"If
you start giggling: can you feel where the giggling is happening
in your body?
What is happening in the belly? Can you sense movement there?"
Also its important to let people know with guided visualization that some people do not see the image, as they would with their eyes open. They get a tone, or a feeling for it, that is good enough.
letting go of stress and negativity
light meditation (good meditation for bringing a group together)
lying down meditationstanding meditation under a tree
Abide supported by my kamma
Patience and endurance
Have a look here
This is a guided meditation on ARRIVING and also a kind of introduction to meditation.
Please sit down in a position which you can feel comfortable in
for about 5 minutes, back upright and relaxed.
Try to sit on your own, unless you have a small child, and feel it might be good for her to stay in physical contact with one parent.
We will meditate with closed eyes and in silence.
In order to be ready to close your eyes, you need to feel safe:
you want to be sure that nobody will hurt you or play tricks on
you. It’s about trust and being trustworthy. So can everybody
please be trustworthy?
The effect of that being trust and safety. Cause and effect …
So, please close your eyes now, and really try not to open them during meditation.
In the end I will ring the bell to indicate that you can open your eyes again.
Take a deep in breath - and let your out breath flow out long - and allow yourself to relax.
Repeat that a few times on your own.
And now just breathe naturally, keeping the attention on the sensations of breathing.
Where in your body can you feel that you are breathing?
Can you feel something in your nose? … your throat?
… your chest? … your belly?
Just settle into these gentle breathing sensations, allowing yourself
to feel comfortable in yourself.
Feel your body sitting here, gently expanding and contracting with
the breathing.
Can you feel the weight of your body, the gravity?
Where is the body touching the ground:
Are your feet touching the ground? Which part of your feet?
Are your legs touching the ground?
Your buttocks?
Allow the weight of the body sink into the ground.
With each out breath you can give away some heaviness: Let
it just sink down and flow off.
And with the in breath, take in the fresh air, the new moment.
Arriving in yourself, in the present moment.
Welcome.
Bell
Slowly open your eyes, stretch a bit, and look around …
We are going to meditate with a piece of sugar.
So please come forward to get a sugar cube each and a little piece
of paper as well
and do not eat the sugar yet!
Please go back to your seat and place the sugar cube on top of the paper
on the ground in front of you.
Just sit there and watch it!
(Wait until everybody is sitting again with their sugar in front
of them)
When you watch the sugar cube now, what happens in your body?
Are you aware of your body sitting and breathing?
Or are you completely hypnotized by the sugar cube?
Remember meditation is for developing awareness around our senses.
We are slowing down our actions that are usually done very quickly,
without much awareness of what is going on inside of us.
So here we have the opportunity to do something slowly, step by step, so that we are able to detect what is really happening inside. What our 6 senses are doing. I hope you can enjoy that.
I will give you the step by step instructions. Before doing anything, please listen to what I say, and then when you hear the sound of the bell you can do it!
With awareness, move your arm forward, but don't touch the sugar cube yet. Stop at one inch distance and - bell - watch
What do you see? How do you feel? Do you still breathe?
With awareness, take it up and bring it near to your eyes, so that
you can watch it in detail. - bell -
Have you ever seen a sugar cube that close? What can you see?
With awareness, bring the sugar cube close to your nostrils and close
your eyes - bell -
Can you smell anything? What?
With awareness, bring it close to your lips, so that the lips can touch
it. - bell -
What do the lips feel? Is something happening in your mind: Any
expectations?
With awareness, let your tongue come out a bit and let the tip of the
tongue touch the sugar.
Try to register precisely how long does it take until you can actually
taste something- bell -
With awareness, place the sugar on the middle of the tongue, and close your mouth. Please try not to move anything in your mouth, the tongue stays still, no sucking etc - bell -
how does that feel? Sense what is happening there and what you can
taste.
Its important not to start moving your tongue or playing around
with your saliva let the sugar dissolve by its-self.
I will look on my watch. How long will it take for the sugar cube to
dissolve completely? Guess how many minutes? If you can feel that
the last speck of sugar is gone you can clap your hands once
no cheating
Meanwhile register what are you experiencing, any surprises, any impatience,
any thoughts, questions feelings.
later we can share our experiences.
