The Buddha recommended ten topics or themes for reflection,
Recollection,
Contemplation,
Contemplating the breath,
The body,
The three refuges,
Buddha,
Sangha,
And Dharma.
But the other five are recollection of times of peace,
Tranquility,
Ease,
Inner life,
To essentially buttress our spirits and to see what in these recollections were the causes and conditions where we experience peace,
Where we experience the state of ease.
Deva Nusati,
The recollection of protective beings or spirits or anything that we felt came to our side or in any way a tear of us,
A sense of protection.
Sila Nusati,
Which is recollection of our and other people's virtue,
Undertaking actions that benefit others and practicing the precepts,
Refraining from causing harm,
What could reflect on one's sobriety or one's refusal to indulge in other forms of intoxicating experiences,
Or one could reflect on anything we've done that falls into the category of virtue and anything we've done under the category of generosity.
Kaga Nusati is reflections on acts of generosity.
And then the most important of all the reflections,
The one that the Buddha encouraged practitioners to reflect on on a daily basis,
Murana Sakti,
Are reflections on one's mortality,
Reflections on the fragility of the human experience,
The lack of guarantees,
The inevitability of aging,
Sickness,
Death,
Separation from things we cherish.
And then the ultimate recognition that all that really matters is the quality of our deeds.
That's all that when we reflect back on our lives,
That will really create any sense of life well lived.
So in this practice,
We're going to be doing this reflection.
This reflection is not meant to be a bummer.
It's actually meant to realign our intentions towards that which when we look back on our lives,
Give our lives a sense of meaning,
A sense of art resonance,
A sense of value and beauty.
That which when we reflect on it,
Provides a sense of meaning that in some way alleviates,
Even the smallest way,
The difficulties and challenges that we all are burdened with.
So,
Closing the eyes and finding the most comfortable seated position.
If any of you want to do this meditation lying down,
That's okay.
Whatever feels right for you.
And just allow yourself to come into a very comfortable state.
If you're lying down,
Just allow the ground to fully support you and feel all the points where you're connected.
If you're sitting upright the same,
Just allow the earth to support us.
So just incline our attention towards the breath in the body.
Just find any area in the body that lets you know through sensations that you can feel when you're breathing in and when you're breathing out.
And find in the breath if you want to adjust anything about the quality of the mind and the emotional state of the body.
Inclining the out-breath to be longer if you want to soothe or focusing on the enlivening in-breath.
If you need to feel more alert.
And most importantly,
Just relax if you can.
Soften the belly.
Release the shoulders.
Allow the arms to hang lifelessly.
Staying with the breath.
Just finding again the sensations of breathing in and breathing out.
The sensations of the body like a constellation of stars in the night sky.
Sensations,
Impressions appearing and disappearing.
Knowing the body from the inside out,
Not visualizing one's hands or feet or legs or torso.
Connecting with the constellation of sensations.
And then just allow the thought to be included in awareness of these sensations.
Letting us know we have a body.
Just dropping in the reflection that one day this body will grow old.
That this body is aging.
By to and of the nature to grow old.
Not as a judgment of the body,
Just a reflection of that which is a given.
Letting us know we have a body.
Adding in a reflection this body will become at times sick or ill.
That too is the nature of having a body.
That I am of the nature to become ill.
One day this body will breathe no more.
There will be an exhalation and no inhalation.
By to and of the nature to die as all bodies are.
Letting us know we have a body.
In time I will be separated from all that is dear to me.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
One day all that I cherish and is dear to me I will be separated from.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
The soul,
Truth of karma,
All that really matters,
All that I ever will have or own.
All that I can lay claim to are the quality of my actions.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
And knowing this just allow the mind to reflect on what experiences or connections with others what has brought a sense of beauty,
A sense of depth,
A sense of virtue,
A sense of peace for us.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
This is not personal.
This is the nature of life.
Whatever recollections have brought any sense of value,
Whatever comes to mind is a time of peace,
Joy,
Connection.
Lastly,
Just note what we can learn from that which has brought our life a sense of meaning.
And how knowing this can integrate this wisdom into our life moving forward.
What do I want to take with me from this?
The day's reflection.
The day's reflection.
The day's reflection.
