Immune Boosting Challenge

This lesson is an introduction to the mind, its relationship to the body, and why our mental state is important to our physical health is an important topic to discuss, especially on how we start to create the right mental environment for our immune systems. External conditions can indeed be a condition for stress and the like, but they are not the cause of such problems. So how can we change the mind? How can we manage the cause of our negative mind so that we are less sensitive to those emotions? The first step is to calm and bring some control into our minds; to cultivate awareness. We are going to learn calm-abiding meditation. We need to become able to control our thoughts rather than being controlled by them. Living within the deeper, calmer part of our awareness is the most effective way to avoid stress and other negative emotions. We will achieve this through one of the most common and effective methods of abiding by the breath, observing the breathing.

In this practice, one is simply becoming aware of the breath in a gentle way. Do not breathe differently than normal, just become mindful of the breath. Watch the breath as it enters all the way down to the chest and then leaves again, and let the breath be what it is; deep or shallow, long or short. During the practice, your attention will inevitably wander. This is normal. When it does, very gently become aware that one has lost the object of attention and bring it back to the breath. Do not return to course one but continue where you left off. Don’t become involved in thoughts nor become upset with them. Be aware that they have arisen and allow them to move on. Let them pass by like a cloud through the sky. Don’t expect thoughts to stop completely — this is not the idea. It is to learn not to follow and not become involved in your thoughts. Learn to see you are not your thoughts. Relax and gently be attentive to the object without any tension or force. Be gentle with yourself and your practice. There is a balance to achieve. Though being relaxed is essential, being alert is also vital. We are trying to combine two mental factors not seen together; clarity and stability. Meditation, like most things, is beneficial with regular practice. Ideally, this breathing meditation should be done every morning, soon after waking, before the screens or conversation begin. Some drinks or stretching beforehand would be fine. Aim to slowly increase your practice to 20-30 minutes a day.

Following this course will help you with a substantial reduction in stress, and anxiety. Consequently, the physical harm that these emotions produce. The law of cause & effect guarantees this. We are continuously developing our simple, calm, and abiding meditation practice. We can’t easily change the world around us, but actually, we don’t need to do that in order to reduce our own fears & anxieties, and we will need to work with our minds. This simple practice alone is helpful in reducing the troublesome emotions that we feel, and instead, dealing with the issues in our lives with joy rather than stress out. You will also find so much more space and time when the mind is subdued in this way. Start to extend the time as, and only as, you feel comfortable. When you are comfortable, extend minute-by-minute, getting up to about 30 minutes or more. How do we start to improve this simple practice? Although meditation is not something we are actively pressured to improve. We want to encourage the conditions within our minds for our meditation practice to improve. We are combining in meditation two (2) aspects of our mind that are not usually combined: clarity & stability. To reach this combination, we must find a balance between the extremes of excitement and dullness. Notice when these extremes arise & apply the antidotes: - Excitement. Think of subjects that calm you down and take deeper breaths, or imagine the mind as a black circle at the chest and sink it down the body. - Dullness. Wake yourself and think about uplifting subjects, or see the mind as a white ball at the chest and shoot it up through the crown. If dullness persists, stop meditating, rest, have a drink, wash and come back later, like a guitar string. Two (2) other important factors to help improve our meditation to create and develop your practice are mindfulness & introspection. - Mindfulness is the ability to be there in the moment with our object of attention. - Introspection is the capacity to be aware of where your mind is. Like a guard or sentry that keeps an eye out on your meditation, noticing when you lose your attention and gently bringing the mind back.

Begin to cultivate your day with the mental factors that can assist you in good meditation. Have 4 or 5 mindful moments. Stop and be with yourself in them at the moment. Breath 10 breaths or stop for 30 seconds. Do a mindful action during the day, slowly observing the action. Also learn to look into your mind and see where it is, and where your thoughts came from, and cultivate introspection. Let the attention, calm and clarity you are reaching in meditation extend to your day. Please do the meditation once with the audio and one more during the day.