(Somebody claps hands not cheating register the time so everybody can
help the sugar cube dissolving)
Now in your usual way of eating but do it with awareness.- bell
-
OTHERWISE WAIT FOR MAX. 10 MIN. OR WHEN IT GETS RESTLESS.
Nobody has clapped their hands yet? any surprises? I don't want
to torture you for too long so we don't wait until the sugar cube
has dissolved completely on its own. We will help it a bit so you
can help it a bit in your usual way of eating; but do it mindfully
register what is happening in your mouth and in your mind. - bell
-
When the sugar cube is gone is there anything left? Can you still
taste something?
Wait and find out how long you can taste it meanwhile.....
Count your breath 1 on the in-breath; 2 on the out-breath; 3 on the next in-breath, and so on ................
How far can you count like this until the taste of sugar has disappeared
completely start counting now
-bell -
-
When you can't taste anything anymore, shout out your number of
breaths
Ring the bell when enough people have shouted out their number of
breaths
Sharing do you want to share anything what was surprising for you/
Do you think that you miss something when you eat?
Do you still remember the taste of sugar
How would I usually guide you into meditation?
How would I start?
Do you remember?
Can you do it yourself, without me?
Try.
(Watch, and only mention something, if somebody is obviously lost
and getting uneasy.)
That’s interesting: It seems as if most of you can do it on your
own and don’t need me any longer.
I like that, because, in a way, I like to trust you, and I like
to be free.
Now simply stay with focusing your awareness around breathing in and
out, even while I’m speaking.
Allow the breath to support you in receiving and understanding
of what you hear.
So, as you can do this now on your own, this is the result of your kamma
you have practised it so often, that you know by heart how
to bring the breath back into awareness.
Is that a good result or what?
Why do we practice mindfulness of breathing?
- What is the result when you do it?
In which way could it support you in your life? Just think
of a few reasons or good effects it has on you.
Can you be aware of you breath while you are thinking now?
If that is difficult, try to be aware of your breath during the
GAPS between thinking.
Do you remember situations, when what you saw or heard overwhelmed
you, so that you started to loose your clarity?
Like when somebody is shouting at you or threatening you?
Usually we would react and defend ourselves, and for many
of us, that means we are going to attack back, shout or even hit…
- Will that make the situation any better?
What could help you to stay cool and clear?
--- You could GO AWAY. That is very good, if the situation is too overwhelming
for you.
What else could you do?
Guess what?
Would you think, MEDITATION could help?
In my experience, if, for example, somebody is shouting at me, and
if I manage to direct my attention to my breath before shouting
back, I am safe. I can stay with my
breathing in and out sensations, and even enjoy that I am not so
much affected by what the other person is doing. And usually that
is helping the other person too. Because if I don’t react,
they are more likely to realize what they are doing, and that it
might not be helpful to continue in this way. So they tend to calm
down a bit. And after that, it might be possible to find out with
them why they are in pain, or what they need.
And if I can trust in my ability to stay with my breath, to rest
in awareness, then I don’t feel threatened or defensive, and
I am more willing to listen and even to help them.
So I am sharing this with you, because I like to encourage you to
try it out for yourself.
Where is your breath now?
- bell -
Now we do a meditation with movement.
Please sit down on your cushion or chair, and listen.
For now you can please keep your eyes open.
Developing mindfulness of the body is not just something for the
meditation cushion.
You need to have awareness of the body all day long, otherwise you
may have an accident.
Also, when you remember the
six creatures story:
mindfulness of the body is like the post which gives you enough
inner stability to not get pulled immediately to where your senses
go.
This mediation is to establish awareness of the body in a very simple and effective way.
Children can do it and it is just as good for adults. There are
monks who also use this method.
You sit cross legged, or on your heels and it is also possible
on a chair.
You simply move your hands and forearms. It is a sequence of movements.
It is very easy.
First we do it with open eyes, so that you can watch me, then, once
you know it by heart, you can do it with your eyes closed. Then
on your own, enjoying the sense of space which comes with it.
Demonstrate and explain.
Rest your hands palms down on your thighs.
Do each movement with the in breath and stop while you are breathing
out do it slowly.
Move with awareness which means you really feel what you are doing
the movement and the space.
