This meditation is on contemplation of basic goodness.
What does goodness mean to you?
You can contemplate that as you breathe in and breathe out.
Gathering yourself,
Imagining the sun shining on you.
Feel the warmth,
The light breeze.
Birds singing,
Leaves falling.
And the clouds floating in the clear sky.
Remember a time,
Usually during childhood years,
Those moments when you felt naturally cheerful,
Playing in the sun,
In the woods,
Around the lake,
Or just in the backyard with friends or alone,
In the swing.
And feel how it felt to have no need,
No lack of anything.
Just feeling safe and loved.
So bring those moments when you played hide and seek,
Hopscotch,
Or just ring around the rosy,
Walking through the dandelions,
Maybe in a forest path,
Going to grandmas,
Or grandpas,
Or just having a wonderful time with friends or family.
So basic goodness is something that is always there,
Even when things seem very chaos and busy.
But if we just take a moment to remember that freshness,
That aliveness that you felt or still feel when you are in nature,
When you're absorbing the sun in your face,
In every cell of your body,
How alive they feel,
Or when you are watching the moon on a full moon day,
Or the shiny stars in the sky lying on the ground.
In those moments you do not need anything.
Your own goodness heals you up.
Its source is inside you and inside all living beings.
It is primordial with beginningless time.
It is beyond good and bad and all polarities.
It is the complete wholesomeness when you're fresh.
You smell the fresh coffee or freshly peeled orange or a good chocolate in your mouth.
All your senses feel this goodness of cool water stream or fresh snow on the mountain top or the dust after the first rain.
The dew drops on each blade of grass.
Everything is perfect and whole.
And the more often we remember it,
Our own self-worth and dignity with all creatures,
Our friendship with all creatures on the planet,
All the trees and living beings,
We feel a sense of friendship and kindness and the natural wisdom springs up from within.
And we feel strong from inside.
There is a natural confidence and bravery we feel.
It's a rest in that basic goodness.
Now contemplate the rhythm of the seasons.
If you like a particular season or you enjoy the rhythm of all four seasons and their special qualities,
Contemplate your favorite season and its qualities,
What you like about it.
Remember someone or somebody who reminds you of basic goodness.
Maybe your child or children in your classroom or somebody you really love who is unconditionally loving towards you.
Open all your senses to the elements.
Feel the coolness of water,
A warm shower or a day on the beach.
How graceful it feels when you see the snowflakes,
The first snow of the winter or the first rain of monsoon if you happen to be in a tropical country.
And feel the sense of gratitude that you feel that we all have found our place in a magical universe at this time.
In spite of the war,
The conflict,
The political scene and the global climate change,
The basic goodness of the sun's warmth is there.
Each morning we can rely on it and the golden moon in the evening.
When we connect with nature,
We also connect with our true nature and the nature of our mind we feel like the open sky,
Unobstructed.
All the worries and all the fears don't have a hold on our mind.
They float like clouds when we can remember that state of mind or activate that goodness within us and we meditate together on that no matter where we are in the planet.
We call forth the life force,
The pure consciousness in this very moment,
In the very place you are sitting now and feel a friendship with all those who are listening.
Feel their presence.
Feel the sun of basic goodness in your heart,
The golden sun descending in your heart with a bright yellow-orange hue.
And feel the warmth of the sun spreading in all the cells of your body from head to toe.
And feel a sense of delight and cheerfulness also rising from within you,
Radiating outward,
Touching all the members in your family,
In your network and to all those who are suffering around the planet and all life forms,
The animals,
The plants,
The minerals,
The water bodies,
Everything alive,
Spread your own basic goodness and connect with all life.
The more you practice it,
The more you can instantly call forth the power of basic goodness that is inherent within you since the time you were born until the time you die.
It's especially helpful to send basic goodness to children and teens when they are having a difficult time.
You can write a special note under their pillow and remind them,
Maya,
You are basically good.
Maya is basically kind.
Maya is basically wise.
Maya is basically strong.
This helps the teen brain to come to balance quickly.
There was a time,
A long time ago in Shambhala,
Which was a kingdom in Tibet where people achieved a very high level of consciousness by practicing basic goodness,
By remembering and reflecting on their basic goodness.
It's especially helpful when times are dark and depressed and you can bring your own warmth to any situation and uplift any situation that is depressed or negative.
I hope you keep practicing this meditation as often as you can and keep it alive for not only your benefit but for the benefit of planet,
All living beings so they can come to harmony again.
And when we forget to remember our basic goodness we fall into the trap of doubt and fear and the negative cycles or stress loops and negative thinking.
Small problems become big,
Aggression becomes the way to handle things but as we reflect on more and more on basic goodness it helps us stay gentle,
Kind,
Fearless and confident.
So I encourage you to practice this reflection throughout your day maybe next three weeks or next few days to regain your strength,
Your confidence in your own goodness,
Simplicity,
Kindness and fearlessness.
Thank you for joining me.
