Morning,
Good afternoon,
Good evening.
Just to say that I've got an electrician coming.
Supposed to be coming at eight o'clock,
But he might be early,
So.
If I need to.
Go off for a couple of minutes guys,
Just carry on meditating.
But I do need to let it minutes.
Biggie's job.
So.
What are the things that we used to do when we lived in the Buddhist community?
Was.
.
.
We used to have meetings and we used to go around and just rejoice in each other's merits.
Pick out one or two things that We appreciate it,
Are we?
I admire it.
And would speak them out.
It was quite challenging at first.
Because I think it's so easy to be negative.
So easy to be critical.
And why am I saying this?
Because my first teacher gave a lot of He focused a lot on speech.
I think in today's world where There's so much negativity,
So much polarisation,
That group over there,
There,
This,
That and the other.
We are so convinced that our thoughts and what we say is objective.
It isn't.
I've mentioned before what I say about somebody.
Says more about me.
So if I say something toxic about somebody,
Where's the toxicity?
By Slanderson Body.
Level of consciousness is here.
It says more about me.
And that's what the world doesn't look at.
It's not to say that we go around being uncritical and there might be times for it.
But it's not done with trying to bring somebody down or label them as X,
Y and Z.
And it starts with a thought.
Speech is just verbalised thinking.
So,
How about we just.
.
.
Pause.
Maybe we don't say that negative.
That critical remark.
I was with a friend a while back and we were sitting in the garden here and there was a cricket match and it was the summer.
And they're all happy because we're winning and they were cheering after every ball,
Every ball,
Every bat.
Cheering and cheering and cheering.
And he just said,
Do they have to cheer after every ball?
I just got up and walked away.
Went to my dog.
I didn't want to engage.
It's that sort of thing.
I mean,
You know,
Not everybody's like that.
It just stuck in my mind,
You know that.
Bring something down.
Now can we just learn to rejoice?
In somebody's gladness.
It's called sympathetic joy in Buddhism.
Is sympathised with their joy,
Not just their troubles.
Or at least we could not bring it down.
The Buddhist precepts begin with restraint.
I'm not going to say that remark.
I'm just gonna keep quiet.
That's why silence is good.
I've got an asylum retreat coming up soon.
And that's why it's good,
Because you have these thoughts,
Urges to speak,
And you can't speak.
Let's sit quietly.
Is feeling the breath.
Just checking your attitude.
Your intention.
Just to be here.
Where is your attention?
Just checking that you're not tense.
Fewer artists.
Take a deep breath.
Just relax.
You're either here or you're in fantasy.
Just listening to the silence.
Which is the same as listening to the birds or the traffic.
Just listen.
Without straining.
What's the end of background of your experience?
Is there a holding?
The rest is feeling.
Acknowledged.
Just allowing yourself to be soft.
The body is soft.
Whilst being alert.
A wit.
What's happening?
Just this eternal moment.
Feeling,
Hearing,
Seeing.
Everything else is just fantasy.
Okay that brings us to the end.
Thank you,
Guys.
