Without further ado,
We'll hand over to Ajahn Brahm to lead the meditation and give the talk for this evening.
Very good.
So now is the time for you to let go of the whole world,
To make the mind very peaceful and still,
To enjoy some meditation.
Remember meditation is not something hard because all that you have to do is to be here.
Remember just being here,
Not going off into the past or the future,
Not wanting to attain great things,
But to be here,
Because only when you're here can you find stillness and peace.
So just close your eyes and it helps you be here more effectively.
So with your eyes closed,
You become much more sensitive to the inner world.
When you look,
You look outside.
When you feel,
You feel your body and inside of you.
And how does that body feel right now?
Is there something you can do to make your body more comfortable?
That's called compassion.
You're being kind to this body in which you travel.
So you look after this body.
And don't let the body go yet.
Just be even more concerned about it.
Can you adjust your legs to make your legs a little bit happier?
Just wiggle the toes.
What about the bottom pressed against the chair or the cushion?
See if you can adjust that.
It's called fidgeting but it makes the body more comfortable.
And then you get the back just nice.
So just focus on parts of the body at a time,
Otherwise you might miss out something and that will cause pain or even sickness later on.
Sometimes I'm amazed at how unaware people are of their own body.
So make sure your back is just really nice.
There is no magic posture which fits everybody.
Your posture is unique to you.
So you find what that posture is.
If you're on a chair you don't need to lean forward,
Just lean back if that's comfortable,
Whatever works for you.
Make sure your shoulders are nice and loose,
That your arms are comfortable and that your hands are also at peace.
It's amazing when people fidget they usually fidget their hands and their fingers which is a sign that their fingers weren't put into a proper place to begin with.
So adjust your fingers so the fingers are nice and comfortable.
And the head balanced on top of your neck.
Make sure that that is just as comfortable as you possibly can make it.
And last of all,
Your face.
Sometimes a lot of tension is stored in the muscles in the face.
That's why you can tell if a person is afraid,
If they're angry,
If they're at peace.
So see if you can relax the muscles around your eyes so nothing is screwed down tight.
The mouth is relaxed.
If anything,
The corners should be turned up into a small half smile.
And if you've got that half smile,
You have a great meditation posture.
Before you leave the body alone,
Just look at the whole body just as a unit,
As one thing.
It's like you're sitting inside of it,
Like you sit inside your car.
Everything is being attended to,
Everything is relaxed.
You're ready to let the body go so you can attend to your mental world.
It's like parking the car as I often say.
You lock the doors,
The alarm is on,
Your car is safe.
Be there for you when you leave.
You've looked after the body,
It's in a good position,
Now you can leave it alone and attend to the mental world.
Just to be here,
We spend so much time planning the future or lingering on a past which can't be changed,
Which is one of the reasons why we get tense and tired.
So now you deliberately focus in the here and now.
The past is gone,
Finished.
All those memories of the past are like dead corpses.
You would like to carry dead bodies with them in this present moment.
They can't be changed,
It's already happened,
It's gone.
Bury the past so you can be free here in the future,
In the present.
And please don't allow the mind to rush ahead into the future.
And again I often say that now,
Now is the time your future is being made.
Now,
The present is the only place you can do anything for your future.
If you understand the Buddhist law of karma,
You know by making a peaceful,
Happy,
Relaxed present moment,
You are doing the very,
Very best for a happy,
Peaceful,
Healthy future.
Now is where your future health is being made.
Now is where your future happiness is being created.
So put all your attention into this very moment and you can be assured of the best possible future.
If you're worried about the future,
Focus on the present.
In this moment,
What's it like being here?
Add kindness to this moment.
Open the door of your heart to whatever's happening right now.
If you run away from this moment in fantasies and dreams,
You never get to know the truth.
You never know how to be.
So embrace this moment no matter what it is.
And after it's visited you,
Let it leave.
Let it leave without a trace,
Like urine or scent falling off the lotus leaf,
Leaving no trace.
Every moment falling off your mind,
Leaving no trace.
One moment now,
All that you have.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Just being in the moment,
Just being and resisting this tendency to do something or go somewhere,
This is called letting go,
Otherwise known as just being here.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
And see if you can learn how to relax the mind in the same way you relax the body,
To take away all the tension,
All the wanting,
All the pushing and pulling,
And let your mind just be.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
See if you can stop that inner conversation.
There's no need to think in words.
See if you can just think in knowing.
In other words,
Be aware without giving anything a name.
Just to know,
Giving things a name is having power over them.
Letting them be means not controlling,
Not thinking,
Just knowing,
But let peace with the world and let peace with yourself.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
If you want to watch your breath,
Just know the breath as it comes in,
Know the breath as it comes out.
It just helps you be,
By being with something personal,
Your breathing.
Just be the breath.
Don't watch the breath,
Be the breath.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Let it leave.
Just getting very close to the end of the meditation period,
How do you feel?
What's it like inside of you at the end of a meditation?
What does it feel like?
How much peace and aliveness have you got when you come into this moment?
The more alive and peaceful you are,
The more you are here,
The more you understand what meditation is,
And how because you give peace and kindness into this moment,
You're creating the peace and kindness for your future,
The law of karma.
So I'm now going to ring the gong three times as usual to end the meditation.
Please respect every ringing of the gong.
Only when the last ringing disappears,
Only then open your eyes to come out of the meditation.
Enjoy the sound of a Buddhist gong.
Excellent.
So now please look after your body again.
It may be a bit stiff,
So readjust the posture.
