Dear friends,
I'd like you to take a moment or two to become aware of your breath.
You might like to take a deep breath in,
Hold it and release it.
Just do this at your own pace for a few moments.
When your breathing returns to normal,
You might notice how shallowly we normally breathe.
Our lungs are hardly expanding at all.
It must help if every now and then we become more aware of the breath.
We begin with a quote from Kahlil Gibran.
If in the twilight of memory we should meet once more,
We shall speak again together and you shall sing to me a deeper song.
So now in this meditation I invite you to look back in gratitude at one or two events of your past.
Some occasions when you were on the receiving end of goodness or kindness.
Let's take some moments to see what we can recall along these lines.
Did you notice how good it felt to think back on that happy event?
It may have happened years ago,
Maybe even decades ago.
But through the power of recollection you find yourself bathing now in the warm waters of memory.
Sit now for a little while in that after-it-low of memory and just enjoy the feeling.
Welcome back.
Now we are going to look back from another angle.
On some occasions in the past you performed some acts of unexpected kindness.
We're not looking here for life-changing events.
Just some occasions when you came to the aid of someone.
You were there for someone and you responded at a moment of need.
Take a few moments to look back and see what you find.
How did it feel to remember the good deed?
I'd say it felt almost as good as it did on the day you performed it.
Someone somewhere is in a better place because of you.
We see from that that the power of good deeds lives on.
So never underestimate your power to do good.
You've very often seen stones thrown into a calm lake.
You've noticed the ripples they cause.
You've seen ducks paddling along and you will have noticed the V-shaped trails that they leave.
Just like ducks in the water,
You and I have the power to leave trails in the ocean of life.
In fact all we say and do leaves some ripples moving outwards.
Therefore every day as we set out on another section on this road of life,
Let each of us make sure to drop some stones of goodness or make a gesture that creates a trail of goodwill that will radiate out and find someone who needs a little encouragement on that day.
Meditation in the morning is a great start to any day.
It makes us relaxed and focused.
But an essential part of it is the effect that our quiet moments have upon any challenging events that we meet as we go about the business of the day.
Meditation isn't just a comfort blanket or a resting cushion.
It should prompt us to a life of mindful engagement so that this world will be just a little brighter,
Just a little warmer,
Just a little more gentle because one fateful day we appeared in it.
If at the end of the day even one life has been made easier because of an encounter with us then our lives will not have been in vain.
I leave you with some words of blessing.
May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside,
Light on the inside.
With sunlight shining on you may your heart glow with warmth like a fire that welcomes friends and strangers alike.
May the light shine from your eyes like a candle in the window welcoming the weary traveller.
Namaste.
May the light shine from your eyes like a candle in the window welcoming the weary traveller.