It is clear that negative emotions are harmful to our immune system, while positive emotions build up our immune system. To begin to work with our minds, we need to start generating our calm abiding, focused, and getting below the conceptual level of our minds. Though we need to keep cultivating our calm abiding, no doubt you have already seen that it is not easy to keep away from wandering thoughts. The dog & lion example shows us clearly how we need to deal with our thoughts in meditation. We must let go of our dog like behaviour and learn to be like the lion. This is also related to the subtle level of our minds; meditate from the heart not the head. The key is to understand that we are not our thoughts, that we can let them go, and that following them or not is our own choice. Think of your mind like a clear sky that allows planes, birds, clouds even bombs to pass through without being affected, and be likewise with the thoughts. Therefore, the key is observation, which trains our minds to let go of thoughts and emotions. This observation is a clear, open-minded, non-judgemental awareness. To do this, we begin by trying to connect with the deeper level of our awareness below the thoughts, feeling & emotions, and resting there as an observer, we label and observe whatever arises — whether a sound, sensation, taste, smell, touch or thought.

Our consciousness can be understood from the viewpoint of varying levels. There is a superficial level where we create most of our problems through the constant fabrication of our realities. Much like the waves of an ocean, this is a very agitated, uncomfortable level of our minds. We establish our identity, our ‘world’, how we should and could react, what happened in the past, and what we aspire for in the future are all here. However, there is a deeper subtle level to our consciousness, which is a much healthier place to be. Much like the depths of the ocean here there is calm, peace and absence of obsessive fabrication. One of our most pervasive and self-created problem areas is identifying with and living within the superficial level of our minds. The reality is we are not our thoughts and emotions. Only when we identify with them do we create a sense that this is who we are and hence suffer from them. If we can learn to not identify especially with negative thoughts, feelings, sensations and emotions but observe them dispassionately then we can learn to let them, and also the suffering they create, go. So, this meditation is a technique to learn to observe rather than identify with our thoughts. It is also a useful method to train ourselves to deal with excessive thinking during meditation. Thoughts are not something that we can stop easily when meditating, and indeed the purpose of meditation is not to stop the thoughts are commonly misconceived. Rather, we are working with the thoughts and learning not to follow them. Like a radio playing in the background while we do something else, they can be there but do not detract from our meditation. When we lose our perspective and become involved in thought or sensation, we notice that we have lost our attention. During your practice, learn how to notice each time you become involved and follow the thoughts or distractions and bring back your mind by labeling and allowing the thought to be there and naturally go on its way.

In this lesson, we begin with setting one in a comfortable but upright position, then take a few deeper breaths, calming the mind and body. We take the middle of the body down to the feet, slowly going through each section of the body. We examine and describe to ourselves whatever is there. We may feel tension or calm, relaxed or agitated. We should notice where the body is in contact with another object and where it is not. There may be a heaviness or lightness there, heat or cold. Or one may sense a colour or shape in that part of the body. Whatever is there, without judging or trying to change it in any way, we observe and feel whatever is there. Having gone through that part of the body, we will then breathe into the white light, which is the essence of healing, energy, life and joy, and we are left feeling relaxed and full of joy. On the out breath we dispel black smoke or dirt, which is all the suffering, pain, discomfort or disease we have, so that it completely disappears, leaving us free from any problems. We then move to the lower stomach and back and gradually up the body through the whole upper body, simply noticing whatever is there. As before, whether tense or relaxed, hot or cold, we observe whatever is there. Having gone all the way through, right into each of the fingers and thumbs, we do as before, breathing in white light to that part of the body filling it with health, energy, life and joy. We then breathe out black smoke or dirt, which symbolizes all our sufferings, pains etc. The body is left free from all these and blissfully relaxed and happy. If we wish to divide the body into more than two (2) sections, we can add the neck and head as another area or any other way we wish to separate the body up. We may even want to focus on areas which has more issues. The important thing is to observe the body as carefully as possible, and simply describe what we see there.

In this practice, we begin by setting one's position comfortable but upright, then take a few deeper breaths to calm the mind and the body. We then divide the body into two (2) or three (3) parts, and we begin to scan each part with our minds. We take the middle of the body down to the feet as the first part and slowly going through each part of that section of the body we examine and describe to ourselves whatever is there. We may feel tense or calm, relaxed or agitated. We should notice where the body is in contact with another object and where it is not. There may be heaviness or lightness there, heat or cold. Or one may be able to sense a color or shape in that part of the body. Whatever is there without judging or trying to change it in any way we just observe and feel whatever is there.

