Hello everyone,
My name is Chetna.
Welcome,
I'm glad you found this meditation.
It's been a while since I've uploaded one.
I've been writing a lot and just taking inspiration from everyday happenings.
So,
Welcome.
I'm glad you're joining me.
So,
I've entitled Put Down What You're Carrying,
And it was inspired by a parable that I read.
So,
Hopefully,
It lands with you.
So,
As we begin,
There will be obviously moments of pause and silence,
And just be with that silence.
So we shall begin.
Find a place that begins to bring comfort in a moment of quietness and peace,
And begin to come to your breath,
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Finding a softness in the exhales.
And sensation of the breath.
Your eyes are gently closed,
The muscles in your face,
Relax,
Softening your shoulders away from your ears,
And just letting your breath flow with ease,
Peeling away any heaviness in your body.
Letting the heaviness fall away and be absorbed by the ground,
Through your feet,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
See yourself walking along,
Along a riverbank.
You can feel the earth underneath your feet,
Grounding you with each step.
Hearing the calming flow of the river,
Just being lost in the smells,
Sounds of your surroundings,
Feeling the warmth of the sun,
The gentle breeze,
Feeling connected to the earth,
To nature.
As you continue to walk along the riverbank,
You see the river flowing strongly,
You see some exposed rocks,
You gaze ahead,
And you notice two monks walking along.
Each step is calming and gentle,
Walking slowly along the riverbank in front of you.
You catch up with them and fall in step with their rhythm.
One monk is elderly,
And the other is young.
They look serene and calm,
No words needing to be exchanged,
Just feeling at peace as you walk along.
You see in front of you,
A girl standing by the riverbank.
The girl looks up and sees the three of you walking towards her.
The girl looks hesitant,
But she looks and asks the monks if they could help her cross the river.
The river at this point has a strong current.
Without a word,
And in spite of the sacred vow the monks had taken on not to touch another human being,
The older monk holds out his hand,
Carries the girl across the river.
You cross the river with the younger monk.
The older monk sets down the little girl safely on the other side.
She says thank you and continues on her day.
You and the younger monk join the older one,
And you begin walking.
The younger monk is aghast at the older monk.
He feels that he has broken his vow,
But doesn't say anything.
You continue walk.
An hour passes.
It's peaceful.
Walking at a calming,
Grounding pace.
Walking in silence,
But together.
Feeling the energy.
Hearing the river.
Feeling the sun.
Two hours go by,
And finally the young monk,
Who feels quite agitated,
Can no longer stay quiet and says,
Why did you carry that girl when we took the vow not to touch others?
The older monk replies,
I sat her down hours ago by the side of the river.
Why are you still carrying her?
I listen to this exchange.
The monk continues to say,
There's no need to dwell on the past in a way that interferes with living in the present moment.
He speaks about the importance of detachment.
The older monk carried the girl with detachment.
All he did was to help another,
And did not spend moments thinking about it after.
His mind was calm and focused.
He continues to walk.
The younger monk,
Allowing the wise words to settle.
You listen.
You understand.
You realise you need to put down what you're carrying.
To let go of what doesn't serve,
And to concentrate on the present moment.
To find a level of peace and happiness in this present moment.
Because now is all we will ever have.
You see the village ahead.
You nod to the monks in appreciation of their time.
And you take the path towards the village.
Allowing each step to be in sync with your breath.
Feeling the presence.
Feeling the peace.
And allowing and giving yourself permission to put down what you are carrying.
You breathe in.
You breathe out.
You gently open your eyes.
You inhale.
Exhale.
Namaste.
