Welcome to day 15 of mindfulness with the moon.
We are now entering into the full moon phase.
Let's just take a few breaths with this full moon phase beginning.
Now you might notice that if you look up the different phases of the moon you might find different information depending on the sources and you might find differing information about dates and times.
The invitation is to see if you can stay present with us even if things get a little off astrologically.
So this phase is named the full moon because from our perspective on earth the full disk of the moon is illuminated.
So at this time the Sun and the moon are in opposition meaning they are farthest apart in the sky on opposite sides of the earth.
So it goes Sun Earth then the moon.
And in this course mindfulness with the moon we are working again with a synodic month.
What does this mean?
Well this is describing the time for the moon to complete one orbit around the earth and return to the same position relative to the Sun and the earth.
So there is a light shining through to highlight what we may need to release and also where we get to direct our attention for this full moon.
So as we begin the talk today I invite you to make yourself comfortable noticing what's alive,
Right?
The full moon tends to have a lot of aliveness,
A lot of energy.
We're going into the phase where we are turning into a flower.
We are flowering.
We're blossoming.
We are blossoming in our meditation practice.
We are blossoming in each moment that we're present and that we are alive.
And sometimes it's a little bit sticky to start to flower and so remembering to be kind and patient with yourself no matter where you feel you are in your journey and no matter what is arising from the bigness of the full moon.
Today we will be exploring the Brahma Viharas or the four divine abodes.
And the four divine abodes are also known as these boundless states.
States that have no end and no beginning.
They're boundless.
And these teachings complement well the mindfulness of the breath,
Body,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
And sensations that we've learned so far.
I will be first saying the divine abode in the Pali language and then in English as well.
So the first divine abode is metta or my tree.
And that means loving-kindness.
There's this desire for welfare and happiness for all beings.
The second is karuna which is compassion.
It's this empathy with the suffering of others and the desire to remove that suffering.
The third Brahma Vihara is mudita or empathetic joy.
It's the joy produced by others success and good fortune that we can feel also.
When one feels joy we can feel joy for them.
And the fourth Brahma Vihara is upeka,
Equanimity.
Equanimity is bringing in impartiality towards living beings.
So in other words we're not attaching to something and we're not resenting something.
We're feeling right in the middle.
We're just holding an impartiality to what happens in our lives.
An equal solid grounded state no matter what.
So let's go back to the moon for a moment.
The moon can bring out the wildness in us especially when it's full.
There are these changing tides and myths and stories that have been told about the full moon for thousands of years.
And some people say,
Some cultures say,
Bask in the full moon,
Recharge your crystals in the full moon,
Put yourself in the full moon,
Dance in the full moon.
Other cultures say stay inside the energies too much,
Protect yourself from the energies of the full moon.
And so in this course,
Mindfulness with the Moon,
I want you to feel what's true for you.
What happens to you in this full moon?
Not all the ones in the past,
Not all the ones moving forward,
But right now.
Do you want to go out into the moon or do you want to stay inside and hunker down?
Noticing without judgment what feels right for you.
And regardless I would like to ask for you to just put your eyes on the moon.
Feel the bigness of the full moon as it's rising,
As it's setting,
And then nurture yourself and do what you need to,
To feel like you're taking care of yourself.
Because you know that the word lunatic comes from the craziness of the full moon,
Lunatic,
This craziness that happens from the moon.
And so what is your awareness today?
Have you already been feeling the bigness of the moon?
Just noticing,
Being kind.
You know the full moon lasts about three to five days before and after where we still feel the effects of this part of the cycle.
And so bringing just a sense of of kindness towards yourself.
I noticed that my hand is on my heart and it's slightly pulsing right there.
Just right here,
Remember right here.
And so these these Brahma viharas,
I'm just touching an overview.
And so during our meditation today I am going to be bringing up each one just for a few minutes and we'll just practice.
We'll practice these Brahma viharas using phrases that can bring us back to the moment.
A mantra that can bring us back when our minds wander and we need to come to the present moment again.
So go ahead and set yourself up for your meditation today,
Taking some deep breaths,
Grounding yourself.
You will hear three bells to begin and three bells to close.
The noble path around the Brahma viharas or the four divine abodes is expressed as follows.
May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all beings never be separated from supreme joy that is beyond all sorrow.
May all beings abide in equanimity free from attachment and aversion.
With kindness noticing your breath pattern,
Noticing what's happening in your body today.
We'll start with the first Brahma vihara,
Metta.
One of my favorite teachers,
Pema Chodron,
Calls it my tree.
Metta,
My tree.
They're synonymous for loving kindness.
May all beings have happiness right now.
On our exhales let's send.
If it feels comfortable to you.
All beings,
Happiness,
Loving-kindness.
All beings,
Every single one,
Loving-kindness.
May all beings everywhere no happiness.
May all beings everywhere no loving-kindness.
The second Brahma vihara,
Compassion.
Compassion in the Pali language is karuna.
Compassion can be translated as to suffer together.
It's a feeling that arises when we encounter suffering and we feel motivation to relieve that suffering.
Where do you feel the need to relieve suffering?
In this practice can you send compassion there?
You can say may all beings be free from suffering and causes of suffering.
All beings be free from suffering.
Free from suffering.
Can you send compassion there?
Nathan says compassion is a verb.
Compassion is a verb.
The next Brahma vihara is mudita or empathetic joy.
Fundamentally we are joyful creatures and when another person feels joy there's a way that their joy can also be felt by us.
Where we can feel an enormous amount of empathy for another and allow for that empathy to move through us.
We might practice by saying may all beings remember their connectedness.
May all beings never be separated from the supreme joy that is beyond all sorrow.
May all beings be connected to supreme joy that is beyond all sorrow.
The fourth Brahma vihara is upekka,
Equanimity.
It's this impartiality towards all living beings.
Some people don't entirely understand about equanimity but I want to feel and yes it's not about not feeling.
It's just about being unattached and it's about not being resentful based on what happens in our lives.
It's truly about finding the balance,
Staying steady where we don't need to be taken away by the storm.
We can watch and notice and observe and zoom out so we can respond right in the middle way from a place of equanimity.
We might say may all beings abide in equanimity free from attachment and aversion.
Or maybe we say may all beings abide in equanimity and find the middle way.
As you start to flower,
As you are blossoming into who you are becoming with each breath,
Can you hold the Brahma viharas close?
As you start to explore these Buddhist practices,
This noble path,
This way of connecting with metta,
Loving-kindness,
Karuna,
Compassion,
Mudita,
Empathetic joy and upekka,
Equanimity.
Taking a few more deep breaths,
Feeling the energy of the full moon all around you.
Thank you for your practice so much.
I'm excited to explore what's come up for you around this full moon.
Remember to be present with her in the way that feels most nourishing to you,
For you,
Tonight and for the next several days.
See you tomorrow.
