So now hand over now to Ajahn Brahm.
Thank you and especially keep your mobile phones off tonight of all nights.
Imagine what would happen to the Buddha 2594 years ago if when he was meditating his mobile phone went off.
We wouldn't have a Buddha anymore.
So being the full moon night of May,
It's the most powerful night of the year.
Those of you who have never had deep meditation before,
Those of you who have been striving for enlightenment,
It's the night of nights tonight.
So who knows,
This could be your night.
So if you like to close your eyes,
The energies of the full moon are out.
The force is with you.
So as we look within,
Just as the Buddha looked within under a Bodhi tree,
We're going to learn not that far away by modern means of transport.
Make the mind still.
Don't close your eyes.
We don't force,
We just allow the whole world to stop evolving.
Time,
Business,
Things to do,
We allow all of that to lose its momentum.
So we,
This person inside,
This mind,
This consciousness,
Can see peace and become peace.
With your eyes closed,
You feel your body.
You sense it and you're kind.
Beginning the meditation with kindness to your body.
Ask your body,
Do you need anything lasting?
Do you need to blow your nose or cough?
Adjust your legs or scratch your ear?
Ask your body and it will tell you what it needs.
With your eyes closed,
You settle the body down,
Just like you settle a child in bed at night.
Calming,
Reassuring,
Adjusting for maximum comfort.
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Spending time with your body.
Don't rush the beginning of the meditation.
Finding comfort with the body is a combination of mindfulness and compassion.
Being aware so you know what the body is feeling.
Being compassionate to ease the feelings.
Awareness and compassion goes right through all practices of Buddhism.
We don't force,
We nurture.
And then we let go of all past and all future.
To come to this beautiful moment called now.
The place where life actually happens.
Just being now.
And in the present moment,
Be careful not to develop the fault-finding mind.
Instead we accept this moment as it is.
Not looking for what's wrong,
But making peace.
Opening the door of your heart to this moment.
Embracing,
Letting it be.
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No past,
No future.
As soon as something arises,
We notice and let it go immediately.
We keep nothing from the past.
Always letting it go.
So we're empty for the present moment.
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The mind is poised,
Poised so closely in the moment,
There's no chance to name anything.
All naming,
All thought is about the past.
What just happened?
The failure has replaced the purpose.
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So how do you feel now?
Another meditation almost over.
It's not over yet.
In this moment what's it like for you?
See if you can discern the quality of the mind called peace,
Happiness,
Freedom.
Which always grows to some extent as a result of this meditation.
In deep meditation,
The peace,
The bliss,
The freedom is profound.
But even in ordinary meditation for beginners it's still so nice.
To have a moment or two when the mind is resting.
To be free from the past,
Free from worry about the future,
Free from thinking,
Freedom from want.
Happy to be here.
That's called peace of mind.
The source of all love and compassion is peace.
This peace.
Peace.
And now I have to bring the gong three times.
Please listen carefully to every sound of the gong and don't end the meditation yet.
Only when the last sound from the gong fades away.
Only then open your eyes to end the meditation.
So nice.
