Sleep Meditation So Expansive, You’ll Dissolve In The Cosmos

A Sleep Meditation So Expansive, You’ll Dissolve Into the Cosmos
Let go of the day and journey into the infinite in this deeply calming sleep meditation inspired by the ancient wisdom of the Heart Sutra.

As you lie beneath a serene, starry sky, you’ll be gently guided into a profound state of relaxation, where the line between dream and reality begins to blur. This meditation blends poetic reading, soothing visualization, and sacred teachings from Mahayana Buddhism to help you reconnect with your true nature—spacious, infinite, and free.

Transcript

Welcome,

Dear traveler.

As the day fades into night,

Allow yourself to let go of the waking world and prepare for a peaceful journey into the realms of imagination.

This is your time to relax,

Restore,

And connect with the wonder of your own inner universe.

Let this moment be your bridge into a serene and restful adventure.

Find a comfortable position,

Either lying down or seated,

And let the surface beneath you fully support your body.

Feel this gentle embrace inviting you to let go of tension and simply be here.

Close your eyes if you haven't already and take a deep,

Soothing breath in.

Feel the cool air filling your lungs,

Bringing calm and clarity.

Hold it for a moment and then slowly exhale,

Releasing the day behind you.

Now,

With each breath,

Allow yourself to sink deeper into comfort and release.

Now imagine yourself lying on a soft,

Grassy hill beneath a vast,

Starry sky.

The ground beneath you is warm,

As if the earth itself is cradling you.

The air around you is crisp and cool,

Carrying the faint scent of wildflowers.

The world is hushed in reverence,

Quiet and still,

As though it too is preparing for rest.

Above you stretches an infinite,

Velvet sky,

Scattered with countless stars shimmering like diamonds.

Some twinkle faintly,

While others glow bright and steady,

Their soft light brushing over you like a gentle caress.

As you gaze upward,

The stars seem to welcome you,

Their light filling you with a sense of calm and connection.

Feel their glow gently warming your body.

Slowly,

With each breath,

The starlight flows into you,

Easing tension from your shoulders,

Your neck,

And your chest.

It moves through your arms and hands,

Down your back and legs,

And all the way to the tips of your toes.

You are enveloped in a soothing glow,

Weightless and serene,

As if floating among the stars themselves.

As you rest beneath this ethereal dome,

Notice the constellations above you.

They shift and swirl,

Forming patterns and shapes just for you,

A reminder of the infinite possibilities and dreams that await.

Their timeless stories seem to whisper,

Inviting you to explore and discover.

Now imagine the stars aligning into a glowing path,

Guiding you toward the beginning of tonight's journey.

This path is yours alone,

Safe and inviting,

Leading to a world of wonder and peace.

Perhaps it takes you to a story of distant lands,

A soothing adventure,

Or a place of pure tranquility.

Wherever it may lead,

Trust in the journey ahead.

For now,

Simply allow yourself to drift.

Let the rhythm of your breath and the gentle glow of the stars guide you deeper into relaxation.

As you rest under this endless sky,

Feel the peace and stillness of the universe holding you.

When you're ready,

Let the light of the stars carry you into tonight's bedtime journey.

Your adventure begins now.

Form is emptiness,

Emptiness is form.

The Heart Sutra The Heart Sutra is a famous and widely studied text in Mahayana Buddhism.

It's part of the larger Prajnaparamita Sutras,

Which focus on the concept of emptiness.

In essence,

The Heart Sutra presents the idea that all things are empty of inherent existence,

Meaning the fundamental nature of the universe and ourselves is spaciousness.

The illusion and noise of the mind and world are all things that arise in our boundless true nature.

The Heart Sutra The Heart Sutra is known for its profound yet concise nature,

Often summarized by the phrase,

Form is emptiness,

Emptiness is form.

This highlights the non-duality of form,

Material things,

And emptiness,

The absence of an independent,

Permanent essence.

The Sutra is highly revered for its deep philosophical insights and is often chanted or recited in Buddhist practices.

In this bedtime talk,

We will do a reading of the Heart Sutra,

Translated in the English language.

We will also do a reading of the Prajnaparamita Mantra,

An essential part of the Heart Sutra,

In its native Sanskrit,

Along with an English translation.

After the reading,

We will do a guided relaxation experience to guide you into embodying your true nature of pure spaciousness.

After the guided relaxation,

We will do a second reading of the Heart Sutra as an opportunity for you to experience a deep understanding.

