Benefactor Meditation

This benefactor meditation is a practice for opening the heart. We visualize those who have shown us love and kindness, and observe how we receive that love.

Transcript

I'm Mark Nicholbine from the Secular Buddhist Association and this is a 20-minute benefactor meditation.

A benefactor meditation is a practice for opening the heart.

And a benefactor can be anyone in your experience who's shown you kindness and acceptance.

Maybe a parent or a grandparent,

A favorite teacher,

A friend,

A partner.

It could be somebody you don't really know.

Someone who showed you some kindness,

Went out of their way to help you.

It could be a place in nature that makes you feel accepted.

It could be a pet or other animal.

It could be a spiritual figure that you revere.

And our benefactor practice will ask us to be aware of what happens in the body,

Especially in the heart space,

When we think about our benefactors who've shown us kindness and love.

So now if you'll assume a sitting posture that helps you feel upright and relaxed,

We'll begin.

Let's begin.

Breathing by allowing the body to relax.

Feeling a sense of upright relaxation.

Scanning the body for any places of tightness or holding.

And just breathing into those places in your body that might be holding some tightness and inviting them to relax.

Feeling the breath as it enters the body.

Not doing anything to control the breath,

But just letting it be just the way that it wants to be.

Just noticing the way that it flows into the body,

Is held for an instant and then released.

And let that exhale breath let you feel a little bit more relaxed.

Feel yourself sinking just a little bit deeper into the cushion that you're sitting on.

And for a few moments,

Bringing the awareness to the heart space.

The space in the center of your chest.

The place where you feel those sensations of love and care when you feel them.

Breathing into the heart space.

Breathing out of the heart space.

And just noticing what's there to be felt.

Any sensation.

Any emotion.

And perhaps you feel really not much of anything at all in the center of your chest right now and that's okay.

What's important is not feeling any certain way.

But noticing what's real for you in your experience right now.

And allowing it to be just the way it is.

And now the invitation is to bring to mind that benefactor.

Someone who showed you true kindness.

Someone who cared about you.

And again perhaps somebody that you knew well.

Someone who loved you deeply.

Or could be a stranger.

Anybody who showed you by their actions and their words that they cared about you.

That they felt kindness and love toward you.

So select a benefactor from your experience that you can connect with right now.

And bring this person fully into your imagination.

See this person's face.

Hear their voice.

Perhaps recall the circumstances of your relationship or your act of kindness that you received from this individual.

Take a few moments to bring this person fully into your awareness in your mind's eye.

Just imagining them looking at you with a look of kindness and acceptance.

And as you imagine them looking at you.

See if it's possible to receive that sense of kindness.

Receive that love and care.

And as you do,

Notice what's happening in the body.

Notice any sensations that arise.

Any change in your emotions.

Noticing also any thoughts that arise.

And just notice them and let them fade.

We want to visualize and imagine our benefactor.

The person who showed us love and kindness.

And then we just want to let the awareness rest in the body.

Seeing what every kind of sensations arise,

Especially in the heart space.

And exploring those sensations.

Breathing into them.

Letting the awareness rest in them.

Realizing what these feelings are like right now.

And as the sensations begin to fade,

Go back to imagining your benefactor.

Imagining the act of kindness.

Imagining the love and warmth this person had for you.

And then noticing once again,

How does the body receive that love and kindness?

What sensations are here?

Perhaps,

You're feeling a tender glow.

A warm sensation.

Perhaps an intense sensation.

Right in the center of the chest.

Right in your heart.

And if you're feeling that sensation,

Allow yourself to receive it.

If you notice any resistance,

Any struggle,

See if you can relax that.

And just allow yourself to receive these golden sensations of love and kindness.

Breathe into those sensations.

Just as if you were blowing on a coal,

Causing it to glow and become brighter.

Feeling those sensations of loving kindness radiating out from the center of your chest.

If thoughts arise,

If you're kind of taken off on the thought stream,

Gently bring your awareness back to the sensations in your body.

If those sensations fade,

Spend some time remembering your benefactor.

Seeing them looking into your eyes with unbelievable kindness and compassion and acceptance.

You might imagine that that person knows what's going on in your life.

They know all about it.

Everything that you're carrying.

The things that you're ashamed of,

Your regrets,

Your fears.

They know all about it.

But that doesn't stop them from loving you and accepting you completely.

And as you look into their eyes,

You see that warmth and kindness just radiating towards you.

And you accept it.

Just for now,

You let go of that voice that tells you that you don't deserve to be loved.

That you're not good enough.

That the faults or the things you've done just can't be forgiven.

Just for now,

Seeing if it's possible to just be in complete receipt of that unconditional love and feeling how your body receives that love.

And if you're feeling a warm and tender glow,

Just let that glow permeate your body.

You might imagine it is a kind of golden light that's shining from that warm spot in your heart space and just filling your body with healing radiant energy.

And in the final minutes of our meditation together today,

Just allowing that warm glow to bathe your whole body.

Resting in it.

Receiving it.

Seeing that your heart both receives and is the source of unlimited kindness,

Of compassion,

Of love.

And a healing energy for you to receive.

A healing energy to share with everyone that you come into contact with.

And for our final few moments,

Letting go of any effort.

Letting go of the visualizations.

And just allowing the body to rest in this space of awareness.

Let the body rest.

Let the mind rest.

Let the body rest.

Let the mind rest.

I'm Mark Nicholbine with the Secular Buddhist Association and I hope that this meditation will be a benefit to your practice.

Reviews

Deep connection to those who love me.

A wonderful meditation to allow self compassion and love in, via a benefactor or treasured person in life. The gateway for me was my wonderful grandmother who in life was a treasure and who’s love I experienced all over again with this kind and gentle practice.

One of the best guided meditations I am aware of. Free of the clutter of new-age sound waves, with plenty of space for processing the guidance provided. Deeply affecting and effective. Many thanks!

Love the instructions and the instructors voice, very calming and stabilizing. Great practice, will be coming back to this one again and again. 🙏🏼🧡🙏🏼

Beautiful , potent practice of honoring benefactors and the receiving and giving of loving attention. Bookmarked 🕉

Thanks for helping me tune into the love and kindness that is in my life. I think I forget this when I am busy with life happening. Today I hope to remember love and kindness given and received are life giving gifts to recall even in the busyness of daily living. Amen!

With Grateful Thanks; bookmarked

Wonderful and simple. I will be revisiting this guided meditation often.

Beautiful practice to keep those you love close to you.

I'll come back to this time and again. Thank you.

Thank you Mark for your thoughts and guiding ways.

Very beneficial!

Very beneficial thank you Mark

Many thanks, Mark, for this beautiful jewel. Surprised to initially feel longing and melancholy, I was exalted at the rush of gratitude and joy that quickly followed. This experience was just one big, thorough hug. Bookmarking this one. You blessed me.

Awesome meditation! Could be that I picked a easy benefactor... This meditation really came alive for me. It was gentle, compassionate, and very peaceful (while also being powerful).

That was lovely and relaxing, refreshing. Thank you.

Perfect for bringing in love... Namaste

Wonderful.. Great timing of silence and guidance. This was very powerful .. Thanks you