What would it take to experience the fullness of now?
The sound of the bell fading,
The heart beating,
The breath,
This life,
In all its richness,
So leaning into the qualities of presence of nowness,
By tuning into the sensations inside the body,
Physical manifestations of life,
As well as the quality of the mind,
And the state of your heart right now.
The heart through which and from which benevolence flows,
And may that be a gesture of self-care right now of these words,
May I be happy,
May I be content and fulfilled,
May I be healed and whole,
May I be protected from harm and free from fear,
May I be awakened,
Liberated and free.
And now with these words having infused your being,
The invitation is to open further,
Wider,
To open the circle of kindness,
And includes friends,
Family,
Co-workers,
Neighbors,
Those whose presence in your life feels easy and light,
And maybe those whose presence in your life is difficult for you somehow.
But as we practice inclusivity of experience in our practice of mindfulness,
And let us practice inclusivity in our practice of kindness,
So we offer the same words,
May you too be happy,
Content and fulfilled,
May you be healed and whole,
May you be protected from harm and free from fear,
May you be awakened,
Liberated and free.
And now the encouragement to open the heart further still,
To include those with whom you may share a country,
Or even the continent,
Or even the planet,
Those near and far,
Known and unknown to you,
Honoring the fact that they too are alive,
That they share this space,
This web of life with you.
And so the words of benevolence flow ever still,
Ever further,
Ever richer,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be content and fulfilled,
May all beings be healed and whole,
May all beings be protected from harm and free from fear,
May all beings be awakened,
Liberated and free,
And may there be peace on earth and the entire universe.
Thank you.