Good morning fellow meditators,
I hope your practice has continued on an even keel. I had a dreadful session this morning. Thoughts of our Prime Minister's address to us yesterday were rolling around, and I got to the point where I just wanted to shout at my mind and tell it to shut up! But of course that doesn't work! What to do with that is just to sit through it and doggedly make yourself go back to your breathing.
Are any of you managing any more than 10 minutes yet? Please move on to 15 whenever you think you can manage it.
Today, because I suspect that some of us will also have some frenzied thoughts with the new move into more restrictions, I'm going to change direction a little. I'd like you all to still do at least 10 minutes of Mindfulness meditation today, and hopefully two sessions, but I'm going to share a little exercise called Loving Kindness, too. This is based on sending good wishes out into the world, and it starts with yourself. And that's because it you aren't calm and centred, and taking care of yourself, you can't concentrate on anyone else.
So for this one you don't need breath, (well, other than actually remembering to breathe anyway).
Start by repeating the words below to yourself, and really thinking about it, and meaning it.
MAY I BE FILLED WITH LOVING KINDNESS
MAY I BE WELL
MAY I BE PEACEFUL AND AT EASE
MAY I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF HAPPILY
Next we start to radiate the loving-kindness outward
Repeat the above words to yourself, but this time send loving kindness to your loved ones, wider family, and your friends.
Repeat it again, but this time, (and much more difficult) send loving kindness to someone with whom you've had bad feeling at any time and wish them well.
Send the same message to one stranger, repeating the same words.
Now go on to wish all of your fellow humans, in all directions of the world, some loving kindness, still repeating the same words.
Extend out to all creatures, not just humans. Remember all types of creature. Those on the earth, below the earth, in the ocean and flying in the air.
Finally, wish loving kindness to all beings, whoever and whatever they may be, within the earth and universe.
It's very calming and it can achieve amazing things if you find time to do this daily. It can eventually soften your heart to some of the people you like least.
Finally I'd like to send a YouTube link to a bell chant which is used at Plum Village, a Zen centre in France which is run by a very famous and respected monk/Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The meditation bell chant is aimed not only at Buddhists but all who come to listen to it, and it's been watched thousands of time by all sorts of people on YouTube. It's one of the most calming things I've ever listened to and I highly recommend it.
Wishing you peace and calm and happy meditating.
Quotation for Tuesday 28th April 2020
Tuesday's reading corner