Regardless of how someone looks on the outside,
We know that he or she can feel fearful,
Sad,
Or lonely on the inside.
When we remember this,
Our perspectives expand from a narrow sense of me to a broader sense of we.
The practice we're going to learn today is called Just Like Me,
And it serves to deepen our understanding that we're similar to everyone else in important ways,
Regardless of the many ways that we are different from one another.
Just Like Me is usually practiced in pairs or dyads,
But it can also be practiced on your own.
If you're practicing on your own,
Think of someone who you feel is different from you,
And hold this person in your mind during the practice,
As if they are right in front of you.
Let's get started by sitting with our feet flat on the floor,
Our backs relatively straight,
And our muscles relaxed.
Let's briefly scan our bodies with our attention,
Starting at your forehead,
Moving down through your face and head,
Into your shoulders,
Your upper body,
Your middle,
Your rear that's sitting on the seat,
Your upper legs,
Your lower legs,
And your feet.
If there's any physical discomfort,
We can just adjust our posture so that we're more comfortable.
If it's hard to sit comfortably and you're on your own,
Feel free to lie on your back with your eyes closed or gazing softly at your chest.
All that's important is that we're sitting or lying down comfortably with our spines relatively straight and our muscles relaxed.
Now let's turn our attention to our breathing,
Focusing on the sensation of breathing that starts at the tips of our noses,
Moves into our chest,
And back out through our nose or mouth.
If our minds wander,
Which they usually do,
That's okay.
When we notice our minds have wandered,
We simply bring them back to the feeling of the movement of breath,
Breathing in and breathing out.
When you're ready,
Bring attention to the person sitting across from you.
Or if you're practicing on your own,
Think of someone who you feel is different from you and hold that person in your mind as if he or she is with you.
Let's notice that he or she is a living,
Breathing human being,
Just like me.
Just like me,
He or she has known physical pain.
Just like me,
He or she has regrets.
Just like me,
He or she has responsibilities and is sometimes afraid that he or she won't live up to them.
Just like me,
He or she is afraid to let other people down.
Just like me,
He or she is afraid of getting sick,
Growing old,
Or passing away.
Just like me,
He or she is afraid that those he or she loves will get sick,
Grow old,
Or pass away.
Just like me,
He or she wants to be safe and secure.
Just like me,
He or she wants to be happy.
Now,
Taking your time and continuing in silence,
Hold phrases like these in your mind.
If you like,
You can imagine that each phrase is like a pebble dropping down a deep well.
Or make just like me phrase in your mind and then listen to your own response,
Your thoughts,
Your feelings,
Your body sensations.
There's no need to analyze what's happening in your mind or to judge it.
This is just for you.
So let's begin forming just like me statements in our own mind about the person that we're holding in mind or looking across at.
Let's close by wishing love and friendship to the person we've been holding in our minds and to ourselves.
So we'll send some friendly wishes to the other person who's been part of our practice today whether they're in the room with us or in our minds.
May he or she be safe and free from suffering.
And may I be safe and free from suffering too.
May he or she be as happy and healthy as it is possible for them to be.
And may I be as happy and healthy as it is possible for me to be too.
May he or she live in peace and with ease.
And may I live in peace and with ease too.
Thank you everybody.
