As Unshakable As A Mountain

The flocks of birds have all flown away. The last cloud has drifted on. We gaze at each other, The mountain and I, Until only the mountain remains.
— Li Bai

This guided meditation begins with a contemplation of the stability of mountains and a visualization of oneself as a mountain before guiding the practitioner into silent meditation. Can you allow your heart-mind to be as unshakable as a mountain?

Transcript

Observe a mountain and its changing face as the light moves across it.

Imagine how its appearance changes throughout the day and through the seasons.

If you aren't near a mountain or are inside,

You can simply imagine one for a moment.

Now imagine yourself as the mountain.

Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.

Feel the breeze as it blows by.

What kind of mountain are you?

Maybe you are an ancient mountain like those of the Appalachians who have seen it all.

Or maybe you are a younger,

Taller range like the Himalaya still pushing towards the heavens.

Or maybe you are a volcano like the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest or Mount Fuji in Japan.

Can you feel the warmth of the Earth's interior simmering inside you?

Focus your attention on your lower abdomen below your belly button.

Breathe in slowly and deeply,

Allowing the sensation of your breath to reach all the way down to this area,

What we call the Dan Tien,

Or Field of Elixir.

As you breathe in,

Feel your belly expanding slightly as well as your lower back.

As we breathe in and out,

Gently and slowly,

We might recall the words of Wang Chongyong.

Breathing in meditation does not simply mean to sit up straight with the eyes closed.

To authentically sit in meditation,

You should maintain a heart-mind like a mountain,

Unmoving and unshakable.

Whatever thoughts or sensations arise in our minds or bodies,

We can sit like a mountain and let them arise,

Drift by,

And fade away just like clouds over a mountain.

While passing phenomena come and go,

Disappearing into the emptiness from which they arose,

The mountain remains.

As we move into silent meditation,

Let us ponder these words of the Taoist poet Li Bai,

Who said in his poem,

Sitting Alone on Mount Jinting,

The flocks of birds have all flown away,

The last cloud has drifted on.

We gaze at each other,

The mountain and I,

Until only the mountain remains.

We stare at each other,

The mountain and I,

Until only the mountain remains.

We stare at each other,

The mountain and I,

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