I'm Mark Nickelbein for the Secular Buddhist Association,
And this meditation is called Visiting the Sick.
Oftentimes when sickness is around us,
We tend to retreat into our own fears and anxieties,
Our own concern for our health.
And it can be hard to connect with the suffering of people who are sick.
So this meditation will help us open our hearts and remember our connection to all beings,
Even people who may be sick right now,
Even people who may be alone.
So please take a moment to find a position,
Whether sitting or lying down,
Standing,
A position that will allow you to be comfortable for about 20 minutes,
Upright,
Relaxed,
And alert.
So begin by just settling into your seated posture.
Feel into the pressure of your bottom on whatever you're sitting on,
Your feet on the floor.
Feel into the way that your head and your shoulders are balanced over your hips if you're sitting or the way that your shoulders and hips sink into the floor.
Take a few intentional deep breaths and feel the breath bring the awareness deep into the body,
Feeling the belly expand as you breathe in,
And then on the exhale allow anything that you're holding,
Any tension,
To just relax and unwind as best it's able to.
So take three intentional breaths now.
And when you're through with your deep breathing,
Just allow the breath to return to its natural state.
Letting the body swell slightly and then relax slightly with each breath.
And now the invitation is to bring to mind some place where you have felt safe,
Some place where you felt safe and accepted,
Perhaps where you felt at home.
It could be a room,
Perhaps a place in nature,
A chapel or a meditation hall,
Maybe it's grandma's kitchen table,
Any place will work as long as it's a place that you can connect with in your mind's eye right now.
And as you bring that place fully into mind,
Noticing what's happening in the body,
Noticing if there's a sense of relaxation,
Perhaps a sense of peace.
And if you've never had a place like that,
A place where you feel comfortable and safe,
Then imagine what a place like that might be.
Imagine the surroundings as clearly as you can see them.
And feel into any sensations of calm and rest that come into the body as you imagine this place where you felt safe.
Really see yourself there,
Feel yourself there.
We're going to move on with our meditation now,
But remember that this is a practice of self-care.
If at any time you begin to feel overwhelmed or anxious,
Please know that you can always return to this place.
Turn the audio off if you need to and just return to this place right now where you felt safe.
So,
Now the invitation is to imagine that we're entering a hospital.
Just imagine walking through the doors.
Bring that hospital to your mind as best you can and notice what feelings are coming up,
What thoughts,
What reactions in the body.
And whatever's coming up for you,
See if you can bring some curiosity and some kind mindfulness to whatever's happening in your experience right now.
Knowing that whatever you experience,
It can be held in a wider space of kindness and awareness.
So,
We walk into the hospital now and we go back through the hallways,
Past the reception area and into a ward and we see the doors of the rooms to our left as we walk down the hallway and the nurses station is to our right.
And we notice as we walk down the hallway that one of the rooms contains a patient who's very sick and who's all alone.
And remember we're just using our imagination so we don't have to worry about catching anything or giving anything to anyone else but notice if there's some anxiety as you view that person in their bed,
Perhaps on a ventilator.
And you can make them look however you like.
They can be young or old.
You can imagine them looking like someone you know or someone who's a complete stranger.
But see them in their hospital bed in their room,
Perhaps sunlight coming in through windows,
And walk into the room.
Quietly walk over to the chair that's beside the hospital bed.
And you look into this person's eyes and you can see that they're very sick and they're scared and it's even more scary for them because they're alone.
There's no medical staff or family or friends with them.
And they look at you and they are so glad that you're there.
And they smile as best they can.
And you smile back.
And you take a seat beside them.
And you offer them some comfort.
Whatever feels right,
Maybe you take their hand.
You might speak with them.
You might sing a song.
You might tell them that you're there and you'll stay there with them so they don't have to be alone.
And you can see the scene in any way that you can connect with.
And again,
Notice what's coming up in the body.
What emotions are present.
What physical sensations are here.
What thoughts are coming up.
There's no one right way to feel.
But perhaps,
As you imagine sitting and comforting this person,
You may be feeling a sensation of warmth in your heart space.
A sense of connection.
Because you know what it's like to be alone.
You know what it's like to suffer.
And see if you can't try to connect with this suffering person that you're sitting next to.
To feel their suffering inside you.
Feel their fear inside you.
With the intention that as you accept this person into your heart,
Your heart will transform that suffering into compassion,
Into warmth,
Into recognition that maybe you have never seen this person before,
But your family.
You're connected.
And as you sit with this individual,
You can see them start to relax.
Your presence is bringing them some comfort.
And they know that they're not alone.
Because you're willing to be there and be present.
Maybe you can't offer anything but your presence.
But feeling how being present in this space that can be scary,
Willing to be there.
Notice how that is an act of mindfulness and love.
Holding the person's hand.
Looking into their face.
Seeing the gratitude that they have that you're willing to be with them.
And perhaps feeling grateful for yourself that this person is willing to share this very vulnerable moment with you.
So you can stay here as long as you like.
But as we begin to end our meditation,
Taking a moment to see if we can extend the feeling of compassion and connection with everyone everywhere who's suffering.
Everyone who's sick.
Everyone who has a loved one who's sick and they can't be with them.
Millions of people all over the world are in this situation right now.
Imagine that we can send that compassion to all of them.
That we can be with all of them.
That we can comfort all of them.
Imagine what that would be like and imagine what that would feel like.
And notice what kinds of feelings arise in your own heart as you do.
And finally,
Whatever you've been wishing for others,
Accept for yourself.
If you've been wishing that others would be safe,
Accept that safety for yourself.
If you've been wishing for others to be at ease,
To be peaceful,
Accept that wish for yourself.
This great heart of loving kindness isn't just for other people,
It's for ourselves as well.
We discover that when we accept suffering,
The suffering of others or especially our own suffering,
Really feel into it.
Not hide from it.
Not push it away.
When we can do that,
The heart naturally transforms suffering into compassion.
And compassion brings joy.
So now take a few deep breaths and let go of any visualizations.
Invite any tension that may have come up in the body to relax.
And just rest.
Rest the mind.
Rest the body.
No effort at all.
Just allow everything to unwind just as it will.
Chang Kahe.
For the Secular Buddhist Association,
I'm Mark Nickelbein.
Thanks for sharing your practice with me today.