1.With awareness, breathing in turn the right hand onto its edge, then
stop and breathe out.
2.With awareness, breathing in, raise the hand, then stop and breathe
out.
3.With awareness, breathing in, lower the hand to the abdomen, then
stop and breath out.
4.With awareness, breathing in , raise the hand, then stop and breath
out.
5.With awareness, breathing in, lower the hand, to rest on the abdomen
onto of your right hand and then stop and breathe out.
6.With awareness, breathing in, move the right hand onto the chest,
then stop and breathe out.
7.With awareness, breathing in, move the hand out, then stop and
breath out.
8.With awareness, breathing in, lower the hand to the thigh, then
stop and breathe out.
9.With awareness, breathing in, turn the hand down, then stop and
breath out.
10.With awareness, breathing in, move the left hand to rest on the
chest, then stop and breathe out.
11.With awareness, breathing in, over the hand out, then stop and
breathe out.
12.With awareness, breathing in, lower the hand to the thigh, then
stop and breath out.
13.With awareness, breathing in, turn the hand down ,and then stop
and breath out.
Repeat this cycle of movements a few times with open eyes and then once you feel sure you can do it on your own, close your eyes and do it for a while until you hear the sound of the bell
any comments?
-bell-
Sit down in an comfortable position , on your own, back upright and relaxed.
And please stop talking now and close your eyes, so that you can focus your attention inward, feeling your body sitting here
Feeling the parts of your body that are touching the ground --- feeling the breath, going in --- and out.
I would like to ask you to reflect on WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Just think of a few reasons or causes for your being here, where
you are now?
For example, one reason is:
“I am here because I WAS BORN.” - True?
Next question: Why were you born? What was the cause for that? How
did that happen to you?
--- Do you remember? --- Or did you have to ask your parents?
---
Did you choose to be born? --- Did you choose your parents? ---
What a pity, that you don’t remember!
Did your parents tell you about how it happened? ---
Anyway, you must have been born, because you are here now, although
you don’t remember the details. ---
Another reason why you are here now? ---
Let’s say : The intention ‘I want to come to the Summer
Camp.’- That’s probably true for all of you.
Let’s go back to the details here, because this is something
that you CAN remember:
So it starts with an idea of what you would like to do, right? ---
The idea of coming to the Summer Camp …
So if we have an idea, that will have an effect on us: we start
thinking about it, imagining how it would be …
we start speaking about it …
finding reasons, why it may be a good idea …
- it’s becoming an INTENTION ...
something that we really WANT to do.
So we start making plans, preparing …
and finally, if there are no strong objections, we’ll
do it ...
There is an action or KAMMA, coming from this intention, and a result
from that action. So, after driving to Amaravati, here you are,
born into the Family Camp 2005.
So this is an example of ‘BORN OF MY KAMMA’ , something
we have done. Can you understand now, how we are effected by our
own actions, how we have created the reality we are in now?
Why bother thinking about such details?
Did you ever find yourself in a mess, wondering how you got there? ---
Is your tendency to complain or to blame other people for
what is happening to you?---
Or do you believe, that things happen to you accidentally, independently
of what you are doing?
--- Are you feeling ready to take responsibility? ---
I want to tell you a STORY.
Imagine, somebody is walking home at night. Suddenly, oops, he finds
himself falling … and hitting the ground. It hurts, and he
sits dazzled for a moment, wondering what happened?
Slowly, he realizes that he has fallen into a hole, and is
sitting at the bottom. He manages to get on his feet again, and
investigates how to get out. With aching limbs he climbs out and
walks home.
Next day, again, he walks home at night. Suddenly, oops, he finds himself falling … and hitting the ground. It hurts, he gets up and finds himself in the same hole again. “ dam!” He climbs out and limps home.
The following day, he walks home at night. Suddenly, oops, he finds himself falling … and hitting the ground. He sits there, asking himself: “How could that happen again?” He climbs out and walks home.
Next day, he is on his way home. Suddenly, on the same road, he remembers: ‘There is a hole here somewhere. I don’t want to fall down again!’
So he watches out and manages to see it, and he walks around it.
- Hey, that was clever! - So he arrives home safely.
The following day, he is on his way home again. As he is just turning towards the same road, he remembers the hole. He chooses another road.
