Let's begin by sitting in a comfortable position,
Either cross-legged on a traditional cushion or upright in a chair.
Center your body.
Enter your intention to be present for this meditation.
Now gently close your eyes.
We will begin by taking some deep cleansing breaths to help calm and relax the body.
We will first inhale to the count of three,
Hold for a moment and then exhale slowly through your nose.
Begin now.
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Hold for a moment and then exhale slowly,
Slowly.
Once again,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Hold for a moment and then exhale slowly,
Slowly,
Releasing any built-up tension or stress that you may be holding in your body or in your mind.
Return to a normal breath.
We're going to center in on the sensation of your breath.
Becoming mindful and aware of your breath as a point of concentration throughout our contemplation.
Make note of where you feel your breath most prominently,
Whether it be at the tip of your nose,
Within your nostrils,
Or even the air as it passes over your upper lip.
We're going to feel all of the qualities of your breath,
The cool and the warm air as it exchanges,
The rise and fall of your chest with the expanding and contracting of your lungs.
If your mind begins to wander elsewhere,
Just try to redirect your attention back to the sensations of your breath as your meditation object.
Once you have achieved stable awareness of your breath,
Let's still maintain our attention,
But allow the breath to move into our peripheral awareness.
Your breath will always be with you and be a grounding force throughout this meditation.
It will allow you to more clearly see and contemplate the concepts that we are about to explore.
Now,
In your mind's eye,
Picture a beautiful scenic river.
Maybe it's a river you've visited before,
Or maybe one you've seen in a photograph you'd like to visit,
Or maybe even one you've just imagined,
Created and existing only within your being.
Try to take in and absorb the whole of this river,
The sheer presence of its existence and entirety,
The apparent solidity of its presence,
Existing there as a river for possibly hundreds and hundreds of years.
The river may even have its own name and be present and indicated on various geographical resources.
Let's investigate our river further.
Move up to the bank of the river.
Note the sound of the rush of the water over any rocks or stones,
The gurgling sound it may make,
Or the sounds of micro waterfalls formed over larger rocks that plunge and swirl and once again join the rapid flow of water.
Note the smoothness of the rocks and the shape of the sand on the banks of the river carved there by the flow of water.
You may even be able to see the layers of different colored sands,
Soils,
And clay that have been deposited there,
Carried by the river's flow over various seasons,
Weather conditions,
And erosive processes.
Now step into a shallow portion of the river.
Feel the crisp,
Cool water swirling and rushing around these two new obstacles.
Feel your toes sink into the soft,
Unstable sand or silt at the bottom and become one with the river.
Feel the slight pull from the strength of the current as you find your balance.
Look around and admire your surroundings,
The sounds of the river and the quiet nature around you.
Maybe even the smell of the trees or fresh mountain air.
Now think to yourself.
You've been standing in the same spot of this seemingly stationary and permanent river for several relaxing minutes now.
But ask yourself,
Am I standing in the same river I first stepped into?
Think deeply about this as you continue to maintain mindfulness of your breath in your peripheral awareness.
The answer is not as simple as it first may seem.
Our conditioned minds may reactively respond.
Of course,
I haven't moved.
The river hasn't moved.
It's still in the same place it is indicated on my map.
Therefore,
My logic says it's the same river.
But looking deeper,
Is it?
As you have been standing there,
The water has been rushing over,
Around,
And below your feet with the current of the river that is constantly traveling and flowing.
It's not the same water molecules that were flowing past you just minutes ago,
And not the same ones that pass by you now.
It is actually impossible for you to stand in the same water of that river for more than just a few moments.
The river is constantly changing,
Ebbing,
Flowing,
Rising,
Falling.
The elements being carried by the river are also constantly in a state of flux.
No matter how stable and permanent the river may seem,
In actuality,
It is quite impermanent.
And so too are you,
And everything around you.
Think of the trillions of cells that make up your body.
They too are constantly changing.
New ones are being generated,
Old ones passing away,
Shedding or absorbing.
Some changes are rapid,
Gross,
And noticeable changes,
Such as your growth from infancy through adulthood.
But other changes are more subtle,
Happening within you on a microscopic level,
Completely beneath your level of awareness.
You are literally not the same you that you were when you began this meditation.
In fact,
Everything is impermanent.
Everything is changing.
This applies to your thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
And physical sensations.
No matter how significant or insignificant they are,
They arise,
Linger,
And then dissipate,
Just as do clouds in the sky.
The thoughts that arise within your mind,
Within your own river of consciousness,
Keep flowing and flowing until they eventually are gone into the open sea of awareness.
To know and understand this allows us to see that it is not necessary to cling to any one thing or form unhealthy attachments.
Everything arises and everything passes.
Each moment is a new one,
A new river,
A constant stream of phenomena,
Both physical and mental.
Mind moments,
Emotions,
Physical sensations,
Relationships,
Loved ones,
Life situations,
And material possessions.
Must learn to accept their impermanence.
Embrace them as they enter our awareness.
Let them be what they are,
And then let them go when it is time for them to pass.
Sensing life in this way helps for you to understand and accept inevitable change as it arises.
It allows you to remember to enjoy and love all of the wonderful and beautiful things in this world to their fullest each and every day,
Each and every moment,
Because you don't know when they will be gone.
And likewise,
It can make the more difficult times and situations more bearable as you are aware that they too are impermanent and will surely end as well.
Sensing life in this way allows us to place less importance on physical possessions and material objects.
No matter how much you obtain and cherish any one thing,
It will one day be gone,
Or you will one day be gone.
And those things just will not matter anymore.
This understanding sets you free from these attachments,
Allowing you to focus rather on enjoying the here and now,
And just how precious each moment is,
No matter whether you label it a good moment or a bad moment,
Pleasant or unpleasant.
They are all moments unique to our perspectives in their own right.
This realization allows you to know how privileged you are,
To be able to experience moments and situations of all types in the brief impermanent forms that they arise in.
One can't know happiness without sadness,
Or know love without loss.
We can use each experience as a practice for cherishing the moment and all that comes with it,
The here and now,
The only moment there ever really is.
Sit with this realization of the impermanence of all things for a moment.
Trying to be aware of your breath and slowly bring it back as the focus of your concentration.
Feeling a renewed sense in your understanding of the nature of impermanence through this contemplation.
Carry it with you and your practice throughout your day to day and each day.
Everything arises and everything ceases as does this meditation.
You may open your eyes at the sound of the bell.
You may open your eyes at the sound of the bell.
