I would like to invite you to join me in a short reflective practice in our compassion training programs,
We call it Just Like Me Meditation.
And the aim of this meditation is to really help us connect with others through our shared humanity or common humanity.
So,
And this is an important practice because in order to allow our natural compassionate,
You know,
Sort of attitude and feeling to arise for others,
You know,
We need to make the connection.
And without connecting with other person and ability to identify them,
Empathy and compassion just cannot arise.
So somehow finding a way to others at the level of our common and shared humanity is a very important part of sort of creating a really healthy basis for a good connection with others and allowing kindness and compassion to arise.
So please join me in this exercise.
Again here as in any other type of meditation or reflective practice,
It's important at the beginning to find a comfortable posture so that the body is relaxed,
But also facilitates alertness and then let's begin by drawing our mind inwards,
Either using our breathing as an anchor or attention to a part of body as an anchor and rest our attention on our breath,
Noticing consciously the air coming in and going out.
And if you feel the need,
You can even take some deep breaths like breathing all the way in,
Holding it briefly and then letting it out slowly like from the mouth.
And that deep breathing exercise is helpful just to slow down the energy of your mind.
So let's settle our mind in this way,
Resting our attention on our breathing.
Now from this more quieted state of mind,
Let's bring to mind someone in our life that we interact,
But we don't know this person that well.
Kind of a stranger,
But not total stranger,
But someone that we kind of visually see,
But don't know that well.
Think of this person and think aloud for yourself,
Just like me.
This person too wishes to be happy,
Do not want suffering,
Wishes to be loved,
Wishes to find joy and meaning,
Just like me.
Rest your mind on this simple recognition of this very important universal fact,
Just like me.
Now bring to your mind someone in your life,
And many of us do,
That you find difficult for some whatever reason.
Think of this person and also say to yourself,
Just like me,
This person too wishes to be happy,
Do not want suffering,
Wants to be loved,
Wants prosperity,
Good health,
Loving relationships,
Just like me.
Now let's be braver and expand the circle and include everyone in your neighborhood and say to yourself,
Just like me,
Everyone in my neighborhood wishes to be happy,
Do not want suffering,
Wants to be loved,
Wants prosperity,
Good health,
And to feel safe.
Let's now be braver and expand further and include the entire world,
Seven billion plus humanity and say to ourselves,
Just like me,
Every single human on this earth do not want suffering,
Wishes to be happy,
Wants to be loved,
Wants prosperity,
Good health,
To feel safe,
Just like me.
Let's rest our mind on this recognition of common humanity,
The common human condition of each one of us sharing this planet.
Let's end this practice by wishing that may we all find happiness,
May we all be free from suffering,
May we all find love and joy.
You can bring your attention back on your breathing and your body.
Thank you.
So this kind of common humanity practice is particularly actually helpful,
Especially if you're struggling with certain individuals in your relationship and interaction that you're finding it very hard.
Doing a just like me practice with a special focus on that person can actually also be very powerful.
At least it will,
You know,
Enable you to,
While having difficult interaction,
Not to forget the shared humanity that binds you together.
And once you're able to do that,
Then any interaction on your part in relating to that person will come from a place that is more constructive,
That's more empathetic and understanding.
So it can be really powerful.
Thank you.
