Compassion Meditation For Peace In Ukraine

Guided compassion (karuna) meditation in 4 stages, offering compassion to yourself, to Ukraine, to Russia, and to All Beings. The meditation is approximately 30 minutes long with a short talk to introduce the practice. Don't worry about remembering the phrases exactly, what's more important is to let yourself connect with the intentions they express.

Transcript

Welcome and thank you everyone for being here as we come together in community to offer compassion for peace in the Ukraine.

One of the greatest things that we can do for healing and the movement towards peace is turn toward these events in the world because it's by turning towards the things that are difficult that we're moved to take action.

As you watch the events unfolding across the Ukraine,

Seeing the images in the news and reading the harrowing stories emerging daily,

You may find yourself feeling all kinds of emotions,

Feeling tension in the body,

Formulating opinions and views,

Taking sides.

We can easily find ourselves feeling worked up,

Overwhelmed,

Powerless,

Caught in anger and despair.

You may have friends,

Family or colleagues in the Ukraine,

Or you may not.

Though there are oceans between us,

The pain felt by those in the cold face of the conflict echoes out and ripples through the world.

There is a collective suffering held by all who bear witness.

We cannot help being touched by their pain because it reminds us that we are not separate from each other,

That on the most fundamental level,

We are all interconnected.

Each of us are embedded in the world around us in the same way that a piece of paper isn't an independent entity,

But part of a whole made up of the clouds,

The rain,

The sun,

The trees,

The loggers and millers.

If we remove just one of these conditions from the world,

That piece of paper cannot exist.

This sense of interconnection can provoke a complicated range of emotions and responses in each of us.

Sometimes it is reassuring and grounding,

Sometimes it is painful.

What is certain though,

Is that it can inspire great compassion,

It can move us to take action,

To donate or help in any way we can.

When we join together in collective meditation like this,

We reclaim peace within ourselves and are able to reflect this on all those around us.

In other words,

The more peace there is in us,

The more peace there will be in our troubled world.

In the words of the late teacher and anti-war activist Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh,

If you have only one minute,

Please use that minute to breathe in and out calmly and plant the seeds of peace and understanding in yourself.

Do not feel discouraged,

Just by your way of looking at things and doing things you will influence others.

In this meditation we'll begin by tuning into our own heart and mind,

Opening to our own pain and offering ourselves nourishment and support.

Before then opening our hearts more widely to all the suffering in the present conflict.

We can set the tone for kindness and peace right from the outset,

By letting ourselves be as comfortable as possible.

Finding a position that feels supportive to settle into,

Letting yourself be held by the chair or cushion.

Relaxing into the body,

Softening into your seat,

Allowing the eyes to gently close or lower.

Feeling the support of the earth beneath you.

Feeling the boundless space that surrounds you.

And as you take your seat in this space wholeheartedly,

I invite you to take some long,

Slow,

Deep breaths,

Sending the breath down into the belly,

Opening and expanding.

And with each exhale,

Relaxing and letting go.

You might like to lengthen your exhale so that it's slightly longer than the inhale,

Seeing what feels right for you in your own time,

Not forcing anything.

Reflecting on our common humanity,

This at times difficult human existence.

Recognising that we're all deeply interconnected and that despite our differences,

We have far more in common,

Including our innate desire to be happy,

To find true happiness that is a happiness born from within,

That doesn't leave us dissatisfied.

A happiness that doesn't cause harm or take anything away from anyone else because it comes from developing our own inner resources.

True happiness is your birthright.

Now allowing the breath to be natural,

I invite you to gently rest your awareness at your heart space.

We begin the meditation by offering care and support to ourselves because when we can hold all the parts of ourselves,

Including the parts that are difficult with kindness,

We're more able to hold others in their wholeness with kindness.

We touch our shared humanity just as we would care and support a good friend.

In the same way,

We nourish the seeds for self kindness,

Holding our feelings with tenderness,

Welcoming all that arises.

Have any time you feel overwhelmed by what arises,

Be that emotions,

Images or sensations,

Knowing that you can always come back to rest with the breath or in that sense of contact between your feet and the ground and you can always open your eyes.

I invite you to turn your attention towards yourself as you are in this moment,

As if you were looking upon yourself through the eyes of a good friend or a loved one.

It doesn't have to be a clear image,

It can just be a felt sense,

Coming back to your innate desire to find true happiness.

As you reflect on what's happening in the Ukraine,

Tuning into what's arising in your heart and mind.

If it feels supportive,

You might place a hand on your heart or silently offering yourself the following phrases.

May I allow any and all feelings to be here without judgment.

May I see the pain that I feel is not me,

Not mine,

Not personal.

May I be kind to myself in the face of these emotions.

May I know peace and the joy of true happiness.

I'll repeat the phrases again,

However don't worry about remembering each phrase perfectly.

You might repeat one or two or simply connect with the essence of the words.

In your own time,

Unhurried and unrushed,

May I allow any and all feelings to be here without judgment.

May I see the pain that I feel is not me,

Not mine,

Not personal.

