There are things that we must do.
Perhaps we can make a reward.
We've chosen this so perhaps we can make it a duty insofar as we maintain this persistence,
Alertness,
Ardency.
Kind of an old-fashioned word.
It gets picked up by my spellcheck.
Ardency.
This care.
So with that sense,
Establishing mindfulness at the fore,
As they say.
So we're bringing our attention forward.
We're maintaining it there with the alertness.
Ardency.
Beginning with the rising and falling of the breath.
Whether we do it gradually or all at once.
Also looking to a sense of the body as a whole.
In a way we do this when we set up the posture.
If we're being mindful,
Thinking of where our body's being placed,
How it's upright,
Balanced.
When we think a bit about it in terms of sensations of breathing,
The movement of energy in the body,
Noticing how when we move our attention,
The sense of the body shifts.
Scanning,
Maybe settling somewhere that feels particularly at ease.
The breath feels comfortable,
Nourishing.
And ultimately settling into a place where we can have a broad sense of the body as a whole.
Still aware of the movement of breath.
This helps us not sort of pinch our attention.
Let it be broad.
Let the awareness itself be colored with goodwill.
The wish for well-being,
We can apply.
For now we can just start with here,
Right here.
It's said that the whole universe is contained within this fathom-long being.
It's essential.
It's a duty to nourish this being.
Bring goodwill,
Care.
If you find that the mind is wandering,
It doesn't want to stay with the breath,
We can intentionally make the breath more engaging.
Take some deeper than usual breaths.
Play with the pattern.
Incline the breath toward that nourishing,
Refreshing aspect.
Incline the mind in that direction in the interest of being consistent and present for the sake of our well-being.
We want to be here for what is.
In any place that the mind travels,
As long as it travels in the the light of goodwill,
It tends to be safe.
So if you find the wandering mind,
It's good to have the breath still in mind.
That's one sign that we're still nourishing ourselves.
We're still here.
We're still in our body.
We might think of beings on the outside.
For some people it's actually easier to start with a being on the outside when we're thinking wishes of goodwill.
I like to think of a being that I can picture looking back at me with kind and caring eyes.
If you have someone who don't have a complicated relationship with,
Or maybe a pet,
Or maybe you're fortunate to have a few beings like that.
That sense of care that you can feel is the same sense that we want to project to ourselves and then back out.
I said that when we're trying to discover the universe,
It's discovered within this fathom-long body.
It's where all the work gets done.
So when we're able to spread nourishment,
Goodwill,
Harmless kind of happiness,
Happiness that is independent,
We truly make that full here.
We make it full.
It's for all beings,
Above,
Below,
And all around.
Each moment a new opportunity to reconnect the breath,
Body,
Goodwill,
The infinitude in each moment.
Talked a lot lately,
Expanding,
Opening into the moment,
The extent that duty and time go together.
How much freer can we be when we can find refuge in a moment?
How many moments in one in-breath?
How many in one out-breath?
Can you detect the exact moment that the in-breath turns into an out-breath?
Being present for the gifts that arise out of the duty of practice,
Noticing stillness,
Softening of the breath,
Softening of the heart,
Softening of the edges,
Perhaps,
Where this being and other beings reside.
May all beings be happy at heart,
Whatever beings there may be,
Weak or strong,
Without exception,
Long,
Large,
Middling,
Short,
Subtle,
Blatant,
Near or far,
Seen or unseen,
Born or seeking birth.
May all beings be happy at heart.