It is but a fact that absolutely everything in the universe is in a constant state of change. As we've begun to set the foundation, the ground of our mental well-being, we now move on to working with our mindset and letting go of the harmful aspects of our minds. Our mind has positive & negative emotions in it, and these determine our reality, not external conditions. Surveys on happiness have shown this clearly. We can begin to change our minds however is vital to know. If we think that we can change our thinking by thinking more, then this will never work. We need to come below our thinking mind as we learned to do in the choiceless awareness meditation. If we stay at the superficial level of the mind, we are merely shifting furniture, not enabling real change. In essence, what this requires us to do is use thinking to reach a conclusion, and then bring that down to a feeling, not a thought. The first mental attitude we need to develop is that of acceptance. Why is it so? The opposite of acceptance is resistance, and this is where the problem lies. When we resist what is, we multiply our suffering rather than lessening it despite this being our intention. By fighting sleeplessness, we create insomnia, anxiety, and panic; by fighting grief, we may develop depression; by fighting back pain, we may develop chronic pain syndrome; and by fighting our daughter’s lousy boyfriend, we may get a lousy son-in-law! One of the most insipid ways we do this is by holding onto things as not changing, we want to be in control of our life. We want our house, family, friends, bodies, and the like to be what we want them to be and stay that way. Sadly, this contradicts the whole fabric of reality. Instead of making us feel secure holding onto things as not changing, it makes us insecure when we are faced with the opposite reality.

Sitting comfortably but upright, start with two (2) or three (3) deeper breaths, calming the mind and body. Then bring the attention to the breathing and stay with the breath for a few minutes. Then begin to contemplate the changing nature of the body. Notice the constant movement of the breath, the blood circulating, the heart and other organs working. See how the nails and hair grow, the skin dies and changes. Even the parts that appear solid — bones and teeth are at a molecular level changing every moment. You will get a sense that nothing within the body stays the same for even one moment, and keep your attention with that for a few minutes. Do not leave it as a thought, though once you have the conclusion, bring it down in the body to be a feeling. Then move to the external world, the chair or cushion you are on, the room and building where you are. The streets, cars, people, trees, forest, lakes, deserts, towns and cities are all changing each moment. Even the hills and mountains are constantly moment-to-moment changing. Nothing within the world or universe stays the same for one moment. Get this sense or feeling in your mind and stay with it for a few minutes. We then move to the mind itself and see how that it is changing all the time. Thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, and intentions are constantly coming and going within the mind. The mind itself does not stay the same for even one moment. Again, rest with this understanding for a few moments. Finally, mentally dissolve all these phenomena, the body, world, and mind to a mass of changing moments and stay with this for a few minutes. Again as a feeling, and not a thought. Conclude that since everything changes all the time, and there is no need to be upset with difficult things as they will change and no need to be overly excited by positive things since they will also change. Just be the change and go with the flow. Dedicate your practice to the well-being of all living beings.

Learn to talk to the body at the end of your morning breathing meditation, let this be a feeling as always, not so much a thought, and feel the body being healthy & the immune system being strong. We deepen now our ability to let go of resistance and cultivate acceptance. Change as we looked at in the last session has 2 levels gross and subtle. We worked yesterday at letting go through meditating on subtle change today we move onto gross change and the most important type our own mortality. One if not the most important realities we need to accept is that of our own death. Death is said to be one of the most important topics to contemplate on a daily basis. The tendency to ignore death push it away and feel it a morbid subject to contemplate are counter to a healthy constructive attitude to this inevitable part of our lives. We come alive; we come into our lives through the contemplation of death. Since there is literally nothing more certain about our lives than this, to not consider death is a big mistake, and as we all have a subconscious fear of death then facing that is the only sensible way to deal with this. As with all difficult issues, avoidance is never the answer an honest open minded facing up to reality is always a healthier option.