May I be kind to myself in the face of these emotions.

May I know peace and the joy of true happiness.

Let yourself sink into the intentions they express,

Allowing yourself to feel whatever comes up,

Be it pleasant,

Painful,

Indifferent.

If feelings of warmth or kindness arise,

Abiding in these and inviting them to grow as you repeat the phrases,

If feelings that seem counter to kindness arise,

Maybe anger or numbness,

As best you can allowing them to be here without making them wrong.

We aren't trying to fabricate a feeling,

We are nurturing our intention and planting the seeds for self kindness.

We don't need to make anything happen.

May I allow any and all feelings to be here without judgment.

May I see the pain that I feel is not me,

Not mine,

Not personal.

May I be kind to myself in the face of these emotions.

May I know peace and the joy of true happiness.

When you notice the mind has wandered,

Gently coming back to the phrases,

Repeating the words that most resonate with you,

Remembering to breathe.

May I allow any and all feelings to be here without judgment.

May I see the pain that I feel is not me,

Not mine,

Not personal.

May I be kind to myself in the face of these emotions.

May I know peace and the joy of true happiness.

Now turning your attention to the people of the Ukraine,

Perhaps bringing to mind any images you've seen or recalling any stories you have heard.

People who are wounded,

People just like you trying to flee,

Trapped or in hiding,

Families that are displaced,

People cut off from electricity,

Food and water.

Men,

Women and children fearful and distressed.

As you hold them in your heart and mind,

Letting yourself open to whatever is arising.

If tears come,

Let them come.

If there is a bracing or contraction in the body,

Breathing into it.

As best you can,

Opening to your experience without turning away,

Creating space for whatever needs to be met.

If it helps to soften and soothe,

You might rest a hand on your heart and I invite you to silently repeat the following phrases.

May you know I bear witness to the pain that you feel.

May you know that you are not alone.

May you be relieved from pain and suffering.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

May you know I bear witness to the pain that you feel.

May you know that you are not alone.

May you be relieved from pain and suffering.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

As you repeat these phrases,

Feeling into your deepest wish for the safety of the Ukrainian people.

Remembering to breathe.

May you know I bear witness to the pain that you feel.

May you know that you are not alone.

May you be relieved from pain and suffering.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

And if at any time you feel overwhelmed,

Knowing that you can always open your eyes and you can always come back to that sense of contact between your feet and the ground.

May you know I bear witness to the pain that you feel.

May you know that you are not alone.

May you be relieved from pain and suffering.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

May you be relieved from pain and suffering.

As we acknowledge the suffering of the Ukrainian people and acknowledge our interconnectedness,

We must acknowledge the suffering on both sides of the border.

Not just the many innocent Russian civilians,

But the men and women in battle and even or perhaps especially the perpetrators of this violence.

It doesn't mean that you condone their behaviour,

But remembering we are not separate,

We are not the same,

But like the piece of paper,

We are not separate from each other.

As you bring these people to mind,

Be honest about what you feel.

Noticing any discomfort that arises.

As best you can,

Staying with your experience,

Allowing it to be,

Breathing into it and with each exhalation softening any tension in the body.

Recognising that if all the people inflicting hatred in the world could find true happiness,

The world would be a much better place.

Know as best you can,

Letting there be no limitation on your intention for healing and peace.

I invite you to silently repeat the following phrases.

May you see that hatred never ceases by hatred.

May you see clearly the pain that is being caused.

May you recognise our shared humanity.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

Fearing witness to how you feel and continuing to breathe.

May you see that hatred never ceases by hatred.

May you see clearly the pain that is being caused.

May you recognise our shared humanity.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

May you see that hatred never ceases by hatred.

May you see clearly the pain that is being caused.

May you recognise our shared humanity.

May you know peace and the joy of true happiness.

Now letting go of these phrases and taking a moment to come back to the breath,

To come back to the body.

Feeling the support of the earth beneath you,

Holding you.

Expanding your awareness now to include all of us here together.

The power of our intention combined.

Realising that just like us,

There are countless beings across the world who care deeply.

Descending compassion,

Offering support in any way they can.

And feeling into this collective energy.

Acknowledging the goodwill in the world,

The reverence for life.

Allowing this goodness to permeate your heart and to suffuse the planet.

This precious blue marble floating in space to which every one of us calls home.

May all beings be free from pain and may all beings know peace and the joy of true happiness.

May all beings be free from pain and may all beings know peace and the joy of true happiness.

May all beings be free from pain and may all beings know peace and the joy of true happiness.

Taking these last few moments to rest.

To sit with the thoughts and feelings arising out of this practice.

Removing yourself whatever you need in this moment.

And gradually starting to deepen the breath.

Opening your breath and becoming aware of your body once more.

Feeling the support of the ground beneath you.

Slowly inviting some very gentle movement in any way that feels right.

And as we bring the meditation to a close.

Setting your intention to carry this quality of heart and mind into your interactions both inwardly and outwardly.

And when you're ready,

If they're closed,

Gently opening the eyes.

And then release.