Compassion in the Time of Coronavirus With the spreading coronavirus affecting family,
Friends,
And community across the globe,
We need inner practices that help us to keep our minds clear and our hearts open.
We human beings have always been tested.
Generations before us have gone through war,
Depression,
Epidemics,
Famine.
We know how to do this,
How to steady our hearts and care for one another.
This is our task again now.
One of the most helpful practices at such a time is generating compassion,
Empowering our capacity to willingly hold and care for all,
Including ourselves.
The Sufis say,
Overcome any bitterness because you are not up to the magnitude of the pain that was entrusted to you.
Like the mother of the world who carries the pain of the world in her heart,
We are each endowed with a certain measure of that cosmic pain and are called upon to meet it in compassion instead of self-pity.
Compassion acknowledges our vulnerability and it brings out our strengths so that we can be a lamp,
A bridge,
A source of medicine to the hearts of others and ourselves and for so many who are anxious or stuck,
Who are sick,
And for the caregivers who are taking care of them.
To practice this,
Let yourself sit comfortably.
Find a stable and easy posture.
Let your mind and body settle.
Set the inner intention to begin to train the heart and open in compassion.
And first,
Start wherever it's easy.
Think of one person who you care for,
Where there's a natural and easy love or concern,
And who you are concerned about.
And picture them,
This loved one or person you cared for.
Hold them in your mind's eye,
In your heart,
An image,
A memory of them.
And as you do so,
Feel the natural care and love you have for them.
And now also as you picture and think of them,
Let yourself sense the struggle,
The measure of fears they carry,
The sorrows,
The difficulties in the life of this person that they may never have told anyone,
But that you can know.
And as you sense their struggles and measure of sorrows,
Their fears,
Notice the natural arising of a tenderness that comes.
You start to feel compassion and care.
This is the natural response of the heart.
As you see with the heart of compassion,
You become like the Buddha or Kuan Yin,
Bodhisattva of infinite compassion or Mother Mary,
Wishing them to be safe and well.
As you visualize them and think of them in this tender and caring way,
Let yourself begin to recite inwardly,
Like a whisper in the mind or a prayer,
These simple phrases and words of compassion.
And even if at some times it feels mechanical or brings up other non-compassionate feelings,
Hold it all with tenderness and compassion and know that you are planting seeds of compassion and trust.
As you see them in your mind's eye,
Then begin to say inwardly,
May you be held in compassion.
May you be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
May your struggles,
Your sufferings and fears be eased.
May you live with a compassionate and peaceful heart.
And as you offer these phrases of compassion and well-wishing,
Sense or imagine that the energy of care from your heart can extend to them,
Surround them and touch them.
May you be held in compassion.
And may you be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
And may your struggles and fears and sufferings be eased.
And may you live with a compassionate and peaceful heart.
And now let yourself imagine that this dear one,
This loved one,
Gazes back at you and wishes the same for you.
Breathe gently,
Allow your heart to open and be touched,
As they gaze at you and they say,
May you too be held in compassion,
Feel their well-wishing.
May you too be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
They want this for you.
May your struggles,
Your fears and sufferings be eased.
And may you live with a compassionate and peaceful heart.
And as you take in their compassionate and caring toward yourself,
Place a hand on your heart and wish this as they do for you,
May I hold myself in compassion.
May I be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
May my struggles,
Fears and sufferings be eased.
And may I live with a compassionate and peaceful heart.
And feel how this is possible for you.
Let this in and let it fill you,
Let your heart be transformed,
Your being touched.
And now bring in another person that you're concerned about.
And as you visualize them,
May you too be held in compassion.
May you be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
May your struggles and fears and sufferings be eased.
And may you live with a compassionate and peaceful heart.
And as you breathe and practice with compassion,
Sense how your heart opens each step further.
And now you can sense and picture and remember those others around you,
Those who are frightened or sick,
Those who are caregivers,
Taking care of those all around you.
Let your heart open like a field of compassion.
May all of you be held in compassion.
May you all be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
May your struggles and fears and sufferings be eased.
And may you all live with a compassionate and peaceful heart.
And finally,
Let the heart open further across the community and the world around you to all of humanity,
Those affected by the virus and illness,
Those caring for parents and friends,
Children and old people,
Caregivers,
Families everywhere.
May all across this globe,
Interconnected in our humanity,
May all be held in compassion.
May all be safe and well,
Healed and protected.
May all your struggles and sufferings and fears be eased.
And may you all live with a great compassionate heart,
A peaceful and tender heart wherever you go,
Wherever you are.
And feel the blessing of your heart.
Now you become the carrier of compassion.
And you can sense yourself moving through the world,
Seeing those around you,
Those well and those sick,
Those strong and those who are caring for others,
Seeing them all with the eyes of compassion.
And now you know that you have within you the great heart of compassion.
It is essential for the healing of the world.
Rest in it.
Trust it.
Embody it.
It is your home.
And let yourself repeat this meditation or create for yourself variations of others who you wish to extend your compassion,
Change the phrases and words so that they speak from your heart.
And carry this spirit as you move through the world.
And in this time,
Let yourself be particularly polite and caring and patient with all those who are frightened around you.
And you will become the gift that the world needs.
Thank you.