Death is definite. Everybody dies and nothing can prevent our death. Here we think about those we know and care about, and recognize that they will all die. Think of famous people who have died etc. We ourselves will also die. Really let that sink in. Our lifespan can't be extended when it's time to die. Our lifespan is getting shorter moment by moment. Our bodies begin decaying and dying from the time we're born; nothing can prevent their demise. Also, time goes past faster the older we get. Death is going to happen even if we haven't had time to make life meaningful. Think of our own life how much time is wasted, sleeping, eating, working, playing games, etc. Are we ready to die? What will we have to take with us when we die? The conclusion from these three points is that I must make life meaningful while still here! The time of death is indefinite. In general, there's no certainty of lifespan in our world. People die in the middle of doing all sorts of different things, and nobody believes today is the day they will die. We're always in the middle of doing something when we die. We tell ourselves, I'll just finish this, take care of these worldly things, then I'll do what matters. But worldly concerns are never finished. Think of examples of people who have died young and at all ages. There are more chances of dying and less of remaining alive. We actually have to exert a lot of effort to stay alive—get, cook, and eat food; get clothes to protect our body; get and take medicine to keep the body healthy; get proper housing for protection from the elements. If we didn't do all these things, the body would die. Even the things we use to live, cars, airplanes food, etc. can cause our death. The body is very fragile. Think of how a virus, an infection, a blood clot, or a piece of metal can end a life so quickly. How quickly the body deteriorates when sick. The conclusion from these three points is that I must make life meaningful now, not wait until tomorrow or next week. At the time of death, only our positive or negative mental states can help. Our money and possessions are of no help at the time we die. Whether you're rich or poor, when you die, you die. We spend so much time and energy accumulating money and things, and often create many negative actions doing so, but we can't take it with us when we die. Our friends and relatives aren't any help to us at the time we die. They can all gather around us, but they can't prevent us from dying. They can't even make our minds into a positive state when we die; we have to do that for ourselves (though they might be able to help). When we die, we go alone. So, what's the point of being so attached, wanting to be liked, and popular, and loved? None of that can prevent us from dying. This does not imply however that responsibility love and concern for our loved ones are very important. At the time of death, even our body is of absolutely no help. In fact, it is the thing that betrays us when we die, it literally kills us! So why do we worry so much about how we look? Why do we worry so much about having prestige and power? It does nothing for us when we die. The conclusion from these three points is that we need to do today what will matter at the time of death. We need to work to transform our minds, to really make our minds happy. That's true happiness. We need to practice the methods to do that in a very pure way without looking for any kind of ego boost along the way. We try to overcome our self-centeredness and develop impartial love and compassion, try to see through the ignorance that covers our mind, and see the reality of the self and phenomena.

Negative emotions have been clearly shown to be the origin and major cause for the onset of the majority of chronic diseases and for similar reasons they are a serious obstacle to our ability to recover from serious issues. b. Although emotions in general are simply an energetic state of the mind and therefore all similar, there is a clear and experientially knowable distinction between negative and positive emotions. c. There are two main reasons for this division; i. Negative emotions are always agitated and uncomfortable in the mind and usually body also. Positive are the opposite and tend to be calm and settled even when highly energetic. ii. Negative emotions are always distorted in their view of reality whereas positive ones are much more realistic. Studies show that this distortion can be up to 90% compared to reality. ‘We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are’! Begin to learn and recognise these emotions and their distinction within your own life, especially notice the discomfort the mind feels when filled with a negative emotion. d. The first step in dealing with negative emotions is to become aware of their destructive nature not just through words but feelings. As the above quote so clearly shows observation of our emotions is the key to working with them. We need to avoid the 2 extremes of suppression and expression and follow the middle path of calm observation both in our meditation practise and in our life. Suppression causes them to explode more strongly later and expression hardens the emotion into our minds. This observation should be in a non-judgemental open minded way.

For the first few minutes cultivate attention using whatever object works best for you the breath, the mind, etc. Then deliberately recall a negative emotion. Recall a situation/person that triggered strong negative emotions in you. Anger, strong attachment, anxiety, pride or jealousy, fear, etc. Notice the change in the mind & body, how it feels when a negative emotion arises. Feel that emotion stay with it note its qualities and without reacting in any way whatsoever simply stay with it. Be an observer, watching it without being involved with it. Begin with the mind and observe how it is feeling, whether is it calm or agitated (it will be the latter as this defines negative emotions), whether is it heavy or light, cold or hot, can you discern a shape or colour, etc. Describe in as much detail as you can what you observe in the mind. Then do the same for the body; wherein the body is the emotions manifesting, the stomach, chest, neck, head, etc. sometimes really strong emotions can be felt throughout the body. Describe as with the mind in as much detail as possible. In the end, try to let the emotion go and come back to the state of mind without this emotion in it. Stay with this calm state of mind for a few minutes being aware of the difference when the emotion is not there.

