Friday Night Guided Meditation

0:00 Thank you, Bill. I mean, of all of our committee members, you are kind of one of the most reliable. I mean, coming and serving for years and years and years. Thank you, Bill. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:18 Sometimes when people help, sometimes we don't give them as much recognition as they need. Usually in the big ceremonies, Bill is in charge of the car parking. But nevertheless, he does that so wonderful. I've never seen people shouting. Or getting angry at Bill when he's a car park attendant. And this wonderful service he's done for years and years and years and years. Report an error in the passage at 0:18 Highlight the passage at 0:18

0:44 Thank you. That's my personal thank you. And now we're going to do the meditation session. Half an hour of guided meditation will lead people into calming their minds down, getting really, really peaceful. And as the mind becomes peaceful, Please don't be afraid of the joy and the happiness which comes up. That's a sign that your mind is getting energized. It has the power to either see the Dhamma very clearly, to spread loving kindness and do so many wonderful things for yourself and in your life. Report an error in the passage at 0:44 Highlight the passage at 0:44

1:21 So let's get started by sitting quietly, closing your eyes. And with your eyes closed, Report an error in the passage at 1:21 Highlight the passage at 1:21

1:34 Becoming aware of your own body. Report an error in the passage at 1:34 Highlight the passage at 1:34

1:40 The body is like a vehicle which you're going to go into, hopefully, deep states of peace. To be able to prepare that vehicle, we want to make sure that there's no unwanted, disturbing aches or pains. And Report an error in the passage at 1:40 Highlight the passage at 1:40

2:05 this is something which we can do, Report an error in the passage at 2:05 Highlight the passage at 2:05

2:10 even if you are sickly. Nevertheless, you can still focus your mind on relaxation. That's why we call it relaxation, a word which I learned such a long time ago, but never knew how to do it until I learned meditation. Report an error in the passage at 2:10 Highlight the passage at 2:10

2:37 Part of the meditation is mindfulness, so I can feel my body. And one of the useful additions is the kindness. That's why for many years now I've called it kindfulness, being those two words together. And I just look at my body with kindfulness to begin with. Report an error in the passage at 2:37 Highlight the passage at 2:37

3:08 My body relaxes a little bit, but not enough. So then I do a sweeping of my body, starting with the lowest, furthest part of my body, away from my head. Report an error in the passage at 3:08 Highlight the passage at 3:08

3:27 And I start to experience any sensations in my feet. It's where I start building up the power of kindfulness. The mindfulness means I become aware of my feet, actually just my toes right now. Report an error in the passage at 3:27 Highlight the passage at 3:27

3:48 And the kindness relaxes them. Report an error in the passage at 3:48 Highlight the passage at 3:48

3:54 It relaxes them so much that I can feel my toes get so at ease. It is a pleasant experience. Report an error in the passage at 3:54 Highlight the passage at 3:54

4:12 See the pleasure of relaxation. That makes it easier to watch. My mind is enjoying it. And once my toes are relaxed, then I start to relax the rest of my feet. My kindfulness knows how my feet feels. Report an error in the passage at 4:12 Highlight the passage at 4:12

4:40 And you learn, mostly through kindfulness, how to let everything ease off. The muscles become loose. The position of the feet become as comfortable as I can make them. Report an error in the passage at 4:40 Highlight the passage at 4:40

5:00 I'm letting go. That's what eases any tightness or tension in my feet. In the beginning parts of meditation, if I feel I need to move slightly, I will always give my body that freedom to move, especially to relax it even more. Report an error in the passage at 5:00 Highlight the passage at 5:00

5:27 And I go up from my feet. To my ankles, I Report an error in the passage at 5:27 Highlight the passage at 5:27

5:36 can feel those ankles. And just I imagine them relaxing. And that to me helps relaxation. The imagination and reality are sometimes only a short distance aside. Very easy to breach from imagination to reality with the relaxation of your body. Report an error in the passage at 5:36 Highlight the passage at 5:36

6:05 And then from my ankles I go to my lower legs. Report an error in the passage at 6:05 Highlight the passage at 6:05

6:14 It's like I'm checking. Space between my ankles and my knees, how are those muscles, those bones, the skin. And if I find any place which needs a little attention, I will give that attention. Report an error in the passage at 6:14 Highlight the passage at 6:14

6:33 I notice that even the lower legs feel much more at ease than when I started. They go up to my knees. I often tell people the truth, that I had a motorbike when I was young, fell off many times. Report an error in the passage at 6:33 Highlight the passage at 6:33

6:53 I fell off a cliff when I used to like trekking in the wilderness. But my knees right now are playing sport. My knees feel so at ease. I Report an error in the passage at 6:53 Highlight the passage at 6:53

7:11 know how to relax them. I observe them as I'm observing them. I've learnt over so many years how to see them getting more comfortable by the second when I relax with them. Report an error in the passage at 7:11 Highlight the passage at 7:11

