Compassion.
Start by taking a moment to settle and relax before you begin.
Find a comfortable sitting position and listen to what the body needs.
Shifting position to be comfortable and balanced if necessary.
Begin by bringing attention to the body in relation to the space it's in.
Sensing the room and any objects around.
And now shift the attention to the entire body as it sits here.
And now shift the attention to the entire body as it sits here.
And now move the attention to the breathing process in the whole body.
Breathing naturally and leaving the breath to find its own rhythm.
And now come back to the sensation of the entire body.
And bring to mind your reasons for doing this exploration on compassion.
What is motivating and inspiring you to engage with this process of inner development?
And finally,
Wish yourself success in this process.
This exploration is designed to help you develop a felt sense of compassion.
This strongly felt wish for every living being to be free from dissatisfaction and suffering.
It will also encourage you to question your life and open up to possibilities of change and fulfillment.
Helping you build a picture of what your potential might be.
What may be helping you develop your potential.
And what may be limiting you at the moment.
Equanimity towards all beings explores the notion that all people seek happiness.
And all living beings without exception seek satisfaction and long term well being.
And seek to avoid pain,
Dissatisfaction and suffering.
And that we are all the same in this fundamentally.
Compassion as a universal attitude is the non-biased and impartial wish that all living beings be free from dissatisfaction and suffering.
This can mean obvious suffering such as physical and emotional pain caused by sickness,
Aging,
Accidents,
Poverty,
War and grieving a loss.
But also not getting what we want and getting what we don't want.
Then there is suffering because things change.
For example objects we find enjoyable will eventually age,
Wear out and disintegrate.
Or we will tire of them as a new object replaces them and enjoyable experiences will come to an end.
In other words our endless pursuit of external happiness based on sensory pleasure will eventually cause us dissatisfaction.
We are also vulnerable to an underlying sense of unsatisfactoriness through our conditioning and our disturbing attitudes.
When cultivated to a high degree compassion becomes a spontaneous attitude towards any living being you encounter or consider.
In the wider sense it applies to other species and the ecosystem as a whole.
And compassion is not a mere thought or wish but a consciously cultivated deep rooted attitude.
So you're going to write a compassion card to someone.
This is similar to a card you send when someone is not well or going through a difficult time.
And you may like to use pen and paper or you may simply wish to think about it.
So start by choosing a time when you experienced physical pain or discomfort such as an illness,
An accident or even the effects of getting older.
And make sure you choose something you feel comfortable working with now.
And now take a moment to think of someone you know but don't know very well or perhaps a person you are having difficulty with.
And choose someone you feel comfortable writing a compassion card to now.
So now imagine this person is experiencing similar physical pain or discomfort to what you experienced.
Their experience may be different from yours but simply try to imagine them experiencing a similar physical pain or discomfort.
Now think about what you might write to them in your compassion card.
And here are some suggestions.
You might tell them you are wishing them well and what compassion means to you.
You could mention why you are wishing this for them in particular.
You might mention some vulnerabilities you may both share.
You could also acknowledge their unique experience of their vulnerability.
And finally you could mention that we are all the same in seeking to be free of pain,
Dissatisfaction and suffering.
So take some time now to compose your compassion card.
Thank you.
And finally finishing off your compassion card.
Now take a moment to notice how you feel in your body having wished this person to be free from this suffering.
Where can you feel that in your body,
Even slightly?
Once you have identified it,
However small,
Relax into the feeling,
Deepening into it.
Now try to expand this felt sense,
Even from a small base,
And broaden it out in all directions gradually.
In front,
Behind,
To the sides,
Above and below.
And you might like to use a metaphor to help you do this.
It might be like turning up the volume on music.
Or like the ripples after a stone is thrown into water.
Or having a light inside that emanates out,
Expanding in all directions like the warmth and light of a candle.
And as you rest in that expanded feeling,
Imagine different groups in those directions.
And include them in this felt sense of compassion towards all living beings.
For example,
Nurses,
Prisoners,
Animals,
Farmers and so on.
And finally,
Letting go of this on an out-breath.
So how was that exploration for you?
Did you manage to generate a felt sense of compassion?
Did you manage to allow the felt sense of compassion to spread?
Do you think you might be able to generate this feeling in everyday life?
And if so,
How?
And how do you think this might help you and others in daily life?
And remember,
We're using the image of the spiral to show how certain personal qualities build on and reinforce each other in an upward spiral towards positive potential.
A positive reinforcement spiral.
Likewise,
Certain personal qualities also build on and reinforce each other in a downward spiral.
A negative reinforcement spiral.
So using your learning from the previous exploration on compassion,
Simply note whether this may be helping you develop towards the top of the spiral or if it may be limiting you towards the bottom.
And finally,
Taking a moment to reconnect with your posture,
Rebalancing,
Relaxing and gently releasing any tension if necessary.
And becoming aware of the body breathing.
And taking a moment to recall your motivation for doing this exploration.
And now bring to mind what you have experienced and learnt in this exploration.
Have you discovered anything about yourself?
Have you begun to cultivate any helpful qualities or overcome or let go of any unhelpful qualities?
And how might this process be beneficial and meaningful and contribute to the welfare and wellbeing of yourself and others?
Your family,
Friends and those close to you.
Those who inspire and nurture your positive development.
And all living beings and the environment they rely on.
And as this exploration ends,
Try to carry this with you wherever you go,
By recollecting it occasionally.