So how long does it take YOU to learn that you have a choice? ---
If there is AWARENESS of what you are doing, and awareness of the effects of what you are doing
The awareness of cause and effect can influence your life.
You may want to choose an action that is not harmful to yourself
or others, an action that is rather beneficial. Right?
So finally, can you understand that you are BORN OF YOUR KAMMA, that it is you yourself, who is creating the reality you find yourself in? ---
You can influence your life, moment by moment, by being aware of the
choices you are making. -
And it starts with awareness.
Awareness is the cause of knowing.
Can you choose to be aware of your breathing in and out now? ---
Can you choose to be aware of your breathing sensations in the belly?
-----
Can you choose to be aware of ---
- bell -
Please sit in a comfortable position, relaxed but still upright
And please CLOSE YOUR EYES some of you may feel a bit uncomfortable
when we sit together like this, with eyes closed. Usually we want
to check with our eyes what's happening around us and if we can
feel safe.
So it does take a bit of courage and trusting to stay with eyes
closed and it needs a clear inner determination, so please do take
responsibility for yourself in this and support others as well.
(stay with eyes closed).
Why do we sit with eyes closed in meditation?
If I close my eyes, its much easier to direct my attention inwards and to stay there. It's easier to sense into the body; and it is very peaceful, not to have to look around outside, just to be aware of what is happening inside, in this moment....
So right now, can you feel you body breathing?
Take a deep in breath silently - and then let the breath flow quietly
and fully, without forcing anything.
Just allow breathing to happen naturally, and allow your body to
relax with it.
What a relief to allow everything to let go....
As you do this, your awareness of the inner space begins to wake up:
just notice how the inner space is filling when you breathe in ...
And notice when it starts to breathe out... releasing the air...
feel how your inner space gently gets filled and emptied, is expanding
and contracting...
Establishing your awareness around that area of your body where
you
can feel expanding and contracting. Stay there for a few breaths....
Your awareness is like space: Everything you can be aware of, is happening within this spacious awareness like now, you sensations of breathing in, breathing out, body expanding and contracting.
Sense impressions arise in this space. Like clouds in the sky they come and go. And your awareness is like the blue sky, in which everything floats.
The sky is much bigger than the clouds. The clouds are changing.
The blue sky is always the same, vast space. That is awareness
It is always there, even when the clouds are so thick that you may not notice the blue sky. But everything is just happening in this vast sky, in this vast spacious awareness, which is your awareness.
Imagine (inside , in your mind) how we are sitting all in the marquee
(room) now.
Where does this imagination happen?
Does it happen inside your awareness or outside it?
And: can you feel your buttocks, touching the ground?
Where does that sensation arise inside or outside of your awareness space?
Can you imagine that the whole world of you sensations, feeling, even thoughts, is arising out of this vast spacious awareness? - your awareness is embracing it all!
Like the blue sky, in which clouds are appearing and changing and disappearing again
That is the non-sense, the awareness which embraces all senses, the spacious awareness in which you sense experience, your experience of the world, arises and ceases.
That is the knowing
Bell
You can open your eyes -
so the sound of the bell, does it arise within your awareness or outside of it.
Where do you actually hear it?
Would you be able to hear the sound, if the sound would not be inside your space of awareness?
Bell
To explore the six senses we will use our imagination and use the mind sense to explore the other five. This may help you to see how the mind sense works.
We will
do this like a guided meditation, we will look at the senses through
the types of feeling: pleasant, unpleasant, and neither pleasant
or unpleasant
(like: pleasant-
I want this)
SMELL:
of a chip shop
TASTE:
your favourite ice cream
TOUCH:
holding a friends hand your first kiss.
LOOK: a
table full of your favourite food
LISTEN:
your favourite music
MIND: visualise
your favourite food again, smell it, taste it, touch it, listen
to yourself as you munch on it, where is all this happening.
Sit for
5 minutes
(Dislike:
unpleasant I don’t want this)
SMELL:
of rotten piece of cheese
TASTE:
eating some earth
TOUCH:
putting your hand on a very hot heater
LOOK: cut
there thumb and they are bleeding
LISTEN
: some body calling you names.