Powerfully boosting our immune system now begins with the development of these positive emotions. We begin to ‘feel’ the strength of these emotions literally melting away our ill health and energising our body. Within these positive emotions we include, love, compassion, wisdom, patience, generosity etc. but our main focus to begin with are the amazing emotions of love & compassion. Every spiritual tradition knows the importance and power of these emotions, love and compassion are at the heart of every valid spiritual path/religion in the world and for good reason; these ancient philosophies have always known what truly makes us happy as a person mentally and thereby physically. These attitudes are essential to our lives both in theory and more importantly in every day practise. How do we understand or define these two emotions? Love is defined as ‘the wish for others to be happy’ and compassion is defined as ‘the wish for others not to suffer’ We should understand that these emotions are not fixed we are not born with the same amount of them as we die with. They grow or reduce according to what we do in our life, who we mix with, what we read, whether we meditate etc. Our mind has an almost limitless capacity to increase in its love and compassion and it is a plain truth that the more we cultivate these emotions the happier, healthier, more balanced and confident we become as a person. They have the beautiful effect of reducing our negative pride and ego and at the same time increasing our self-confidence. What then are the foundations of these emotions? The basis of bringing them into our mind are two; 1. A clear and unreserved acceptance of suffering, within oneself first and then able to be transferred to others and 2. Equanimity - A balanced mind not discriminating amongst others. Our compassion, to be true, needs to be equal to all beings; however they appear to us as friend enemy or stranger. This ability to see others without bias or judgement not only balances our view of others but also balances our own internal emotions which in reality are the source of this judgement.

The practise: Begin by getting comfortable but upright. Then place your attention on the breath for a few minutes. Then visualize the friend in front. Begin by noticing the feelings seeing this person brings into the mind. Feelings of closeness warmth etc. Then consider how this label ‘friend’ has arisen due to often insignificant circumstances which are temporary. That this person is not intrinsically a friend it is just a label placed by one's own mind not in the nature of the person. See how easily if they hurt you or hurt someone you love this label could change from friend to enemy. Or maybe we have fallen out with them in the past and they were for some time an ‘enemy’. Then visualize the enemy or person we find difficult in front of us and begin to notice which feelings arise in the mind when seeing this person. Aversion, wanting to move away etc. See then how these feelings and this label are based on temporary likely insignificant events which on a bigger scale are not so important. Recognize how easily these feelings and label could change by them helping or being nice to us or to someone we love. They could change to be a friend even our best friend. Then visualize the stranger in front and notice the feelings this person, or possibly the lack of feelings this person creates in the mind. Then see how this is not intrinsic to the person just a label that could change very easily. If they helped or were good to us, they would become a friend or even our best friend; if hurtful to us they could become an enemy. Then visualise all three of these people in front of us and recognising that from our point of view they are not different they can equally be friend or enemy or stranger. From their side also they all equally wish to be happy and wish not to suffer. Let this equal feeling to all three come into the mind and then sit with that for a few minutes. Finally extend this feeling out to all living beings. Finish with dedication to be beneficial to all living beings.

Love & compassion or ‘the wish for others to be happy & free from suffering’ can be enhanced within all of us. There are two systematic ways to do this, a step-by-step approach and a more direct approach. We will learn the step-by-step technique first. The step-by-step approach is as follows: 1. Generating a feeling of closeness towards others; this may come through seeing others as being like our own family, our mothers, brothers & sisters, children of the same god, part of one human family etc. We should use whatever works for ourselves to break down the sense of separation felt between ourselves and others. To feel as one, connected to all beings that they are a part of one just as if they were part of one’s own body, this is the aim. 2. Recognising the kindness of others; Brining to mind and contemplating the direct and less obvious ways in which we rely on the kindness of all other living beings. We can see how our food, homes, medicine, and transport indeed everything we use in our life comes due to the kindness of others. Others are kind however in many less obvious ways too, difficult people are kind in teaching us patience, beggars and other needy people provide an opportunity to become more generous, all beings provide an opportunity for us to be more kind and compassionate. None of these healthy qualities are possible without the very existence of other living beings. 3. Feeling the wish to return this kindness; is a natural response to seeing how others are kind and a wish to give back to them what they have and are still doing for us. When we consider the ways we can return kindness then it includes material and financial benefits, food and medicine, health, and well-being but most important of all to bring these kind living beings true inner happiness. 4. Love; the above wish to give others true happiness becomes the amazing emotion of love. 5. Compassion; the wish to relieve all beings from suffering.

