So this meditation is intended to flesh out our highest aspirations.
In our fast-paced modern world,
We often don't take the time to sit down and reflect on what really matters.
Things get moving so fast,
We get so busy with our work and building our material life,
That sometimes we forget to reflect on the spiritual life.
And these aspects of our soul that need to come forward in order for us to feel fulfilled.
This is what in Taoist tradition is called one's Mingmen or one's destiny.
And that every soul has this kind of purpose that needs to be lived out.
It's like,
I don't know,
Like the reason why we're here.
In Buddhism,
And in all schools of Buddhism,
It's a very,
It's part of the practice to every day meditate on your death.
And as we meditate and contemplate our death,
It brings about this urgency to live.
This urgency to live our highest aspirations.
And it doesn't necessarily mean quitting your job and,
You know,
Traveling Thailand or doing whatever you want.
But in fact,
Meaning can be found in every way,
In all the ways we meet our life.
So please just approach this meditation with a very open mind.
And it's best to do it comfortable.
So I'm seated.
But you can do this lying down if you have body pain.
You could do this sitting in a chair.
And it is a visualization.
So visualize the best you can.
And invite in somatic,
If you're more of a kinesthetic person,
You can invite in somatic feelings or auditory experiences as well.
So letting the eyes close in whatever position you found.
Feel the earth elements of your body,
Your bones,
The denser tissues just rest on the cushion or the chair or the floor.
Maybe you're even lying in bed.
Just really letting your whole body relax into the earth.
And notice how when the earth elements of your body rest on earth,
That the wind element of your body moves as breath.
Perhaps letting your mind rest on this rhythm.
And noticing that the breath mirrors theambotta as breathDS which lets you relax.
And noticing that the breath mirrors a day in your life,
How the inhale grows just like the daytime grows into noon and then as you exhale that's a fall into like a nighttime,
Day and night,
In and out.
The breath also mirrors seasons in your life.
The inhale like summer,
Spring growing into summer and then the exhale like summer falling into fall and then to winter.
Notice how the breath is always changing,
That it's like everything else,
It's ephemeral,
Impermanent.
And time is a concept that humans have constructed to measure change.
Even though our spirit feels the same as we did maybe when we were 12.
The conditions have changed a lot from that time but the spirit,
The one who knows our life is the same.
And you can feel that as you breathe,
The breath changes but the one who knows the breath hasn't changed.
Just feeling that,
Relaxing into these changing sensations of breath and body.
And now we're going to imagine our 85 or 95 or perhaps even 105 year old self start to come into the room and sit in front of us.
And this older version of our self has only about one week left to live.
And I want you to see yourself at this poignant moment of departure,
Having lived a full life and you can see your face perhaps,
The wrinkles,
The spots.
Can you look into your own eyes?
And for a moment acknowledge that this day will happen.
That death is certain.
As you look at yourself and your older self looks back at you.
Just feel the space between your current self and your older departing self.
And now we're going to ask this older,
Wiser being,
What really matters?
What matters?
What is important to spend my time and energy on in this life I have,
However much time I have left?
And I'm just opening this being either speaking to you or sometimes mine takes my hand and shows me things.
So just open to receive whatever messages come through and sometimes there won't be any but just open in appreciation and in gratitude.
Nice and simple.
And then before we say goodbye to this older being,
I'm asking,
Is there anything else I should know right now?
Perhaps there is a specific question that you've been sitting with,
Offering it to this wiser,
Older version of yourself that might have a bit of a wider view.
And now imagine this older wisdom,
Self,
Departing,
Dissolving into a brilliant blue light,
And the deep,
Deep blue,
The color of almost like the night sky when the moon is out.
And that deep blue light lifts above you and pours into the crown of your head,
Filling your head,
Your shoulders,
Down the spine,
Through the whole body,
Into the legs and the feet and the hands,
Filling every cell.
And then that light dissolves into you,
And you dissolve into the light.
And then knowing consciousness is knowing this moment,
The breath,
The sensations,
The body,
In peace,
Sitting here now.
Thank you all so much for joining me in this meditation.
If you'd like to journal,
Sometimes that's a nice thing to do.
Just write down any insights.
And if nothing came through,
Feel free to do the meditation again.
Sometimes visualization takes time to cultivate.
I hope to see you next time.
Namaste.
