So,
Let's close our eyes for some meditation together.
Take a moment to adopt either the traditional cross-legged position on a cushion or sitting on a chair.
In either case,
We should straighten our spine and sit as if there were a thread connecting the crown of our head with the sky.
We relax our shoulders and push up toward the ceiling with the back of our head,
Imagining someone pulling gently on that thread.
We relax our shoulders,
Letting them just hang.
Our chest is open and our back is upright.
The main thing is to feel comfortable as we start to relax our body.
Discomfort may come in many forms,
Whether it be physical sensations,
Such as an itch or a pain,
Or psychological sensations,
Such as muscle tension that comes with anger.
Sensations that are physical in nature are external in origin.
Sensations that are psychological in nature are internal in origin.
If there's an ache in our knees,
That's external in origin.
But if we feel flutters in our belly,
That's more likely to be internal in origin.
So we let our awareness float freely through the body,
Roam over the body,
Not trying to direct it.
Sensation may settle on internal or external sensations,
Causing our awareness to shift.
But we just let go of any tightness or any emotion we associate with that tightness,
Whether it be irritation,
Frustration,
Or fear.
So having relaxed our body,
We turn our attention to relaxing our state of mind.
At the same time,
We might finesse our curiosity about the body's capacity to treat feelings with a sense of equanimity,
A balanced mind,
Not preferring one or the other feeling,
As we continue to make sure our entire body is relaxed.
In addition,
We see if we can infuse our hearts with a sense of being joyous and refreshed.
We ensure our mind is pure and clear.
The emotions we feel may be composed of internal sensations or thoughts in the mind.
Relaxing the mind is letting the thoughts in the mind settle,
While remembering to trust that wellspring of creativity that lies within us,
As we reconnect with something larger than our puny sense of individual ego.
Imagine inside us is just an empty space,
Without any organs or tissues,
Muscles or bones,
Almost like a hollow cavity within ourselves,
Or as if our whole body has disappeared completely,
Leaving only a great empty space,
But a space that we recognize as being our own.
And at this point,
To act as an anchor for the mind,
We might imagine an inspiring picture,
Which we cherish at the middle of our body.
We remember our chosen image as well as we can,
Bringing our attention back to it often.
Becoming more and more familiar with it.
When we think of holding it in the middle of the body,
It will be easy.
This image will be similar to the real internal image,
Which will develop spontaneously when our mind is already at a standstill.
Initially,
We make do with one that we approximate to.
But even the image that we start out with is designed to make our hearts pure,
Clear and still.
If we visualize it often,
Get familiar with it,
Placing the mind in the middle of the body will become easier,
As if it's by second nature.
This image at the center will displace random nonsense,
Unproductive or unskillful imagery,
As we become familiar with the more uplifting image we have chosen.
Displacing images that might trigger depression,
Obsession or worry.
Displacing the clutter of images from daily life,
That vex us right from our time of waking until the last thing at night,
That try to shape our lives,
Hijack our mental bandwidth.
Distancing us from skillful images,
Such as that of the crystal ball or inner brightness.
So we redress our inner imagery to something more skillful,
By keeping inner brightness front and center in our mind.
As for possible thoughts in the mind,
These are really just like internal talk.
And just as we learned how to observe sensations that were internal in origin,
We now learn how to observe internal talk,
That happens whenever a thought arises.
Otherwise,
We might get lost in internal talk or daydreams.
We might hear ourselves planning for what may happen later in the day or even next year.
Internal talk can also dip into the memories that tie events together,
To create a sense of coherence in life.
We might hear our own judging mind criticizing us or others for supposed failings.
Becoming aware of the judging mind in meditation,
Will help to prevent us losing much of that mental energy to things such as blame and shame.
So we just listen to any internal chatter with equanimity.
That in itself will go a long way toward healing.
As we bring our mind back each time to the center of the body,
And continue with our centering practice,
Lightly and gently,
For a few more moments now in silence.
So we continue to keep our mind gently on track at the center of ourselves.
If the attention wanders away from the center,
We patiently bring it back each time.
No matter how many times it takes to get the mind to settle there.
If the inner image disappears,
We can think of a new one.
If the inner image changes,
We just follow it in its new form.
At the same time,
We allow the inner chatter to settle into silence.
Internal imagery shapes our lives continuously.
From the moment we open our eyes in the morning,
Until the time we close our eyes again at night.
Sometimes even when we dream,
It is the images that we've collected up during our waking hours that come back to haunt us.
We may not think it's a big deal,
But especially in the final moments of our life,
The images we've become used to will return to us,
When we are weak with illness,
When we can no longer move our body,
When the body is weak,
But our mind is still active.
And if we've never trained the mind,
We'll easily succumb to the worst of the images,
Which will not serve us well at this important time of transition.
However,
If we have trained the mind in visualization,
By centering in meditation,
The crystal ball we visualize,
The goodness we have done,
In a time of crisis,
Whether it's accident or illness,
The images we are familiar with will reappear.
And at that time,
When our life flashes before us,
They will ensure that we go out on a good note.
In times of crisis,
Our inner awareness will act like a life raft,
Which we can hold on to,
Leading to a place that is bright,
Joyful,
Without fear of death,
Or anything untoward,
Which is why we need to be selective about the sort of images we collect up in our mind,
Avoiding the sort of images that are difficult to unsee.
And even in our habitual surroundings,
Being selective about the sort of things we look at every day.
So we need the center of our body to be like an album of skillful images,
Especially those from our own lives,
On perpetual repeat.
