This is a short guided meditation practice from Buddhism Guide called Fostering a Compassionate Mind Sit comfortably on the floor or an unarmed chair with your back straight but not too rigid.
Gently close your eyes and do the following breathing exercise.
I want you to breathe in deeply.
Hold and then breathe all the air out.
Let's begin.
Breathe in.
Hold.
Breathe out.
Hold.
Breathe in.
Hold.
Breathe out.
Hold.
Breathe in.
Hold.
Hold.
Breathe out.
Now breathe normally,
Making sure your breath is slow and natural.
This exercise brings you comfortably into the present moment,
The here and now.
Rest there while I briefly explain about compassion.
Compassion is the wish that others do not suffer,
As well as having the aspiration to help end the suffering of others.
Compassion is a mind free from hatred and discrimination.
Cultivating compassion is a wonderful source of peace and harmony in your mind.
Keep yourself in your relaxed state and start to picture someone who is close to you,
Someone you care about and are fond of.
Notice how this fondness feels in your heart.
Notice the sensations around your heart.
Perhaps you feel a sensation of warmth,
Openness or tenderness.
Focus on these feelings as you visualize the person you care about.
As you breathe out,
Imagine you are sending light rays out from your heart and these light rays hold your warm feelings.
Imagine the light reaches out to the person you care about,
Bringing happiness and relief from suffering.
At the same time,
Silently recite these phrases.
May you have happiness.
May you be free from suffering.
Continue to silently recite.
As you silently repeat these phrases,
Remember to extend the light rays to your loved one from your heart.
Feel with all your heart that you wish them happiness and freedom from suffering.
Now contemplate a time when you have suffered.
Perhaps you experienced a conflict with someone you care about.
Or you did not succeed in something you wanted.
Or were physically ill.
Notice how you feel when you think of your suffering.
Just as we wish for our loved one's suffering to end and them to be happy,
We wish that our own suffering would end and we will also be happy.
Visualize your own pain and suffering leaving your body so that you may experience happiness.
Continue to visualize yourself and imagine that the light rays emanating from your heart are easing your suffering and bringing you happiness.
Silently recite to yourself.
May I be free from this suffering.
May I have joy and happiness.
May I be free from this suffering.
May I have joy and happiness.
Continue to silently say to yourself.
May I be free from this suffering.
May I have joy and happiness.
Now visualize someone you neither like nor dislike.
But someone you may see in your everyday life.
Such as someone from work you are not familiar with.
A shopkeeper or a stranger you pass on the street.
Although you are not familiar with this person,
Think of how this person may suffer in his or her own life.
This person also may have conflicts with loved ones or struggled with an addiction or may have suffered an illness.
Imagine a situation in which this person may have suffered.
Continue to visualize this person and imagine that you are extending the light rays from your heart to them.
And that the light is easing his or her suffering.
Extend this light out to them while exhaling.
With the strong heartfelt wish that they be free from suffering and they experience happiness.
Silently recite to him or her.
May you be free from this suffering.
May you have joy and happiness.
Continue to silently recite.
May you be free from this suffering.
May you have joy and happiness.
Now visualize someone you have difficulty with in your life.
This may be a parent,
Ex-girlfriend or boyfriend,
A roommate or a co-worker.
Although you may have negative feelings towards this person,
Think of how this person has suffered in his or her own life.
This person has also had conflicts with loved ones or has dealt with failures or may have suffered illness.
Think of a situation in which this person may have suffered.
Continue to visualize this person and imagine that you are extending the light rays from your heart to him or her.
And that the light is easing his or her suffering and bringing them happiness.
Extend this light out to them while exhaling.
With the strong heartfelt wish that they be free from suffering and they have happiness in their lives.
Silently recite to him or her.
May you be free from this suffering.
May you have joy and happiness.
If you have difficulty in wishing for this person's suffering to be relieved,
You may think of a positive interaction you have had with this person.
This can help you in wishing them joy and happiness.
Perhaps there were times when you got along,
Laughed together.
It is important to remember that they are just the same as you.
They want happiness and do not want to suffer.
So continue to silently recite to them.
May you be free from this suffering.
May you have joy and happiness.
Now that we are almost at the end of this meditation,
Let's finish with a wish that everyone be happy and their suffering be relieved.
Remember,
Just as you wish to have peace,
Joy,
Happiness and to be free from suffering,
So do all beings.
Now rest a moment with the warmth of compassion in your heart.
Now,
When you are ready,
Start to slowly open your eyes and gently introduce yourself back into the world.
