To develop bodhicitta,
We need to have the basis of equanimity.
We see friend,
We see enemy or disturbing person and we see many neutral people.
That happens in our day.
Just think about when you're going for breakfast or lunch,
Aren't you looking for a particular table?
Who's sitting at that table?
It's not an unfriendly face.
So already you go from not knowing lots of neutral people and then you start to see friendly people,
People who maybe don't smile but they might be shy,
Nervous.
They find it difficult to meet new people.
So we have certain people that we feel immediately closer to,
Certain people that we feel more nervous about or we don't feel it's so easy to talk to them and certain people we don't talk to at all.
This is not the mind of equanimity.
So at least in our meditation we try to make things more even,
More balanced.
This is the beginning.
So you have the motivation wanting to have equanimity,
Wanting to develop the mind of equanimity.
All other qualities come from that.
If you don't have the mind of equanimity you cannot become enlightened.
Even if you have bodhicitta for every sentient being except one,
You don't have bodhicitta.
That means you open your heart to the situation of every being.
If they're a sentient being it means they're suffering.
By definition sentient being means suffering.
When you're trying to sit in the meditation you get into what seems to be a comfortable posture.
It's not long before the body says pain move,
Pain move.
If you have a strong mind,
No I'm not moving.
The distractions of the body become less and less but still the body is there.
Given imbalance of the elements sickness appears.
And we're all in the same situation.
We all have bodies created from karma and delusion.
When you analyze your own situation you recognize the truth of your situation and then you can understand others and their situation.
You're fortunate because you know some dharma.
You have some capability to understand and to change the situation but many don't.
So now think about how the mind sorts different beings into categories.
Friends,
Potential friends,
Neutral,
Potential irritability,
Potential enemy.
Try to drop all those labels and see all beings as needing help.
Deserving your help equally.
Think about how with friends we often have attachment.
With enemies we have anger,
Resentment.
Through attachment we also get angry.
We can have fights with the people that we love.
You say things that you would not normally say.
You hurt the person that you love.
There's the future cause of suffering.
And with the enemy we also create future causes of suffering.
So with the feelings that you have for your friend,
To help your friend,
Try to use that same feeling towards the enemy,
The neutral person.
Just,
I want to help you.
How can I help you to be happy?
This is particularly difficult to do towards the enemy.
The person who judges you criticises you.
Wanting them to be happy and being willing to help them to be happy is particularly difficult.
So we start on the cushion.
Also,
Animals,
We have preferences as to whether we like dogs or cats.
Some people don't like either,
They like birds.
And then some people don't like birds,
They like something else.
Their karmic appearance,
Their form is created by their karma.
They don't have the ability to do meditation,
To listen the way we can,
To change their minds.
To also recognise how the mind is partial to certain animals and not to others.
Whichever being you think about,
They all want to be happy.
Whether it's a bird,
A human,
A mosquito,
They all want happiness.
They don't want suffering.
So that's where you find the equalness of all of those beings.
Because they're the same as you.
So then the conclusion of the meditation is having seen the discriminating mind,
Being aware of it in meditation throughout the day,
Checking the mind.
Trying to have a more equal mind of caring about all the people that you meet,
Rather than some.
Peace!
And then slowly bringing your mind back to the room that we're sitting in,
The cushion you're sitting on and the meditation we've just been doing.
