Welcome,
The meditation from like and dislike to the pure mind of love.
This meditation invites you to notice the difference between the human mind,
Which moves in the restless play of like and dislike,
And the pure mind of love,
Which is the open space of inseparable awareness.
As you listen,
Allow yourself to soften into presence.
There is nothing you must accomplish here.
Simply remain open,
Remain here.
Now to begin,
If you could sit comfortably either on a cushion on the floor or in a chair,
Rest your hands gently in your lap.
Allow the spine to be upright,
Relaxed.
The shoulders soft and the head gently balanced.
Now breathe in softly through the nose,
A long deep breath.
At the top of the breath,
Pause for a moment.
Then exhale slowly through the nose,
Mouth closed.
Again,
At the bottom of the breath,
Pause for a moment before your next breath.
Let your breath settle into its own natural rhythm,
Gentle,
Quiet and steady.
Be fully here present in this moment.
As the body rests,
Notice the mind.
See how it so quickly turns towards preference.
I like this,
I don't like that.
This pleases me,
That disturbs me.
The human mind divides experience again and again.
It grasps at what it enjoys,
Pushes away what it fears,
Misunderstands or resists.
This is the play of duality,
Like and dislike,
Gain and loss,
Comfort,
Discomfort.
And notice this movement without any judgement,
It is not wrong,
It is simply how the conditioned mind moves.
Now gently step back.
What is it that notices these movements of mind?
Behind all thoughts of,
For and against,
There is a quiet awareness,
A still space that does not choose,
A vast openness in which all perceiving,
All preferences appear and dissolve.
This awareness is not restless,
It does not divide,
It simply holds all that arises as the sky holds every passing cloud.
So imagine your mind as a clear blue sky.
Thoughts of like or dislike drift through as clouds,
Sometimes light and harmless,
Other times heavy perhaps with a storm.
But the sky itself is never disturbed,
It remains open,
Spacious and free.
Rest in that sky-like awareness now.
Feel yourself not as the clouds of thought,
But as the infinite sky of presence.
In this pure awareness there is love,
Not love as an attachment,
Not love as a possession,
But love as the simple radiance of being.
Like sunlight it shines on everything equally,
It does not say,
I will warm this flower but not that one.
It gives itself completely,
Without preference,
Without judgement.
This is the pure mind of love,
The natural state of one's being.
If the thought arises,
I like this calmness,
I dislike my restless mind,
Gently smile inwardly,
Even that thought is another cloud.
Awareness remains free,
Open and loving.
Now breathe softly into the heart centre.
With each incoming breath feel the heart expand like a warm radiant light.
As you exhale feel that light radiate outwards,
Not only to those you like,
Not only to what feels comfortable,
But to all equally,
Without judgement,
Without conditions,
Without any boundary.
Here love is not something you must create or work towards.
It simply is that which you are,
An infinite openness,
Resting back in itself,
In its pure awareness self.
Conclusion As we come to a close,
Rest for a moment in this quiet presence of awareness.
Notice how even as thoughts of preference may still appear,
I like this,
I dislike that,
The deepest space of being remains untouched,
Radiant,
Pure,
Boundless and free.
This pure mind of love is not an achievement,
It is not at a distance,
It is not external,
It is not far away.
It is the very essence of what you already are and have eternally been.
Now I invite you to gently reflect,
Where in your daily life do you most notice the pull of like and dislike?
Can you also recognise the awareness that is silently present behind those preferences?
How does it feel in this moment to rest in the pure mind of love?
And how might your relationships and responses change from this space of open being?
When you are ready,
Return slowly to the breath.
Notice the body seated here,
Steady and at ease.
Notice the simple rhythm of inhaling and exhaling.
And when you are ready,
Just move your shoulders,
Your toes and your fingers.
Come back into the body and gently open your eyes.
Now carry this recognition of pure awareness with you.
That the human mind may divide through preference,
The pure mind embraces all in love.
And this pure mind of love is who you are.
Carry this recognition with you.
That while the human mind may divide through preference,
The pure mind embraces all in love unconditionally.
And this pure mind of love is who you are,
What you are,
Now and always.
