Let's begin.
This meditation comes from a teaching of Simcha Bunim of Peshishcha,
Roughly in the early 19th century.
Begin by breathing,
And just relaxing into your breath.
Deeply in,
Slowly out,
Through your nose if that's comfortable.
Eyes closing gently when you're ready.
In and out as a way of slowing down,
Growing still,
Becoming quiet.
Using your breath to induce deeper relaxation,
A sense of calm.
When distractions come,
Just ignore them or let them go.
They'll be there later.
Your work and your to-do list and your anxieties will return,
But not now.
They don't need to be front and center.
You won't forget anything or miss out.
You'll be here,
Doing just what you are supposed to,
Just what you can.
Noticing what's in you and what's around you,
How you feel in your body,
Stresses,
Tensions,
Pains,
Excitements,
Energies,
Digestion,
Itches,
Tickles,
All of it.
And what's outside,
Human and animal sounds,
Natural sounds of breezes,
Mechanical sounds of cars,
Whatever you find yourself hearing,
Lightly attune with a generous awareness.
Holding on to this moment for all it's worth,
And then the next moment,
Capturing this moment,
And then the next moment,
All of its sensations,
Experiences.
Isn't that nice?
Your breath can always be a cue for you to slow down,
For you to return.
Right now you can use my voice or any sensation,
Your digestion.
Maybe you can even find or hear your pulse.
A rhythmic throb,
Maybe in your neck or chest,
Wrists,
You can sense it without even touching.
Slowing down the system,
Putting it in a lower gear,
This is about the paradox of being both small and nearly irrelevant,
While at the same time,
Meaning everything,
And having the world there at your fingertips.
I'll address each feeling,
That they are both true and impossibly,
Implausibly connected.
Let's start with our smallness.
How little control we have,
How little agency it seems we have,
Or effective power.
That we are just sparks and cells in a grand universe,
Just dust and ash with a brief lifespan.
It can be paralyzing,
And it can be liberating.
We don't need to ask for anything,
Because we don't really have any needs.
We're small and simple and just right,
Not holding on,
Not grasping,
Not taking up more than we need,
Letting our appetites go.
Small and with a brief candle of a life,
We don't really have any responsibilities.
There's nothing about the universe entire we could change with all of our efforts.
So we can let go,
Just a part of something grand.
Breathe into that possibility of floating through life like a moat of dust,
Like ash on the wind.
That would be enough.
Breathing,
If the possibility scares or discomforts you,
Just breathe deeper,
Know that you're safe.
Exhale slowly,
Slowing down any racing thoughts,
Coming back to your body and breath or just my voice,
Whatever cue you need to bring yourself back to this moment and then the next.
Now we'll explore our grandness,
That the world was created for each of our sakes,
That we have a calling,
That we are here to do,
And to master,
And to create,
And to be greatness.
The world is here for us and we are here for the world,
No mistake.
Maybe you feel in your body,
Your shoulders expanding,
Yourself sitting a little taller,
A glorious expression on your face,
Feeling strong,
Potent.
Explore those sensations,
Go into it.
Standing up tall,
Breathing deeply,
All this air is for you,
Just for you.
This world was made for you.
How cool is that?
You are grand.
And you don't really need anything because it's all within your grasp.
Absorb your greatness,
Let it fill you up,
Make you big,
Make you daring.
Breathing,
Inhaling deeply,
Exhaling slowly,
Just settling,
Being calm,
And slow,
And quiet,
And more still.
And know that through your day,
You're going to need to draw on both of these sensations.
At times,
You'll be too bold,
Too proud or arrogant,
So you remind yourself that you are small.
At other times,
You'll feel pitiful,
Down,
Downcast,
Blue,
Tiny and irrelevant,
So you remind yourself that you have grandness within,
That the world is created for you.
You have a calling.
There is a deeper knowing about when to feel each of these things,
When to call on each of these reserves.
You'll know.
Breathe into that future,
That potential,
Small and big,
Big and small,
Grand or irrelevant.
All true.
Deeply in,
Taking it in.
Slowly out,
Letting it shine.
And as we come to a close,
We'll talk about the real truth.
The secret is,
They're both true always.
You are both small and incredibly important.
That in the body of a glorious infinite universe,
You matter.
Take that in.
You are enough.
Breathe it in and let it out,
Breathe it in and let it out.
Accept the paradox with blessing.