The practise: Begin by sitting comfortably but upright then take 2 or 3 deeper breaths calming the mind and body. Then bring the attention to the breathing for a few minutes. Now visualise yourself in the middle surrounded by all living beings in all directions as far as you can see, in front, behind, to the left and right, above and below. Begin with equalising your feelings towards all these beings understanding that anyone of these beings could be friend or enemy or stranger in respect to oneself and all wish to be happy and not suffer. Then try to generate a feeling of closeness towards all beings seeing them as ones family, mother, children of God or whatever way brings this sense of closeness into the mind. Next reflect on the kindness of others how we depend on others for everything we have, our clothes, food, education, birth, health etc. Thereby bringing a sense of gratitude into the mind towards all living beings. From this naturally arises a feeling to repay this kindness and seeing internal happiness is the best way to do this the emotion of love wanting all others to be happy follows from this. Rest with this feeling for some time. Then when bringing to mind that although you wish them to be happy in reality living beings suffer so much every day allow the feeling of compassion to be there and rest with that. Then visualise that this feeling of love takes the form of a white ball of light above one’s head which then dissolves through the crown filling your body with bright white light removing all suffering and leaving you completely happy. Then imagine that this white light goes out from ones heart or the middle of the chest like a torch or laser beam touching all living beings around, filling them with this white lights taking away all their suffering and leaving them all blissfully happy. Stay with this for a few minutes, you can say to yourself if it helps; 'may all beings be happy, may they be free from suffering, may everything be well with all living beings' Dedicate ones practise that all living beings may actually become free from all suffering and experience only happiness.

Tong-Len or Giving & taking practise is a renowned ancient healing meditation, rediscovered in the 12th century by a nun who had leprosy and cured herself. It has since brought healing to millions of people. It requires a radical change in our thought process to reverse the tendency to put ourselves first and instead focus on others well-being. The foundation of doing this is the same as the first method of developing love and compassion; recognition of suffering and generating equanimity. We then follow a 3 step process to enable exchange of ourselves and others: 1. Recognising the faults of self-cherishing. When we investigate properly we will find that the root of all suffering in the world comes down to this attitude of self-cherishing. Whether it be within personal relationships, communities, neighbours, colleagues, regions or indeed countries this attitude of our side being more important than another creates all the problems in the world. The same is true on an individual level when experiencing discomfort from insects, noise, criticism etc. all is rooted in self-concern. Our physical health and our ability to grow especially spiritually are completely blocked by this attitude. Recognising all this we develop the conviction to let go of this thought by seeing the harm it does to ourselves and others. 2. We then consider the benefits of cherishing others. Basically these are the opposite of what we saw with self-cherishing in others words all the happiness, well-being, health etc. in the world can all be traced back to this attitude of cherishing others. This attitude is the one we should, therefore always try to increase and develop. 3. On the basis of these contemplations we do the exchange in our mind between ourselves and others. The importance we gave to ourselves, we try to have that for others and the lesser importance we had for others we apply to ourselves. Please don’t confuse this with lack of self-love we are also one living being and we must have love and compassion for ourselves or we cannot feel that for others. Then follows the main practise of giving and taking. Using our breath we visualise all the suffering others experience as black smoke or dirt inside them. We then breathe this black into ourselves feeling we are actually taking their suffering from them. When breathing in we visualise in the centre of our chest a black stone or rock that represents our selfishness. When the black smoke reaches this points it destroys like a bomb our selfishness completely. Then as we breathe out we imagine white light or smoke which is all that we possess, all we can imagine, everything good in the world and everything other living being need and give this to them on the out breath. We see this white entering their bodies and making them completely happy in every way. We begin this practise with our future self and beings that are close to us gradually extending to beings we find difficult and then to all living beings. It helps to start with only taking and gradually work up to giving also.

