So let your breath just be normal and natural.
Let your breath relax.
Feel your breath as it goes in and out.
And then let's cultivate a good motivation for meditating and think that we want to repay the kindness that all sentient beings have shown us in this life and previous lives.
And that the best way to repay their kindness is to progress on the path to full awakening so that we develop our compassion,
Wisdom,
And our skill.
And that will enable us to be of greater benefit to others.
Pause for a minute and make that your motivation.
Let's begin by contemplating.
What is happiness?
Reflect on your life and what brings you the most joy and what brings you the most fulfillment as a human being.
What is rest?
When you have a sense of what brings you joy and fulfillment,
Then ask,
How much am I directing my life towards creating the causes for that joy and fulfillment?
Am I really doing what is important to me?
Or am I getting distracted by stuff that is not so important?
We're all getting older.
We're all approaching death.
That's inevitable.
And when it comes time to die,
How do you want to look back at your life?
Put yourself,
Imagine being much older and looking back at your life,
And what is of value and importance to you at the end of the day when you have to leave everything?
Certainly your reputation is not going to be of any value to you as you leave this life and transit into your next life.
What's going to be of value to you is having a kind heart,
Having wisdom,
So that as you leave this life and go into the next life,
You can have the motivation of,
I rejoice at a life well lived,
A compassion this life,
And now I want to take that compassion,
That love,
That care for other living beings,
And take it with me into the next life and increase it in the next life,
And be born in a situation that fosters the development of all of my good qualities so that I have more to give to other living beings,
So I can spread more joy and more peace to other living beings.
Think about that,
That process of dying and what you want to take with you and what you can take with you.
Reputations do not come with us,
Our good heart does.
Then imagine following your heart and in this lifetime and doing what is really in your heart to be of benefit to others without concern over money or reputation.
None of that is really worth anything at the end of the day.
Actually people can use you if you have money and reputation.
We don't need those kinds of insincere friendships.
Think of what you can do to really put your heart into something in this life that will enable you to grow and to contribute to the well-being of others.
Make a strong intention.
Really cultivate your wisdom and compassion and just let go,
Release everything that isn't of long-term benefit.
All the worry about reputation,
Money,
All this kind of stuff.
Release that attachment and make a strong determination to live from your heart and really spread kindness,
Spread understanding in your life and in your work.
Slowly open your eyes,
Come out of your meditation.
