A Meditation On How To Not Take More Than We Need

As lawyers, how can we commit to the wisdom of not taking anything not freely offered to us? Or not taking more than we need?

How can we commit to not being biased against one another? To not continue to perpetuate power imbalances, especially if we benefit from them?

Maybe if we make the commitment and then practice mindfully, we can do it. I’d like to think we can. It gives me joy, and hope.
Join me in a short mediation on how to not take more than we need in the law.

Transcript

Posture that is both upright and relaxed,

Locating our connection to the earth,

Whether it's just beneath our feet or whether it's many stories down,

Locating a connection to ourselves.

How am I doing right in this moment without judging or assessing just how am I doing?

And then also connecting with one another and then tapping into that sense of what is right,

What is wise,

Sila,

Ethics,

Morality,

And letting that sense just come alive for us as a kind of a fundamental commitment.

And then once situated there,

Seeing if there's ease,

Knowing that your heart is aligned with what is right,

What is wise,

What is moral,

What is good.

And if there's some relief,

Gladness in that alignment,

Or if there is misalignment in recollecting something that you've said or done or concern about something that you may be about to do or have to do,

Then can there be gladness that that is arising,

That understanding is arising,

Coming back to this contemplation when the mind wanders away,

Or if it's more supportive for you,

Simply returning to the breath or the sound in your environment and resting the attention there.

And then letting go of any particular contemplation at all and just bringing the attention to the breath or to the sound in your environment,

Resting the attention.

And then just letting go of any particular contemplation at all and just bringing the attention to the breath or to the sound in your environment.

And then letting go of any particular contemplation at all and just bringing the attention to the breath or to the sound in your environment.