7:32 I never force them. I never tell them what to do. It's with kindness and working together. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:44 Sometimes I look at my knees, I imagine them, and feel that they are sinking into warm water. They don't need to be supported. They just sink into the warm bath of water and they become so loose, so free of any coercion. Report an error in the passage at 7:44 Highlight the passage at 7:44

8:08 That's when they relax so deeply. And that feels even better. And I go up my thigh, muscles and bones. It's hardly ever a problem there, but I just check nevertheless. Report an error in the passage at 8:08 Highlight the passage at 8:08

8:25 I even relax my thighs. Then I get to my butt, my buttocks. And there, as soon as I get to those buttocks, I always feel that pressure of the body being transferred through the buttocks onto the cushion. Report an error in the passage at 8:25 Highlight the passage at 8:25

8:45 As I experience that, I find that the only thing I can do and it works is actually to balance that feeling. Be aware of it, make sure it's not too far on one side of the buttocks, not too far forward, not too far back. Report an error in the passage at 8:45 Highlight the passage at 8:45

9:08 When it's balanced, I know it's an easy experience and it soon disappears. The brain has got used to that feeling. And doesn't need to do any work with it. And then I realize I've relaxed my legs from the buttocks down. Report an error in the passage at 9:08 Highlight the passage at 9:08

9:34 My legs do feel good. And I look at my waist. Report an error in the passage at 9:34 Highlight the passage at 9:34

9:42 Sometimes I move my back forward, kind of like stretching my waist. It always feels a bit more comfortable. That's force. So then I let go. And allow my... Upper body to relax, but still keeping that comfort on the waist. And with that also my back. Report an error in the passage at 9:42 Highlight the passage at 9:42

10:10 I can check the sensations in my back, making Report an error in the passage at 10:10 Highlight the passage at 10:10

10:18 sure that the back is well positioned. I just need to stretch it a bit more. This is what I learned over many years of meditation, how to check my body parts. This case, my back, until everything relaxes more deeply than when I started. I go back down to the bottom of my torso. Report an error in the passage at 10:18 Highlight the passage at 10:18

10:46 Maybe because I'm a monk, because we're not quite sure what we eat every day. Many monks suffer from stomach problems. Not so many in Bodhinyana Monastery. Report an error in the passage at 10:46 Highlight the passage at 10:46

11:05 then Scan my body up the inside of my torso, moving it upwards inch by inch. If I feel any sort of tightness, tension, ache or pain, I would always pause there, stay with it. A lot of times that's all I need to do. Acknowledge a feeling, not be afraid and expand with it. Report an error in the passage at 11:05 Highlight the passage at 11:05

11:43 Which means that I'm not trying to run away from anything or force anything. You relax with it. And any sensations anywhere in my torso get less intense. Until I can relax my torso right the way up to the stomach and the lungs, they Report an error in the passage at 11:43 Highlight the passage at 11:43

12:13 all feel at ease. They're not being stretched, squashed, pushed. Report an error in the passage at 12:13 Highlight the passage at 12:13

12:21 They allow it to go to a natural state of relaxation. Report an error in the passage at 12:21 Highlight the passage at 12:21

12:28 And out from my lungs I go to my heart region. Just to feel any sensations there. And keep them all at ease. No tightness, no tension, no force. Trying to find a beautiful, easy feeling in the whole body. Report an error in the passage at 12:28 Highlight the passage at 12:28

12:52 And from the heart region I go to my shoulders. I often mention this, before I go to the shoulders, I'm unaware of them. Now I am aware of them. I usually find that they're tense. Report an error in the passage at 12:52 Highlight the passage at 12:52

13:09 So now I need to relax my own shoulders. And one of the ways, only one of the ways, there's many ways to relax your shoulders, is to tense them up first. Report an error in the passage at 13:09 Highlight the passage at 13:09

13:21 Scrunch them. And once they're as scrunchy, you know what I mean, as I can make them, then I... Let go. Take off the force, take off the pulling. And they were much more relaxed when I started. Report an error in the passage at 13:21 Highlight the passage at 13:21

13:39 One of the reasons I relate this story is because it shows you what letting go means as an experience. Something is tight because you're holding it tight, you're pulling it, you're squashing it, and then you let everything go. And it becomes easy. Report an error in the passage at 13:39 Highlight the passage at 13:39

14:00 And then I go down my arms, just... Slowly, past my elbows, down the forearms, the wrists, the hands, and then the fingers. Report an error in the passage at 14:00 Highlight the passage at 14:00

14:17 Sometimes I don't need to do anything, but today, my palms and my hand are not really adjusted properly. I don't mean because it's not fitting some instruction. It didn't feel comfortable. I always trust feelings, my own experience, than any books. Sometimes a comfortable spot for my hands changes. Report an error in the passage at 14:17 Highlight the passage at 14:17

