We begin our session with setting the intention that we're doing this for the benefit of ourselves and others.
So we'll begin.
Close your eyes and begin with a couple of breaths,
Just to come right here,
Right now.
Samatha style breaths where you imagine the whole ocean.
Just tune into that.
Now imagine your small suffering self in the center of your heart or maybe in front of you.
And breathe in the suffering.
Pick a specific suffering,
Perhaps being misunderstood,
Put in a box that you don't feel right in,
Or perhaps it's something else.
Take a moment first just to pick a specific theme.
What is a theme for you right now that's up for you in your life?
Allow yourself to feel that suffering.
But now you're going to take that suffering from the small version of yourself.
And you're going to breathe in the dark clouds of the suffering,
Taking it away and breathing out the bright clouds.
See them soaking into that suffering one,
Bringing them joy,
Happiness.
And breathe a couple more times,
Watching their face change.
So the dark clouds of suffering in and the bright clouds out and the face changing to a smile,
Glowing.
Now we'll step it out to somebody who you easily feel compassion for,
Somebody you feel close to.
Maybe there's some time that they felt the same suffering too.
And so you imagine them in front of you.
And of course you want to take away their suffering.
And of course you want to replace it with joy and happiness.
And not just immediate relief of suffering,
That of course,
But permanent,
Complete joy and happiness.
And so you breathe in the dark clouds of their suffering,
Breathe it right into your heart that wants to take that suffering away.
And breathe out the bright clouds of joy and happiness,
Seeing that soaking into them.
So if they've been misunderstood,
Now you see them completely loved and accepted and seen.
If it's physical pain,
You see them relieved of the physical pain,
Glowing,
Full of vitality and health and full of joy.
Maybe you can think of somebody else who at some time has also felt the same kind of suffering,
Keeping with the same theme.
And you breathe for them,
Somebody you feel close to.
Now you might imagine somebody who you don't really know very well.
Maybe somebody at work or the check-out lady.
And see them.
It doesn't have to be in front of you anymore.
You're going to build whole circles of people around you.
And breathe for them,
Imagining that surely they've felt a similar kind of suffering before too.
Remembering to keep it equal,
Breathing in the suffering as much as you're breathing out the bright clouds of joy and seeing that go into them,
Seeing their face turn to a smile.
And now thinking that everybody at some time or another has felt some similar suffering.
We breathe for everyone.
Time not being linear the way we think it is,
We can think it's happening right now.
So we imagine everybody from all directions.
We're feeling this strong tide of compassion and we want to take away everyone's suffering and give joy to everyone.
And so we breathe for all of them.
And so you bookend your session with altruistic intent by reciting the dedication prayer.
By the power of this compassionate practice,
May suffering be transformed into peace.
May the hearts of all beings be open and their wisdom radiate from within.
So before we go on,
I'd like you to take your notebook,
Your journal,
Your computer,
Whatever you're recording things in,
Just jot down a few words,
Phrases about how you feel right now.