The Heart Sutra When the compassionate Avalokiteshvara was deep in meditation,

Practicing the insight that allows us to cross the river of samsara to the shore of enlightenment,

He realized that all five aspects of human existence – body,

Feelings,

Thoughts,

Actions,

And consciousness – are fundamentally empty.

This insight freed him from all suffering and distress.

He shared this insight with his student,

Sariputra,

Our bodies and our world are not separate.

They are part of the same emptiness.

This emptiness is not nothingness.

It is the essence of everything.

Feelings,

Thoughts,

Actions,

And consciousness are all part of this emptiness.

They are not separate entities.

Everything in the world,

Including our experiences and struggles,

Is marked by this emptiness.

There is no birth,

No death,

No purity or impurity,

No increase or decrease.

Understanding this,

There is no fear.

There are no illusions or misunderstandings,

And we can see the end of suffering.

This path leads to complete enlightenment.

All Buddhas of the past,

Present,

And future have reached enlightenment by understanding this profound wisdom.

So remember this mantra,

Which encapsulates this wisdom.

Gone,

Gone,

Gone to the other shore.

Completely gone to the other shore.

Enlightenment.

So it is.

This mantra of great wisdom,

The illuminating mantra,

The highest mantra,

And the mantra that removes all suffering.

Remember and embrace this mantra.

Gate,

Gate,

Paragate,

Parasamgate,

Bodhi svaha.

Gone,

Gone,

Gone to the other shore.

Completely gone to the other shore.

Enlightenment.

So it is.

Gate,

Gate,

Paragate,

Parasamgate,

Bodhi svaha.

As the veil of night gently descends upon the world,

Let us embark on a tranquil journey to the summit of our inner being,

Where the essence of the Heart Sutra meets the timeless wisdom of nonduality.

In this sacred space,

Atop a mystical mountain,

We will explore the profound nature of emptiness and form,

Guided by the insights that transcend time and thought.

Imagine yourself seated atop a majestic mountain,

The pinnacle of serenity and stillness.

Around you,

The vast expanse of sky stretches infinitely,

A canvas of deep blues and twilight hues.

This mountain,

Your place of inner solitude,

Rises above the world,

A solitary witness to the dance of existence.

As you sit here,

Feel the solidity of the mountain beneath you.

Its ancient presence is a testament to endurance and timelessness.

Above you,

The sky,

A boundless domain where clouds drift freely,

Each one a transient visitor in the great expanse.

These clouds,

With their ever-changing forms,

Are like the thoughts and emotions that flow through your mind.

Observe them as they pass,

Some light and wispy,

Others heavy and laden.

Each cloud is unique,

Yet all are fleeting,

Dissolving back into the vastness from which they came.

See these clouds as manifestations of your thoughts and feelings,

Arising,

Lingering,

And then fading away.

They are not you,

They are simply experiences that move through the vast sky of your consciousness.

As you watch these clouds,

Begin to feel a sense of detachment.

You are not the clouds,

You are the sky,

Vast,

Open,

And unbounded.

The clouds of thought and emotion cannot touch the essence of who you are.

Your true nature is like the sky itself,

Spacious,

Clear,

And infinite.

Now,

In this moment of clarity,

Let the mountain beneath you dissolve.

There is no longer a need for a physical foundation.

You are the sky,

Embracing and releasing each cloud effortlessly.

The mountain,

A symbol of your earthly attachments and identity,

Fades away,

Leaving only the pure spaciousness of your being.

The clouds,

Too,

Begin to dissipate.

Your thoughts,

Emotions,

And all that you believed to be solid and enduring,

Vanish into the ether.

What remains is your true self,

A boundless expanse of awareness,

Unconfined by form or substance.

In this state of pure spaciousness,

There is a profound peace.

The distinctions between you and the universe blur and merge.

There is no separation,

No duality,

Only an unbroken field of consciousness.

You are one with all that is,

A boundless presence,

Free from the limitations of your physical world.

Rest in this awareness,

In the serenity of knowing that you are not the transient thoughts and emotions,

But the eternal expanse in which they appear.

This is your true nature,

Limitless,

Unchanging,

And free.

As you continue to dwell in this state of spacious awareness,

Let the wisdom of the Heart Sutra resonate within you.

Form is emptiness.

Emptiness is form.

In this space,

You understand the meaning of these words,

That all of existence,

Including you,

Is empty of inherent,

Independent existence.

Everything is interconnected,

Part of the same fabric of reality.

Embrace this understanding as you prepare to drift into sleep.

Let your journey through the night be continuation of this realization.

In your dreams,

Explore the landscapes of emptiness and form,

Of spaciousness and connection.

Sleep peacefully,

Cradled in the infinite embrace of your true self.

