So just finding yourself,
Where you're sitting or lying down,
And allowing your eyes to close if they aren't already.
Just feeling the surface beneath your body and noticing the way that that surface beneath you supports you.
Feeling all those places where your body comes into contact with the chair,
Or the cushion,
Couch,
Or the bed.
Just taking a moment to rest here,
Knowing that this is a time to connect with yourself,
Your wisdom,
Your capacity for knowing.
Just beginning to notice your breath,
Feeling all those places where your breath meets the different parts of your body,
And just beginning to breathe a sense of relaxation into your head and your face,
Your jaw,
And neck and shoulders,
And just bringing that relaxing energy into your arms and your hands,
And just noticing what happens in the arms and the hands as you just begin to let them relax,
And just bringing that same relaxation now into your chest and your belly,
Just letting the chest and the belly soften,
Releasing whatever holding might be there,
And just breathing that same sense of relaxation and softening down into your hips,
And all the way down to your feet,
And just feeling the way that the whole body now can just relax and soften a little bit more,
And just bringing your attention back towards the breath,
And letting your breath be soft and deep and easeful,
And just allowing your exhale,
Your out-breath to be about twice the length of your in-breath.
As you continue to breathe in this way,
Just letting it be easy,
Letting that out-breath elongate,
Just noticing the way that between your exhale and your inhale,
There's a still point,
And your next breath,
Just bringing that still point into your body,
Breathing that stillness in,
Letting that stillness ripple through you,
And as you rest here in the stillness,
Letting your breath return to normal,
And bringing to mind some benefactor.
This could be the Buddha or Kuan Yin or some other figure that represents awakening or kindness,
Wisdom.
It could be a guide that you've worked with in our time together.
It could be someone in your life who represents wisdom and love.
It could be a cherished animal or a mentor,
Or a wise and kind being in your life.
Just letting them become more and more present here in your imagination,
In your mind's eye,
As if they could be standing right here with you,
And smiling at you,
And just holding you in a vast field of care and acceptance and wisdom.
This benefactor who so deeply cares for you,
Who sees all of you,
And loves it and accepts it.
Just resting here with them,
Feeling that care.
Now,
With their support,
Just asking to be shown your Buddha nature,
Parts of yourself that are awake and attuned,
Filled with awareness.
As you are shown this Buddha nature that lives within you,
You might feel it.
You might sense it.
You might see it or hear it.
Just letting this Buddha nature become more and more felt,
More and more clear to you.
Just noticing what that's like,
And just asking,
What can I learn from this part of myself?
What is this here to teach me?
You might receive this information in so many ways.
You might feel that or know it.
It might be shared by your benefactor or the Buddha nature itself.
What is this teaching me?
And then asking,
What does this part of me need?
And what does this part of me need?
Just receiving that.
And as you're ready,
Now,
Asking to be shown your human nature.
And again,
You might feel that or sense it.
You might be visual or visceral.
And letting that human nature reveal itself.
And letting that presence of human nature become more clearly felt and known.
Could have a color or a texture,
An embodied sort of feeling,
Imagery.
And just asking now,
What can I learn from this part?
What is this human nature teaching me?
Just receiving that information in whatever way it shows up.
And then asking,
What does this aspect of me need?
What does this human nature need?
And then inviting,
With the help of this benefactor,
If that's supportive,
Inviting your Buddha nature and your human nature to be here together.
Letting their presence be felt and known.
And allowing this Buddha nature and this human nature to come together.
And they might merge or connect.
They might dissolve into one another or something else.
Just letting the Buddha nature and the human nature,
In their own way,
Become one.
Unified,
Harmonious,
Working together.
And just noticing what that's like.
Really letting yourself feel that and experience that.
And as you do,
You might begin to notice that they were never that separate to begin with.
Just letting yourself breathe into this more whole,
More integrated,
More connected force,
This Buddha nature and human nature together.
And noticing what that's like in your body.
How it impacts your mind and your thoughts.
Just resting here in this more integrated,
Connected way.
As you're ready,
Taking all the time you need,
Gently returning back into the room,
You might wiggle your fingers or your toes,
You might stretch a little bit.
You see,
Just gently begin to return.
And just opening your eyes whenever you're ready.