Begin with breathing, bringing your attention into the present moment and watching the breath for a few moments. Then start by visualizing all living beings around you in all directions as far as you can see. Begin with equalizing your feelings towards others we are connected with all others and they all equally wish to be happy and wish to be free of sufferings. Then thinking about the sufferings of others using an example if you can of someone you know who is suffering badly at the moment. Allow the feeling of compassion to arise as strongly as possible- ‘may they be free from all their suffering and its causes. Taking Visualize your object of suffering and contemplate their suffering until an unbearable sense of compassion arises within you. Imagine that their suffering takes on the form of black smoke filling their body. Think about your willingness to take on their suffering through the force of your compassion. Then, using the in breath, imagine that when you inhale, you draw the suffering out of them, again in the form of black smoke. This smoke collects in a little cloud right in front of you. With one deep in-breath, take in the black smoke. Several things happen at once: Visualize your self-centeredness, self-absorption, selfishness in the form of a hard rock in the center of your chest. As you breathe in the smoke, it smashes this rock of self-cherishing into smithereens and the black smoke completely disappears. Your body completely fills with soft white light, which represents peace, loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom. Now visualize that they are completely without suffering and have been purified of negativities and obscurations. Giving Then imagine exhaling that white light to the object of your love, compassion. They in turn become filled with white light, which fills them with peace, happiness, etc. You can also imagine emanating replicas of your body and visualize that these bodies transform into whatever others need – cool rain to pacify heat, food to alleviate hunger, joy, peaceful mind, etc. Then imagine exhaling peace, calm mind, compassion all the spiritual qualities so that they achieve complete peace and happiness. Imagine that they are filled with happiness, both temporary and long term. Objects of meditation: If it is difficult to take on the sufferings of others, begin by taking on your own future suffering, that of tomorrow, next week, next year, next life, etc. Then, try someone you find easy to love, someone you naturally feel love and compassion for. Then try a neutral person, someone toward whom you don’t have any strong feelings. Next, try someone who annoys you, or has hurt you, someone you have a hard time getting along with. Finally, try to extend the visualization and meditation to all living beings. After you have become familiar and proficient with tong-len meditation, then you should combine the meditation with your breathing. While breathing in, visualize taking on the sufferings of others in the form of black smoke While breathing out, think that you breathe out all your goodness, and this transforms into whatever is needed for the benefit of others. Dedicate your practice with the hope that you may actually be able to relieve the suffering of all beings and bring them happiness. Thank you so much for your practice!

The identity we create for ourselves throughout our lives is not as real as we believe it to be. We create that identity through experiences, events, upbringing, education, friends etc. but the important point is that it is a creation not an actually existent phenomena. It is merely a concept that our minds create which if we look for is not findable. We have a sense that there is an I that has been with us throughout our life since we were young throughout all the changes of our body and mind. This is a complete misconception and one that is at the root of our mental unhappiness and the physical problems that arise from that. b. The problem with this imagined identity is that as soon as we create an imagined self we prioritise that self over everything that is not this self. Hence we favour ourselves in sometime overt but often subtle ways. In this way we develop grasping towards oneself and aversion towards others. These base emotions lead to the stronger emotions of anger, fear, anxiety, worry, stress etc. and underlie all our negative emotional issues. In short we create an imagined world of self and other which is disconnected and we miss the reality of everything in the universe being intimately connected and inter dependant. That inter dependant reality is a healthy secure reality from which true happiness and mental ease arise naturally. c. How do we begin to reduce clinging to this imagined self and begin to live in this healthier, connected way? By getting a clear picture in our minds of what this supposed self looks like and then examining our body and mind to see if we can find such a self. Seeing clearly that it is un-findable as we imagine we rest in that understanding of non-findability and gradually our compulsive clinging to this ‘self’ lessens and we come to feel connected with everything around us not separate from it. In such a way our fear, anxiety of me against the world and this constant need to protect this ‘self’ also lessens bringing unprecedented peace, freedom and joy. Most importantly in this context we are now free to create a new and healthier concept of ourselves.

Meditation practise: Begin with taking a few deeper breaths calming the body, speech and mind. Then create a positive motivation to be here doing this practise not just for oneself but for the benefit of all living beings. The meditation then follows a 4 step process: 1. Begin by thinking “I,” “I.” Allow the feeling of “I” to grow. Focus on the sense of “I,” or “me.” One way to bring up this sense of I is to generate a strong emotion ... for example, bring to mind an instance in which you felt strong anger or strong fear or try to imagine being scared, embarrassed, criticised or when diagnosed with a serious illness. Now allow a small part of your mind to subtly act as an observer, observing this sense of I. (That “observer” must be very sneaky and subtle, otherwise, this sense of I tends to disappear.) 2. Then come to the definite conclusion that if such an ‘I’ exists it should be findable either within the mind and body or somewhere else in the world, there are no other possibilities. Be certain of this. 3. Then holding this sense of self in mind either an image, a feeling or whichever way it shows itself, begin to look for it. Start with the body, sink that image of this self into each part of the body, is the head this self, the arms, legs, torso, inner organs etc. Go through each part of the body and examine if any part is this sense of self, until you come to the inevitable conclusion that this self does not exist within the body. Then let that understanding become a feeling rather than a thought and rest with that. Then look through the mind, again holding this sense of self in the mind sink that into every thought, emotion, memory, intentions etc. making sure that none of these are this ’self’ Again get to that conclusion and allow it to be a feeling and focus on that. 4. Finally check for certain that this ‘self’ doesn’t exist anywhere else apart from the body and mind. Can we find a self that possesses the body and mind? Can we put the body and mind on one side and the self on another? Is this self somewhere else in the world, at my workplace, at home, in another country etc.? Can this ‘self’ exist without the body or mind? Now come strongly to the final conclusion that if this ‘self’ is unfindable within the body and mind nor anywhere else in the universe then it simply does not exist. It is completely empty of any existence, not located anywhere, a mere conception of our minds with no true existence whatsoever. Let that conclusion of non-findability come down to a feeling which is a sense of complete lack. A sense that something you always believed to be there and indeed rested most of your life decisions on is actually completely non-existent. Focus on that emptiness as long as you can. Finally dedicate the positive energy created in your meditation to freedom from suffering and complete happiness for all living beings.

