This is a guided meditation on impermanence.
Sit comfortably and take a moment to relax.
Gently close your eyes.
And we'll begin by taking three deep breaths.
Take time to concentrate your thoughts by mindfully observing your breathing,
The breath coming into and out of your body.
Become aware of your body.
Think of its many different parts,
Arms,
Legs,
Head,
Skin,
Blood,
Bones,
Nerves,
And muscles.
Examine them one by one.
Examine your body parts one by one and probe them with your feelings.
Contemplate the nature of these things,
Their substance,
Their texture,
Their shape and size.
Be sensitive to the body at work,
The movement that is going on each moment.
The ebb and flow of your breath,
The beating of your heart,
The flow of your body and the energy of your nerve impulses.
Now,
Turn your attention to your mind.
Your mind is also composed of parts,
Many parts,
Thoughts,
Perceptions,
Feelings,
Following one after the other without end.
And take a moment to simply watch this always changing flow of mental experiences.
After contemplating your inner world in this way,
Now turn to the outer world.
Slowly increase your awareness to include your immediate surroundings.
Picture in your mind the seat you're on,
The walls and ceilings of the room you're in,
The space around you and the objects that are present.
Consider that each of these,
Although appearing solid,
Is actually just a collection of tiny particles.
Everything is made up of other components and stay with that experience for a little while.
Now,
Continue to expand your awareness of impermanence to take in the building you're in,
Trees,
Streets,
People,
Animals,
Cars,
Cities.
Go as far as you like and just rest in that awareness that each being or object that you contemplate is changing right now.
Nothing remains the same from one moment to the next.
Nothing remains the same and you can't hold on to anything.
Concentrate on this experience.
During the meditation,
Any time that you have a clear,
Strong feeling of the ever-changing nature of things,
Hold your attention firmly on it for as long as possible.
Soak your mind in the experience.
When the feeling fades or your attention starts to wander,
Again,
Contemplate the impermanence of your body or mind or any other object.
Just contemplate that impermanence and come back to it whenever your mind starts to wander.
Conclude the meditation with the thought that it is unrealistic to cling to things as though they were permanent.
Whatever is beautiful and pleasing will change and eventually disappear.
So we can't expect anything to give us lasting happiness.
We have to look within for that.
But also,
Remind yourself,
Whatever is unpleasant or disturbing also won't last forever.
I dedicate the positive energy of this meditation to the happiness of all beings.
