Welcome to a five-minute Common Humanity Compassion Meditation.
Take some deep stabilizing breaths so you can ground yourself in the present moment.
Only with a mind that is stable and grounded in the present moment can we really participate in an analytical meditation such as this.
Now let's bring to mind someone who we care about and who we love deeply.
Think about what you love about them and why they mean so much to you.
Understand that just like you,
This person wants to be happy.
This person wants to be loved.
This person has a complex inner world just like you do.
Just really visualize them and allow a sense of warmth to come about in your heart area.
Next,
Bring to mind somebody who you feel neutral towards,
No strong feelings one way or the other.
Begin to contextualize them,
Understanding that they are fully human.
Just like you,
They have wishes and desires.
They want to be happy.
They want to be loved.
And similarly,
Just like you,
They want to be free from suffering.
They want to be free from pain and struggle.
Now that you realize that you're just like them and they're just like you and that they're just like the person who you care about deeply,
Allow yourself to share with this person who you feel neutral towards the same warm heartedness,
The same sense of care that you shared with the first person you brought to mind.
May you be happy.
May you be free from suffering.
May you have happiness in your life.
May you avoid as much pain as possible.
Along these lines,
Just repeat a phrase such as,
May you be happy,
May you be free from suffering in your own mind.
As an exercise to take this from something that's purely intellectual,
Something that's really in our minds,
And turn it into something that is really in the world,
Let's make a commitment to ourselves that next time we see this person,
We'll recognize their full humanity and show them the utmost kindness,
Compassion,
And respect.
Thank you for participating in this meditation.
Have a great day.