So we continue to cultivate our mind gently at the center of our body,
With our inner imagery for a few more moments,
Remaining quietly with our inner imagery for a few more moments,
Until we come to time for some loving-kindness meditation.
So we continue to keep our mind gently on track at the center of our body,
Remaining with whatever sort of inner experience we have built up over the course of our meditation so far today.
When our mind becomes completely still,
It will become much clearer,
And we'll be able to enter upon a place at the middle of our body more comfortably,
Expanding the awareness together with loving-kindness in all directions,
With the center of the body as its epicenter.
Today,
As we spread loving-kindness,
We'll put special emphasis on the giving and receiving of forgiveness,
Since it's said that hatred can never be overcome by hatred,
But only by love can hatred be healed.
And it's been believed since ancient times that forgiveness can truly free us from the past.
Although forgiveness may arise spontaneously,
It can also be cultivated intentionally.
So there's an ancient and systematic wisdom tradition that teaches us the heart of forgiveness.
Through the spirit of forgiveness,
We can transform our lives.
But before we can do this forgiveness meditation,
We need to be clear about what forgiveness means.
Forgiveness does not in any way justify or condone harmful actions.
While we forgive,
We may also say,
Never again will I allow this to happen.
We can do whatever is necessary to prevent further harm.
Forgiveness does not mean that we have to seek out or speak to those who've caused us harm.
We may choose never to see them again.
Forgiveness is simply an act of the heart,
A movement to let go of the pain,
The resentment,
The outrage and the burden we've carried for so long.
It's an easing of the heart and an acknowledgement that no matter how strongly we may condemn the suffering inflicted by another,
We will not shut that other being out of our heart.
We've all been harmed or betrayed,
Just as at other times we have betrayed others or ourselves.
In the words of the poets,
If we could read the secret history of our enemies,
We would most likely find sorrow and suffering enough in each person's life to disarm all our hostility.
For most people,
Forgiveness is an ongoing process.
When you've been deeply wounded,
The work of forgiveness can take years.
If it goes through stages of grief and rage,
Sorrow,
Fear and confusion,
In the end,
As we let ourselves feel the pain we carry,
Forgiveness comes as a relief,
A release of the heart.
It becomes apparent that forgiveness is fundamentally for our own sake,
A way to no longer have to carry the pain of the past.
It's like,
For as long as we don't forgive our former captors,
They still hold us prisoner.
Releasing the sorrows of the past allows us to move on in this world in a free,
Unburdened and gracious way.
Fundamentally,
The act of forgiveness is for ourselves.
It may be for the harm you've done to yourself or another,
Or it may be for the pain that you've carried for too long.
It is an act of courage.
Sometimes the courage needed for forgiveness comes naturally.
Sometimes the meditation brings up its opposite,
And we feel all the pain,
Anger or resentment we still carry.
It shows us the work of the heart.
So trust yourself in this.
Go gently into the practice of forgiveness.
There's no need to be judgmental or struggle.
It's a practice that can be done a hundred times,
And little by little it will free us from the past and open our heart and let us move on with our life.
So we become aware of the limitations we experience when we keep our heart closed.
Realizing it doesn't have to be this way,
We now begin by extending forgiveness in three directions.
The first direction is forgiveness from others.
As we sit quietly,
We let ourselves reflect that there are many ways that we've caused hurt and harm to others,
Betrayed them,
Abandoned them,
Caused them suffering knowingly and unknowingly.
And feeling the pain we still carry from this,
We release the burden of sorrows and regret.
Perhaps we caused pain out of our own fear or confusion,
Anger or hurt.
In this moment,
We ask those others forgiveness,
Taking all the time we need.
Just as we ask others forgiveness,
So too we need to forgive ourselves.
In the second direction of this practice,
We focus on forgiving ourselves.
Just as there are so many ways in which we have hurt and harmed others,
Betrayed or abandoned them,
Similarly,
We have hurt and harmed ourselves,
Betrayed or abandoned ourselves,
Caused suffering knowingly and unknowingly.
So acknowledging the harm we have brought to ourselves,
We feel the pain we still carry,
Feel our own sorrows and regret,
And sense that finally we can release this burden.
Asking for and extending forgiveness for the many ways that we have hurt and harmed ourselves,
Knowingly or unknowingly.
We offer ourselves forgiveness,
Treating ourselves instead with mercy and kindness.
The third direction of this practice is forgiveness for those who have previously hurt or harmed us.
There may be many ways in which we have been hurt or harmed,
Abandoned or abused by others,
Knowingly or unknowingly.
Ways in which we have all been betrayed in this life,
And sensing the pain we still carry from those betrayals and abandonment,
The ways we've been hurt or harmed,
We realize now is the time to let go of these sorrows we have carried from our past.
Sensing that we can now at last release ourselves from this burden,
If not entirely,
Then at least in part,
By extending forgiveness.
Extending forgiveness for the many ways others have hurt or harmed us,
Betrayed or abandoned us,
Whether it be out of those other people's fear or pain,
Out of their anger,
Hurt or confusion.
We recognize these causes now and extend a readiness to offer forgiveness,
Realizing that we've carried this pain in our hearts for too long,
Until we now feel a release from the burden and anguish.
Since forgiveness cannot be forced,
It cannot be artificial,
We simply continue to practice and let the work of the heart and deep wisdom guide us until in time we can let forgiveness become a regular part of our practice,
Letting go of the past and opening ourselves to life again.
Since for as long as we are alive,
It's never too late to free ourselves and move on with an open heart.
So we continue our forgiveness practice in this way for the last few moments of our practice together in silence.