14:47 It's almost like I ask my fingers, are you happy? Are you comfortable? And I follow the advice that my own fingers give me than any book. Now Report an error in the passage at 14:47 Highlight the passage at 14:47

15:04 my fingers are comfortable. I still need to stretch my back slightly. Report an error in the passage at 15:04 Highlight the passage at 15:04

15:14 I'm getting in a comfortable position through kindfulness. And then I... Relax my neck by balancing the head on top of it, not too far forward, not too far back, not too far to either side. You Report an error in the passage at 15:14 Highlight the passage at 15:14

15:37 find the optimum position. And lastly I go to the muscles on the front of my face, around my eyes, nose and mouth, making sure there's no tightness anywhere on my face. Report an error in the passage at 15:37 Highlight the passage at 15:37

16:10 And lastly, I try to put all those pieces of my body together. And just look how my whole body is right now. It's pretty relaxed. And it feels at ease when I can see the whole of my body. Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

16:41 Everything is just being relaxed part by part. I usually stay with the awareness of a relaxed body. Here it comes. Until I can feel the delight in a relaxed body, it feels good. Report an error in the passage at 16:41 Highlight the passage at 16:41

17:05 It's a joy, a real joy. I Report an error in the passage at 17:05 Highlight the passage at 17:05

17:17 think that happiness takes my relaxation even deeper. It's one of the reasons why I don't seem to have many health problems. I Report an error in the passage at 17:17 Highlight the passage at 17:17

17:35 enjoy that. It took me a long time to have that courage to not do what my friends said, but what the Buddha said. To enjoy the peace and simplicity of relaxation. And Report an error in the passage at 17:35 Highlight the passage at 17:35

17:55 that was a wonderful basis to go to the next stage of relaxation. Relaxing your mind. I Report an error in the passage at 17:55 Highlight the passage at 17:55

18:08 started off with noticing peace. Being aware of peace. What Report an error in the passage at 18:08 Highlight the passage at 18:08

18:19 does peace feel like? Report an error in the passage at 18:19 Highlight the passage at 18:19

18:25 Peace means a kind of happiness with how things are right now. You're at peace with it. You've got no business with it. You don't need to think about it or find solutions. You open the door of your heart to this moment, no matter what it is. Report an error in the passage at 18:25 Highlight the passage at 18:25

18:47 You're making peace with it, not fighting it. Being with it. Report an error in the passage at 18:47 Highlight the passage at 18:47

18:58 Once the peace starts to develop, that happiness is even more gorgeous. Report an error in the passage at 18:58 Highlight the passage at 18:58

19:09 This is legitimate, real peace. Don't Report an error in the passage at 19:09 Highlight the passage at 19:09

19:19 try and describe it with words. Words are never enough. Experience it more deeply in silence. Report an error in the passage at 19:19 Highlight the passage at 19:19

19:36 You enjoy its timbre, its tone, its feeling. You Report an error in the passage at 19:36 Highlight the passage at 19:36

19:48 find how less you need words. Because Report an error in the passage at 19:48 Highlight the passage at 19:48

19:56 one word often leads to another, which leads to another. And you destroy the peace and silence. You Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:07 can feel stillness start to grow. Report an error in the passage at 20:07 Highlight the passage at 20:07

20:14 Stillness of the mind is a translation of the word samādhi. Report an error in the passage at 20:14 Highlight the passage at 20:14

20:25 Real stillness. At this point, I usually stop speaking for a few minutes. It Report an error in the passage at 20:25 Highlight the passage at 20:25

· · · silence, 6 minutes

26:08 is getting close to the end of the meditation. Don't come out quickly. It's Report an error in the passage at 26:08 Highlight the passage at 26:08

26:20 beautiful to allow the mind to emerge from the meditation. So Report an error in the passage at 26:20 Highlight the passage at 26:20

26:36 you know how you feel. The peace, the beauty, the stillness. Report an error in the passage at 26:36 Highlight the passage at 26:36

26:49 Once you learn how to value the meditation, it becomes easier to get into these deep meditations again. You notice that you value it and the mind automatically leans, inclines, gets pulled towards the joy of meditation. I'm Report an error in the passage at 26:49 Highlight the passage at 26:49

27:24 now going to ring the gong. When the gong finishes sounding for the third time. Actually not the third time. When it finishes sounding, then you may come out of the meditation. Report an error in the passage at 27:24 Highlight the passage at 27:24

· · · silence, 1 minute

28:15 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 28:15 Highlight the passage at 28:15

28:21 So for those who wish to just wiggle about a little bit, just to stretch the muscle here, muscle there, or you wish to go to the toilet, those on the outside who wish to come in, please come in. Report an error in the passage at 28:21 Highlight the passage at 28:21