Once we have begun to integrate the understanding that our supposed identity is mere illusion and a conception we create, then we can let this go and arise in a new healthier identity. If we don’t let go of the mistaken view of ourselves first then we are simply piling delusion on top of delusion which will never succeed. The vital point when doing this is that the letting go of the false self and visualising a healthier better self must be done at the deeper part of our minds not on the surface. In other words it needs to be a genuine feeling rather than a thought. Our whole being should be infused with this conviction that this is who we are. We extend this contemplation into everything we do during the day. First ourselves when we are washing, eating, dressing, receiving treatments etc. stay with this healthy, confident, pure image of yourself. Then extend this to the people and beings around you instead of judging people and seeing negative aspects to them try to see them in a pure, happy, wise, healthy and beautiful way. Go further and see this for the environment around you, instead of seeing it as dirty, messy or ugly see it as pure, clean and beautiful. Remember you mind is the principal creator of your reality so this is not a game but a better way to engage with the world. In this way our mind can overcome the body, which in comparison to the mind is ‘stupid’ and if done correctly healing is inevitable. This is the same principle as that employed in the placebo effect where research shows 70-80% efficacy from a sugar pill compared to actual medicine! The concept here though can be even more effective due to the letting go of the unhealthy image firstly.

Meditation practise: Begin with taking a few deeper breaths calming the body, speech and mind. Then create a positive motivation to be here doing this practise not just for oneself but for the benefit of all living beings. So we begin this meditation following the same 4 step process as the previous one: 1. Begin by bringing to mind the sense of “I”. Allow this feeling of “I” to grow. Focus on the sense of “I,” or “me.” Then come to the definite conclusion that if such an ‘I’ exists it should be findable either within the mind and body or somewhere else in the world, there are no other possibilities. Be certain of this. 2. Then holding this sense of self in mind either an image, a feeling or whichever way it shows itself, begin to look for it. Start with the body, sink that image of this self into each part of the body, is the head this self, the arms, legs, torso, inner organs etc. Go through each part of the body and examine if any part is this sense of self, until you come to the inevitable conclusion that this self does not exist within the body. Then let that understanding become a feeling rather than a thought and rest with that. Then look through the mind, again holding this sense of self in the mind sink that into every thought, emotion, memory, intentions etc. making sure that none of these are this ’self’ Again get to that conclusion and allow it to be a feeling and focus on that. 3. Finally check for certain that this ‘self’ doesn’t exist anywhere else apart from the body and mind. Can we find a self that possesses the body and mind? Can we put the body and mind on one side and the self on another? Is this self somewhere else in the world, at my workplace, at home, in another country etc.? Can this ‘self’ exist without the body or mind? Now come strongly to the final conclusion that if this ‘self’ is unfindable within the body and mind nor anywhere else in the universe then it simply does not exist. It is completely empty of any existence, not located anywhere, a mere conception of our minds with no true existence whatsoever. Let that conclusion of non-findability come down to a feeling which is a sense of complete lack. A sense that something you always believed to be there and indeed rested most of your life decisions on is actually completely non-existent. Focus on that emptiness as long as you can. Now within that state of ‘emptiness’ of a solid sense of self, let the conception of a better healthier self, free from all sickness and problems physical or mental, arise. Feel this sense of new self throughout your body and mind within genuine conviction; this is now YOU! Don’t leave it as a thought but let it come down to a feeling within your whole being that this is me this vibrant, happy, healthy, strong and confident self is actually me. Be with this feeling, rest your attention with this feeling as long as possible. If the old sense of self appears, negate again as above and from within that negation arise again in the healthy self. Try to maintain this feeling as much as possible during the day toward yourself, toward the people and beings around you and toward the environment. Finally dedicate the positive energy created in your meditation to freedom from suffering and complete happiness for all living beings.