Grief: Guided Meditation And Chanting With The Blue Lotus Monastics

We're going to do a different kind of service.

You may have heard or maybe not,

Bhante Asaji's father died,

And he died,

Well actually in Sri Lanka it would be today,

But it was about 24 hours ago,

So the 25th in Sri Lanka.

And Bhante Asaji was with him and all of his family,

And we wanted to have a special evening tonight,

And what we'll do is we'll have meditation and then we'll chant,

We'll do some chanting.

We'll do the regular chants first,

We'll do our regular chanting first,

And then we'll do the Ratana Sutta and the Metta Sutta.

So that will be just a way we want to dedicate our meditations and all of our good things we've done today.

We want to even offer that up towards Bhante's father and to Bhante and his Bhante Asaji and the rest of his family and send them good thoughts,

Good wishes,

And I think it will be November before Bhante Asaji comes back.

So his dad was pretty young,

And the wonderful thing is that he was able to be there and be with his father and he was taking care of him.

When his dad was in the hospital,

When he first got there,

He was in Perdiniya near Kandy,

Where the temple is,

Where Bhante Sujata's temple and where the monks had trained.

So he was able to stay at the temple and see his dad in the hospital every day,

Be with him.

And then when his dad went home a few weeks ago,

Wasn't it?

Has his dad been back home a few weeks,

Two or three?

Then he went and was there to take care of his dad and help him with his medication and breathing treatments every day.

So I think it's very sad,

But he feels very good that he was able to go and be with him and be with the family.

So that makes tonight very special for all of us,

So thank you for being here so we can all,

As a Sangha,

Just send all of our good thoughts towards them.

So let's begin with our meditation.

Just begin to relax your body.

Find a posture where you can feel that you're sitting upright and you're lifted up,

But you're also very comfortable.

And if you need to move to realign yourself,

That's always okay to do.

You want to be able to breathe easily.

You want to be able to stay awake.

Most of all,

We need to be comfortable so we're not focusing on pain or tightness in our body.

Gently close your eyes,

And if you can,

Breathe in and out through your nostrils.

Just be with your body,

Be with your breath,

And right now just bring yourself to the present moment.

Let go of everything you were doing before you came here,

And just give yourself this hour to come back to yourself.

As we just breathe and settle into the present moment,

You can scan through your body from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.

Just be aware of how you're doing physically.

Do you notice pain or tightness even in your skull,

Across your forehead,

Or through your jaw,

The back of your neck?

If you hit a spot where you feel tightness or pain,

See if you can just direct all of your attention at that spot.

Breathe in and out,

And see if you can release some of the tension.

Allow yourself to just relax into the moment.

Move down into your chest,

Down out through your left arm and your right arm,

All the way down to your fingertips,

Then move back up again,

Relaxing.

Be grateful to your body.

Be grateful that your body let you come here tonight.

You may be a little achy,

But you're here.

You might be tired,

But you're here.

You made a good choice.

Your body allowed you to be here too.

Move down then through your abdomen and your pelvic area.

See if you're comfortable and at ease with your posture.

Move down through your upper legs,

Front and back and inside,

Into your knees,

And down into your lower leg,

Each leg.

Down through your ankles and into your feet.

You can wiggle your toes,

Wiggle your fingers,

Let everything feel a little looser,

A little relaxed.

Now send good thoughts to yourself,

Thoughts of love and kindness and friendliness to yourself.

It's very important we learn to be our own best friend.

And that means taking good care of ourselves and liking ourselves,

Loving ourselves,

Making good choices for ourselves,

Being tender.

When we can take care of ourselves this way,

Then we're able to do it for other beings as well.

May I be well,

May I be happy,

May I feel safe,

And may I feel peaceful.

And be sure that you feel that you deserve these good thoughts.

Sometimes we have all of the good intentions,

But somewhere we aren't feeling good about ourselves.

We need to be ready to accept ourselves just the way we are right now.

We don't have to be perfect.

May I be well,

May I be happy and content,

May I feel safe,

May I be at peace,

And may I know joy.

Now extend out a little further than yourself,

Think of your loved ones,

Your family members,

Your close friends who are like an extended family for you.

You can think of your noble friends.

May all of my loved ones be well,

May they be content and happy,

May they feel safe in this world,

May they experience peace.

