In this session,
We're going to do a prayer for well-being together.
First,
I'd like to talk about a term,
Bodhisattva.
It's a Buddhist term,
And it means an enlightened existence or an enlightened being.
The word Bodhi means enlightenment,
And the word Sattva is essence.
I looked up a few definitions of this,
And I found one that said,
Heroic-minded one for enlightenment,
And I really enjoyed the word heroic-minded.
Because in this time of great worry and fear,
We have the opportunity to be a victim to what's going on,
To get knocked around by alerts and to stay hidden.
Or we can be the heroic-minded ones.
We can be the ones who pave the path for others.
We can use this as an opportunity to take the difficulty,
To deepen our own practice.
In the difficulty,
We can use it to quiet the mind and to cultivate even more compassion.
Truly,
What the Bodhisattva does on the path to enlightenment is something called Bodhicitta.
They're practicing compassion.
One of the ways that they do this is through the challenges.
Actually,
The challenges become the path.
It's like the curriculum for our lives.
It's how we get better.
It's how we grow the strength of our hearts so that we can be better,
So that we can support ourselves and lend our love to those who need it.
So with that,
Let's situate ourselves for practice.
Make yourself comfortable.
Find a way to sit that is both relaxed and alert,
Aware.
Sit up tall and lengthen your spine.
Relax through the eyes,
The mouth.
And take a few deep breaths.
Breathing in,
Fill up.
And then slowly,
Like you're blowing up a balloon,
Breathe out.
Feel yourself grounding into your body.
And come back to a normal breath.
Let your breath flow naturally.
And I'd like you to imagine the spark of the hero-minded one.
The hero mind that really begins in the heart.
The first chakra that we have at birth,
At the moment of being conceived.
The space of unconditional love and truth.
And the origination of the heroic mind.
Breathe into this spark and feel its brightness.
As if the brightness could spread and move up to the shoulders.
To the neck.
And to tickle the corners of your lips so that they turn upwards into a smile.
And then connects up to the third eye,
The intuitive center.
So that this spark is creating an energetic warmth and connection between the heart and the intuition.
And then bring your hands together in a prayer position.
Thumbs touch.
And move it up to your heart.
Bring your chin in slightly so that your third eye is pointed down towards the center of your chest.
And now I'd like you to imagine your loved ones are with you,
Standing in a circle holding hands.
Both family and community loved ones.
And then expanding the circle as if you could say,
Come on,
Join us.
Letting in people that you may not know very well,
But perhaps you see on a regular basis.
Maybe it's the man who delivers your Amazon packages.
Or your coffee barista.
Start to see some of those faces.
Those people you see regularly,
Maybe you know their names,
Maybe you don't.
But invite them into your circle,
Into your awareness.
And as you do,
Feel that your heart,
Your heroic-minded one,
Could just leap up and out.
And almost shine down on them so that they can feel it and take it into their hearts too.
And then expand your awareness even more so that it includes your entire country.
As if your entire country could stand in this circle with you.
And feel your heroic-minded heart.
Let it shower down on them so that they can have a piece of that too.
And then let your awareness welcome in the entire world.
As if all beings were standing here with you.
In the circle of compassion.
Feeling the heroic-minded heart.
And see them all choose to take it on too.
And from the strength of your heart,
The words of the prayer.
May we all be well.
May we all be free from suffering.
May we all feel safe.
May we all be loved.
And may we all experience happiness and the causes of happiness.
So that it is sustainable for our entire lives.
May we bathe in the light of the heroic mind.
And find more compassion for ourselves and for all.
You can bring your hands to lay flat now on your heart.
Giving yourself a thank you for this beautiful practice.
And as you're ready,
Coming back,
Maybe with a smile,
Opening the eyes.
You're doing such amazing work.
Thank you so much for participating in this meditation and this series.
I'm so glad that you're choosing health,
Well-being,
And a state of calm.
So that you can lead yourself and others through this time of uncertainty.
So until next time,
May you be healthy,
May you be well.
And I look forward to practicing again with you soon.
