Welcome to this common humanity meditation for a difficult person,
For someone you find irritating or annoying,
Or someone you want to be condescending to,
Or someone whose values you don't agree with.
We will meditate for that person today to open the heart and to view all beings fundamentally as having complete and total human dignity,
No matter who they are,
No matter what they believe.
We start by connecting to ourselves.
Feel into your breath.
Feel into your body.
Relax your forehead.
Relax your jaw.
Relax your shoulders.
Release your chest.
Release your belly.
Feel the heaviness of the left arm and the right arm.
Feel the heaviness of the left leg and the right leg.
Feeling gratitude for this body.
Now place your hands on your heart and acknowledge that this heart feels so much,
And this heart has good intentions.
Sending yourself the wish,
May I be at ease.
May I be in harmony with all beings.
As a gift to myself,
May I have nothing but humility,
Compassion,
True warmth to every living creature.
And put your hand back down.
And go ahead and imagine a difficult person.
Contemplating that just as I have my blind spots,
You too have your blind spots.
I accept that I have certain blind spots.
And I accept you and that you can make certain mistakes and have certain blind spots.
There are times where I've made mistakes,
And sometimes I've learned from them,
And sometimes I didn't.
And I acknowledge that it's possible that you can also make mistakes,
And sometimes learn from them,
And sometimes not.
Just like my heart feels so much,
You have a beating heart that feels so much.
Just like I felt the pain of being excluded.
The pain of being looked down upon.
The pain of being judged.
I acknowledge that you too have felt the pain of being excluded.
You too have felt the pain of being looked down upon.
You too have felt the pain of being judged.
Setting the intention,
May I not add to your suffering,
Or to the suffering of any other being.
May I practice non-harm in every situation.
Towards myself,
Towards all others too.
Acknowledging that this person wants to be loved and accepted.
Your difficult person and their heart of hearts wants to be loved and accepted.
Just like you,
This person has goals and dreams.
Good days and bad days.
Certain difficulties.
Certain blind spots.
Certain things that are important to this person.
And this difficult person,
Just like you,
Has felt loneliness.
Has felt heartbreak.
Maybe has jumped to conclusions too quickly or been excited.
And just imagining that this person is a child to someone.
This person may be a close friend to someone.
A parent or a mentor to someone.
And just like we wish all life well,
Knowing that every being is important,
Every being has its place in the universe,
Just like you do.
Sending the wish to this person.
May you be happy.
From my heart to your heart,
I wish you happiness.
May you feel so much joy that you spread this joy to all others.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you be at ease and at peace in your heart.
May my thoughts,
My words,
And my actions not cause you harm.
And may they not cause any being harm.
May my thoughts,
My words,
My actions contribute to your flourishing.
Contribute to your thriving.
And contribute to the well-being of all people on earth.
Ending with the intention,
May I see all beings with eyes of gentleness.
May I accept each being just as he or she is.
May I see each being with eyes of generosity and forgiveness.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be free.
Now acknowledging yourself for having done this compassion and common humanity practice.
And thanking this difficult person for being your gateway to more humility.
To more compassion.
To more ability to connect with acceptance to all other beings.
Taking a deep breath in through the nose.
Take a deep breath out through the mouth.
Before you open your eyes,
Set the intention to see every being you look upon with gentleness.
With eyes of gentleness.
Taking that into your day.
Into your week.
Into your life.
And opening your eyes.