Now tonight we want to extend our good thoughts and our blessings out to Bhante Asaji's dad,

Who's just passed away,

And to Bhante Asaji who's with him and his mother and his brothers and sisters and his nephews and nieces and his brother-in-laws,

To all of his family members.

In this difficult time for them,

May they feel clear,

May they be filled with love and compassion for each other,

For their father.

May their father have a peaceful journey to his next life,

And may he have a good rebirth.

May all of us be well,

May we be content and happy,

May we be well,

May we be well,

May we be well.

We can also think of the people in our own lives we may have lost recently,

May we give love to them as they move on in their journey.

May they be at peace,

Without fear.

Now extend these same thoughts out to all of the world throughout this world system.

These thoughts are unending,

They go out into infinity.

So thoughts of goodwill and loving kindness go out without end,

Touching all living beings,

Human beings and non-human beings,

Beings we can see,

Beings we cannot see,

Beings being born and beings dying.

May these good thoughts touch all beings,

No one is left out,

No being is left out.

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering,

Be free from fear and worry and anxiety.

May all beings be free from hunger and thirst and war and the extremes of the weather caused by climate change.

May all beings be able to care for themselves or have the good fortune of loved ones to care for them.

And may all beings experience peace.

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Now just move your focus of attention very slightly so that it rests on your breath.

Just imagine your attention is right at the tip of your nose and you're observing your breath just as it comes in through your nostrils and then again as you breathe out and it comes out through your nostrils.

Just be with each breath.

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Let everything else go.

No need to feed your thoughts.

No need to repress your thoughts.

So just allow thoughts to come and go.

When you see them arise,

Just observe that they arise,

They stay for just a little bit and then if we don't,

Give them our attention,

Then they begin to fall apart.

They go away.

Just keep coming back to your breath each time you get distracted.

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Our breath is just like our life.

We breathe in.

We hold that breath in our body for a bit and then we breathe out and when we stop breathing we stop living you.

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Mano Satcha Manomaya Manasaji Padudvane Pasathiva Karodhiva Sadhonam Tukkamanpheti Jhankanve Vahasupadam Mano Pukvangamadamma Mano Satcha Manomaya Manasaji Padudvane Pasathiva Karodhiva Padonam Tukkamanpheti Ayadhanpahai Mine is a board with all states.

Mine is cheap.

Mine made of hay.

The nuclear-corrupted mine,

One who should not speak or act,

Suffering problems caused by that.

As does the wheel of hell and as does the sword.

Mine is the board with all states.

Mine is cheap.

Mine made of hay.

The nuclear-corrupted mine,

One who should not speak or act,

Suffering problems caused by that.

As does the wheel of hell and as does the sword.

Mine is the board with all states.

Mine is cheap.

Mine made of hay.

The nuclear-corrupted mine,

One who should not speak or act,

Suffering problems caused by that.

We will believe in our humility as one who speaks part of our true heart and community.

We believe in generosity at many levels,

In any other state,

Speaking generously,

Acting extensively.

We believe generosity helps to empower us to be fearless,

To be brave,

To be skilled,

And to share our fondness with all else that is near to us.

We believe generosity lies at the heart of spiritual practice and we practice our hearts with a stronger another.

We believe standing generosity for ourselves and others prevents our hearts to the direct way of healing the vision and brings joy.

We believe that it's our obligation to preserve that normal,

Welcoming world.

We believe generosity involves the disciples and spiritual energy we need in our relationship.

We believe that our hearts are forever,

A protector for those without protection.

A guide for those who have lost their way.

A ship for those with emotion to cross.

A sanctuary for those in danger.

A ramp for those in broad light.

A place of refuge for those who have shelter.

I'm a means of prosperity and speed,

And I can never join up with the unwise.

I'm only the wise,

And if there's only time I can stand in their line.

Before we begin the chanting,

I wanted to tell you a little bit about the customs in Sri Lanka.

So,

Bhante's dad is at home now,

His body is at home,

And after about two days at home,

And the neighbors come and the family comes together,

Then they'll have his funeral.

And then a week or seven days after that,

They have a dana,

And they have a ceremony that's part of the first year.

So,

The first seven days,

They have a ceremony,

And again the family comes together,

And the neighbors,

And the monks in the area.

And then three months after the death,

Then they have another service,

And they have dana for the monks and for all the people that come together.

And then a year after the death,

They have another ceremony.

