H Buttatam!
GONG Become aware of your space,
Your posture.
Feel your contact with the ground,
Your seat,
And experience that grounding up through your spine,
All the way to the top of your head,
Lifted and light,
At ease,
Balanced.
Observe your mind space.
For the time being,
Let the mind be open and generous,
Light.
Let thoughts of goodwill and benevolence come into the mind,
With intention,
Purpose,
Understanding that this will benefit your practice.
At ease,
Goodwill and Take some deep,
Refreshing breaths.
Breathe with the understanding that each breath brings refreshment,
Ease,
And well-being.
The simple truth of breath.
Let your attention turn fully to the breath.
Bring curiosity and interest in every detail.
Keep returning the mind to just the breath,
Just for now.
Let the whole body begin to experience the breath,
The ease,
The well-being,
The refreshment.
Abide in the whole body and in the breath.
Allow the increasing ease of the body to be a foundation for your benevolent mind state.
Let your ability to create ease in the body,
Sustain your goodwill,
And let goodwill begin to pervade your mind.
Observe the idea of the true happiness of all beings as an essential aspect of a world of peace.
Each being with an independent happiness not contingent on others' actions.
Reside in your own version of this happiness for your benefit,
For the benefit of those you love,
And for the benefit of all beings.
No matter if this feeling is very strong or not,
Let this feeling be the center of your awareness just as the breath was at the beginning of the sitting.
From this space of benevolence and well-being,
Let the mind relax into a search of your world for beings you can identify as experiencing happiness.
In particular,
The happiness to search for may be characterized as noble,
Harmless,
Acquired through skillful means.
A kind of happiness that,
No matter how great it becomes,
Does not take away anything from another being.
This could be the simple joy of a child dancing,
A pet laying in the sunshine.
It could be the consistent joy you see in a person with a very generous heart,
Or someone who seems to take great pleasure in creating art or other kinds of work.
Begin with one being of this kind in a moment of their joy,
And let their joy touch your heart.
If it feels good to do so,
Smile at their joy.
Let the way of their joy inspire your knowing mind in its own ability to create joy.
Just as we allow goodwill to color our mind-space,
Now take any amount of joy you have generated so far and spread it throughout the mind.
Letting go of holding just this one being in mind,
Begin to let the joy you have shared in become the perspective from which you view the world.
Seek other beings you know who embody some joy.
Perhaps not all the time,
But see them in their joy now.
Their generosity.
Their ability to be carefree and easy with a smile.
These beings can be found everywhere.
Friends,
Family,
People we pass by in the store,
On the street.
Knowing that this kind of joy is noble and harmless,
We need not limit our appreciation for it.
Appreciate how it is always there to be found.
Appreciate how some beings share their joy no matter how simple because they understand its power.
How there are those who exhibit this joy despite great hardship.
Let this appreciation grow in you as you observe the world of joy.
Let this become an abiding,
A thorough adornment of your own mind which is nourished by the joy you encounter in the world.
For the last few moments,
Imagine how you can take this teaching with you into the world.
