Meditation can move us closer to promoting compassion within ourselves and those that we touch.
Through meditation we become more responsible. This responsibility lies in the balance we discover by unlocking the synergy of our mind….. our heart….. and our inner spirit. We propose that through a continued and ongoing dedication to a personal meditation practice, great strides are possible for ourselves, our relationships, our family, and our society. It allows us to subdue the self. It allows us to “just let go”. In doing so, a remarkable thing happens. We do not cease to be. We do not lose control. We do not lose self; instead we liberate it. We find a beautiful place of peace, harmony, and balance. We now frame the self within a much purer form of loving and nurturing energy. We begin to see a clearer picture of the world and our place in it. We learn the art of alchemy in converting passion into compassion. Our decision making process then incorporates a powerful and far reaching wisdom. We are in tune within a rhythm of life, our surroundings, and those we touch.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”
Dalai Lama
A great soul once responded when asked the question, “What is the most important time?”
The response went somewhat as follows, “The most important time is this present moment. It is the only time that we will ever have control of. It is what we do in this present moment that determines the direction of our lives.”
We can use this time wisely and responsibly or we can diminish its value. Remember this; the value of this present moment is colored by our deepest feelings and subsequent thoughts and desires. Any decision in life will have their imprint.
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
John Lennon
Ask yourself these questions:
Who am I?
Where am I going?
How will I get there?
Who am I? Where am I going? How will I get there?
These very important questions take on a very different response when we open our heart to discover its secrets. Through the act of quieting the mind, we allow the content resting deep within the heart to awaken. When we contemplate our awareness and again ask these same questions after cultivating the heart, our responses are altered and given a much deeper meaning and significance.
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
Lao Tzu
A “loving kindness” meditation
After a long day, including some difficult personal encounters we tend to build stress within our bodies and our mind. Our mind keeps going over the situations reviewing the negative pictures and the emotions attached.
Take the time to brew yourself a cup of tea, preferably green or herbal, sit down in a comfortable and quiet setting, alone by yourself.
Sip your tea and inhale, filling the lungs while lowering the diaphragm with breath, enjoying the beverage. Review the day, the good and the bad. Continue enjoying the tea and the review. After a few minutes…..close the eyelids…..
Inhale, filling the lungs lowering the diaphragm…..on the exhale…..say the word “listen” quietly on the exhale letting it last as long as the exhale itself.
Inhale, filling the lungs lowering the diaphragm…..on the exhale…..say the word “observe” quietly on the exhale letting it last as long as the exhale itself.
Inhale, filling the lungs lowering the diaphragm…..on the exhale…..say the word “value” quietly on the exhale letting it last as long as the exhale itself.
Inhale, filling the lungs lowering the diaphragm…..on the exhale…..say the word “embrace” quietly on the exhale letting it last as long as the exhale itself.
Inhale, filling the lungs lowering the diaphragm…..on the inhale…..say the word “I”….. then say the word “love” quietly on the exhale letting it last as long as the exhale itself.
“I…….Listen”
“I…….Observe”
“I…….Value”
“I…….Embrace”
“I…….Love
Repeat the above, quietly feeling the impression of each word, surrendering to the emotional impact of each word and each breath.
After a few rounds, just say the word, “I” on the inhale and “love” on the exhale, surrendering to the ebb and flow of the breath. Start to let the breath find its own rhythm without any personal effort. Allow the breath to breathe you. Surrender to its mastery of the moment itself. Now is when the meditation begins. Now is when we listen to the breath…..we listen to the awakened heart. Do not be concerned when you find the mind begin to wander. This is normal. It’s what the mind does. Gently bring the attention of the mind back to the breath, back to the mantra. The mind is like a young excited child. Be loving, kind, and gentle with it. The words on the inhale and the exhale help to still and calm our mind. The relationship between our awareness and our breath is our goal. This relationship unlocks the secrets of our heart. It is only when we subdue the mind can we discover what the heart has to say. It is as if the mind is a like a pond that has stones cast into it relentlessly. It is only when the stones are stopped that the surface of the pond finds its calm. It is then that we can see the beauty hidden beneath its surface. The breath will guide us. The heart beckons us upon our journey. We just need to listen, then observe, then value, and finally surrender and embrace what we find. In this moment we are open to the very magic of the heart. Rediscover, in the solitude of your being, the very private and special tenderness that goes before no other soul. Let this place and this moment embrace you with its wonder. Let the Love and Grace found within your being expand to every cell, every breath, and every moment. Breathe Love – Be Love. Let it last as long as you will.
Upon completion of this meditation, revisit the problems of the day with this affirmation: “I let go….. I listen….. I love….. I forgive….. My heart – My love, extends to all that I meet in loving kindness.”
What do we hear when opening our heart?
…..Listen to the silence.
What do we see when opening our heart?
…..Observe the stillness.
What do we find when opening our heart?
…..Value the fullness of this moment.
What do we do when opening our heart?
…..Embrace this moment with the compassion of loving kindness.
Listen to the silence of a loving heart, observe the stillness of a loving heart, value the fullness of a loving heart, and then, embrace this special moment in time with compassionate courage, generosity, and humility born from loving kindness.
I listen, I observe, I value, I embrace…….I am…….I love…….In thee, I am…….In thee, I love.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
The act of meditation has not the goal of gaining anything. The purpose of meditation is to surrender, to release, to “let go”; to just listen and observe. We then value and embrace what remains.
What do we find when we still our mind?
…..Love
“Our knowledge of God is perfected by gratitude: we are thankful and rejoice in the experience of the truth that He is love.”
Thomas Merton
When do you recall ever having taken the time to explore the depths of your own heart?
Will the discovery of the secrets lying dormant within your heart alter the direction of your life’s journey? Have you ever wondered which fork in the road to take? Have you done all the necessary preparation to make the choice valid?
May we extend this invitation to self examination.
We are all given gifts at birth. Discover them for yourself and their ultimate power for personal transformation. Explore how their cultivation can add meaning to your life and the lives of those you touch.
“I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence–we need to listen to God because it is not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters.”
Mother Teresa
Soul