So,

It's their way of being able to be with their loved ones during that period of mourning,

But also to keep honoring the person who's gone,

We don't know where,

But who's gone on in their journey.

So,

That's their tradition.

Okay,

Again please close your eyes.

And now,

Monks and nuns,

We are going to chant and listen to you and your family.

Be well,

Happy and peaceful,

And also Bhante's asajjis family.

And please close your eyes and just listen in this chanting and healing yourself.

And if you want to share this spiritual blessing,

You can imagine that person,

And you can share that spiritual blessing to him or her.

And we are going to chant two discourses,

Ratana Sutta and Mitha Sutta.

It has so many powerful energies,

And trust me,

It doesn't have any bad words.

We are going to chant in Pali language,

That the language would have been used 2,

500 years ago.

And you can heal yourself,

And imagine yourself,

Imagine your loved ones,

And bless to them very kindly and lovely.

Arreha to samma sambudan se,

Namo tan se,

Bhagavato,

Arreha to samma sambudan se,

Itipiso bhagavah arhan,

Samma sambudan dovijna charan,

Sampanno sugatolokavidu,

Anuntero purisadam sarati santadeva manusanam buddho bhagavati,

Swakkato bhagavata dhammosan,

Akali ko ehipansikko,

Opanayko panchanthan,

Veditambho vinyo iti supatipanno bhagavato savakasan,

Gojupatipanno bhagavato savakasan,

Nyaya patipanno bhagavato savakasan,

Go sammichipatipanno bhagavato savakasan,

Yadidam chantari purisayuganiyant purisapungalaes bhagavato savakasan,

Go ahuneyo bahuneyo dankineyo anjali karaneyo,

Anunterang punyankentang lokansati etin santavantina santitevotu,

Etin santavantina sambharogovinansato,

Etin santavantina otutejaya,

Yani devutani samagatani bhuma nivaya,

Nivantalingke sambheva bhutasumana bhavantu,

Atopi sankantasunantubhasitantasmahiputa,

Nisamit sambhementankarottamanusyapajaya,

Divatarantochharanti evalingtasmainera,

Kathampamantayanke nivintang idhavahuramva,

Dangesuvayanratnam pani tannano samananti tathagatena,

Idampi bhudnte ratnam pani tangetena santena svanti,

Tukayam viragam amatampani tang yadandhagasankemuni samayto,

Nate nadame na samantikinti,

Idampi dame ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti otu yambudnta sento parivanisuching samadimmanantarikanya,

Samadina tena samona vijjati idampistame ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti otu yepungala anta satam par santacantari etani yugani,

Tedanki naya sugatang sasavakayete sudinani mahan palaane,

Idampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti otu yesum payudnta manasadalena ningka samadhi nogotam sasanami te panti panta amatamigaya landa mudanim buting bhunjamana idampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti yatindaki lo patavim sitosiya chathumbi vate bhi asamta kampiyo tatupamansam purisamadami yo ariya santani avinta idampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti toye ariya santani vibhavayanti gambir panyena sudhesi tani kintapite honthi bhusampa nate bhavangantamangadiyanti idampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti otu sahavansadansana sampdhyataya sudham jaitabhavanti sangkayadinti vichikinchi tangche silambattam vabhyadangikinchi chathumbaye ichavimpamuntocha-chavitanani abhambokatam idampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena svanti kintapite sokamankaroti pabkankaye nivacha udachethasava abhambosotansa patinchadaye abhambatadintapadasavuntidampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena sudham jaitabhani tukanam pagumbayatapusitangge gimmanamase patamasmingimetathupamantam vahrangade sah nimbanagamin paramangi taya idampi buddha ratnam pani tang etena santena santena tuvaro varanayovardovara aravanuntharodam vahrangade sah idampi buddha ratnam pani tang etena santena suvanti ki nang puranang navananti sambavanvirantajinta ayatike bhavasminte ki nabhijaviruhitjantanim bhantideerayatayam padipo idampi sanget ratnam pani tang etena santena suvanti toyani dibhutani samagatani bhumani vaya nivantalingetatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketatag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vamanunse dhamma nivantalinketag tande vikat etang satingadinteya brahma mithang viharangidamav dintingtanupagam silavadansane vishnayasam pano kame suvine yajedam naiyadu gamba seyam punare eten santavandene dukha upasamintute eten santavandene bhaya upasamintute eten santavandene roga upasamintute