morning worship service and they had chastised him.
You should be working,
They told him,
And you should not be begging.
He felt especially humiliated and devastated to be shunned by church people.
The man was completely shaken.
Some people respond to my story with a similar challenge.
How do you know he was telling the truth,
They ask.
How do you know he won't spend the money on alcohol or drugs.
I don't know for sure that he won't and it is my understanding that I don't need to know.
My work on my path is to share with those in need.
His work on his path is to use wisely what is given to him.
I am called to be loving and open hearted.
I am not commissioned to be his judge.
Just before I walked away,
The man wanted to say one thing more.
I will not forget you,
He said.
Not for as long as I live.
It's your smile and it is your acceptance and listening to me and not pushing me away that I will remember most.
And you know,
I believe he is telling the truth.
He will not forget that on one hot day in downtown Atlanta for a moment he was heard and accepted and helped.
He will remember.
Close your eyes now.
Bring your awareness into your own self.
Letting the busyness of the world slip away.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
Feel your whole body breathing completely still.
Nothing moving except for the movement of your breath.
Notice the movement of your belly as you breathe.
Notice the movement of your chest as you breathe.
Notice your breath as it moves across your upper lip.
Breathing out.
Breathing in.
Loving kindness meditation begins with your own self.
Let your body relax completely and hold yourself in love and acceptance and forgiveness.
Knowing that you are right and good.
Knowing that you are holy.
Hold yourself in acceptance.
Breathing love and acceptance.
Silently to yourself or even aloud repeat these words.
May I be safe.
May I be well.
May I be grounded and strong.
May I achieve what I want in life.
May I forgive myself and always know that I am enough.
May I be healthy and happy always.
And now picture a person that you love.
Perhaps a relative.
Maybe a friend.
This person,
Like you,
Wishes to have a happy life.
Send out warm wishes to that person.
Repeat these phrases silently.
May you be safe.
May you be well.
May you be grounded and strong.
May you achieve what you want in life.
May you forgive yourself and always know that you are enough.
May you be healthy and peaceful and happy always.
Now think of an acquaintance.
Someone you don't know very well and toward whom you don't have any particular feeling.
You and this person are alike in your wish to have a good life.
Send all your wishes for well-being to that person.
Seeing that person in your mind's eye.
Repeating the following phrases silently.
May you be safe.
May you be well.
May you be grounded and strong.
May you achieve what you want in life.
May you forgive yourself and always know that you are enough.
May you be healthy and peaceful and happy always.
Now picture someone who is harder for you to get along with.
Perhaps someone you've struggled with.
Or perhaps simply someone who has opposing views that might be difficult for both of you to come to agreement.
Like you,
This person wishes to have a good life.
Send all your wishes for well-being to that person.
Repeating the following phrases silently.
May you be safe.
May you be well.
May you be grounded and strong.
May you achieve what you want in life.
May you always forgive yourself and always know that you are enough.
May you be healthy and peaceful and happy always.
Now expand your awareness.
Picture the whole globe in front of you.
And warm wishes to all living beings on the globe who,
Like you,
All want to be happy.
Take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
And another deep breath in.
And let it go.
Just notice the state of your mind and how you feel after this meditation.
May your own kindness bring you great peace.