And as you journey through the realm of dreams,

Carry with you the serenity of this experience,

The knowledge that you are more than the passing phenomena of thought and emotion,

That you are the vast,

Unbounded sky,

Eternal,

Peaceful,

Free.

Goodnight,

And may your slumber be as tranquil and profound as the realization of your true nature,

A nature as vast and serene as the endless sky itself.

The Heart Sutra When the compassionate Avalokiteshvara was deep in meditation,

Practicing the insight that allows us to cross the river of samsara to the shore of enlightenment,

He realized that all five aspects of human existence—body,

Feelings,

Thoughts,

Actions,

And consciousness—are fundamentally empty.

This insight freed him from all suffering and distress.

He shared this insight with his student,

Sariputra.

Our bodies and our world are not separate.

They are part of the same emptiness.

This emptiness is not nothingness.

It is the essence of everything.

Feelings,

Thoughts,

Actions,

And consciousness are all part of this emptiness.

They are not separate entities.

Everything in the world,

Including our experiences and struggles,

Is marked by this emptiness.

There is no birth or death,

No purity or impurity,

No increase or decrease.

Understanding this,

There is no fear,

There are no illusions or misunderstandings,

And we can see the end of suffering.

This path leads to complete enlightenment.

All Buddhas of the past,

Present,

And future have reached enlightenment by understanding this profound wisdom.

So remember this mantra,

Which encapsulates this wisdom.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone to the other shore.

Completely gone to the other shore.

Enlightenment.

So it is.

This mantra of great wisdom,

The illuminating mantra,

The highest mantra,

The mantra that removes all suffering,

Remember and embrace this mantra.

Gatte.

Gatte.

Paragatte.

Parasamgate.

Bodhi Svaha.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone to the other shore.

Completely gone to the other shore.

Enlightenment.

So it is.

Drifting.

Weightless.

Boundless.

You are floating beyond the edges of thought.

Beyond the contours of form.

Suspended in a vast ocean of stillness.

Each breath dissolves into the next.

Like waves merging into the sea.

No separation.

No distinction.

Only the rhythm of infinity.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean in a drop.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean in a drop.

You are the hush between heartbeats.

The whisper between stars.

A luminous spark cradled in the infinite.

There is nothing to do.

Nothing to hold on to.

You are the vast sky.

Open.

Endless.

Free.

Drifting deeper into the quiet pulse of existence.

A slow rhythmic tide pulling you into the heart of the universe.

Feel yourself dissolving.

Merging.

Like a river returning to the sea.

Like stardust settling into the night.

You are the breath of the cosmos.

Moving without effort.

The stillness between the stars.

The space between dreams.

You are the space between dreams.

You are the space between dreams.

There is no past.

No future.

Only this moment.

Expansive and whole.

You are the space between dreams.

The eternal stillness.

Everything yet nothing.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean within a drop.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean within a drop.

Drifting into sleep.

You are the space within dreams.

A whisper of the cosmos.

Surrender.

Release.

Drift.

The universe breathes with you.

Cradling you in this quiet embrace.

Holding you in the palm of infinity.

Drifting into sleep.

Feel yourself dissolving into sleep.

Melting into pure being.

Melting into pure spaciousness.

Weightless.

Timeless.

A single note in the symphony of existence.

You are home.

You are home.

Drifting beyond thought.

Beyond time.

Suspended in an endless expanse of stillness.

There is no effort.

Only surrender.

A gentle wave carrying you deeper into the vast unknown.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean in a drop.

Floating.

Suspended in the moonlight.

You are the space between dreams.

Drifting through an endless sky of silence.

Only spaciousness.

A deep infinite openness.

A deep infinite openness.

The stars shimmer around you.

Each one a memory of something ancient and beautiful.

You are not separate from this vastness.

You are not within it.

You are it.

You are the universe in ecstatic motion.

The pulse of the universe.

Slow.

Steady.

Like the rhythm of the breath.

With each exhale,

You drift deeper into sleep.

Drifting into sleep.

With each inhale,

You drift deeper into sleep.

Presence.

Peace.

You are the night sky.

Endless.

Boundless.

Whole.

You drift deeper into sleep.

You are the space between dreams.

The breath of the cosmos moves through you.

You are cradled in stillness.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean in a drop.

Drift deeper into sleep.

Drifting deeper into sleep.

You are the space between dreams.

You are not a drop in the ocean.

You are the entire ocean in a drop.

Drifting deeper into sleep.

Drifting deeper into sleep.

Drifting deeper into sleep.

Drifting deeper into sleep.