MIND: where
is all this happening, and these are unpleasant, who says they are
unpleasant
Sit for
5 minutes
(Calm: Neutral)
SMELL:
imagine your breathe
TASTE:
taste you tongue
TOUCH:
touch of your clothes on your body
LOOK: water
LISTEN:
to the wind
MIND: where
is all this happening, if these are plain/unexciting feelings then
who says this?
Sit for
5 minutes.
Lets do a guided meditation on the celebration of our own goodness at the end of this event.
Please sit down in a comfortable position and close our eyes
Take a deep in breath and let a long- ahhh - out on the out breath
Lets do that three times.
Direct your attention to the body breathing in, breathing out, sensations, belly expanding and belly contracting.
We all had a day with a lot of activities and excitement.
Meditation is a good means for stopping and settling, for taking a breath and coming back to our inner space of awareness and peace - can you feel that?
Stay a while with this spacious awareness around your breathing
center.
Let us reflect for a moment on our own goodness.
We are so used to being self-critical, focusing on our own faults, moments where we are or others were not good enough, were not living up to our expectations.
We hardly celebrate our own goodness.
We actually weaken our own goodness if we don’t see and confirm
it in ourselves.
So now I encourage you to bring to your mind a situation where you were able to make your own life more wonderful, or where you could contribute to making somebody else’s life more wonderful -
Can you remember such a situation during the camp?
Can you celebrate you own goodness for a moment silently?
Just breathe into the space of this memory and feel appreciation
for your own goodness
This can create more energy and sense of wellbeing.
Now bring to your mind a situation, where somebody else was contributing
to making your life or the life of another person more wonderful.
Can you celebrate this persons goodness silently for a moment?
Breathe into the space of this memory and feel how the appreciation
for this person’s goodness fills your own heart with warm
energy and loving kindness.
Can you make a resolution to share your appreciation for what this person
did later with him or her?
Just go to this person and tell him what you saw or heard him/her
doing, and what they did to you.
You will have time for this after meditation.
We are not always living up to our good intentions.
Sometimes we do something we regret afterwards. Then we need some
healing.
Forgiveness is such a means for healing.
Can you remember a situation where you did something to yourself or
somebody else that was painful?
Can you, without blaming yourself, feel you own disappointment about
this and send a deep breath into the space of that memory?
And tell yourself that you regret it, and send some compassion and
forgiveness into your heart-area, with the next breathe.
Maybe if you remember a situation where you hurt somebody else, you want to go to this person and tell him/her that you feel sorry about what happened? Then do that after the meditation.
Now bring a memory to your mind where somebody else did or said something that was painful for yourself or somebody else. Instead of being resentful, can you generate some compassion and forgiveness for that person and with the next breath send this healing energy into the space of this memory?
bell
Meet in front of stupa in the mown area
let them form circles of 10-12 people. Direct circles around me
and near enough to me, so that they can hear my voice. Ask them
to stand in a very close circle, facing each other, and then from
there to sit down, and - without moving the feet from where they
are - to stretch out on their backs backward, so that the bodies
are lying like rays of a sun. The feet in the middle, heads outside,
and enough space in between, so that they don’t disturb each
other …
And let them start with WATCHING THE CLOUDS in the sky:
Just lie there, watching the sky, and remembering that your mind
is like the sky, with thought and fantasy moving through like clouds.
---
Awareness is like space in which everything happens …
Wait until everybody has found a place.
I would ask you to be very quiet now, so that you can listen to
the sky. ---
And please close your eyes for a while.
Breathe IN from the vast space above, and breathe OUT all thoughts
which cross your mind. ---
Breathe IN the earth, and breathe OUT the heaviness you feel in
the body. ---
Feel the parts of your body where you touch the earth.
Allow yourself to connect with the earth, drawing in nurturing earth
energy with every in-breath, and sending love and care deep into
the earth with every out-breath. ---
Feel how the earth is holding you. ---
Allow yourself to melt into the earth. No need to create boundaries.
---
Only breathing in space. ---
If you like, you can start with a deep humming sound, or you can just
listen to the humming in space. ---
Humming connects all of us. ---
Space is connecting all of us. ---
Awareness is connecting all of us. ---
You can open your eyes now and watch the sky. ---
You can continue lying here in silence as long as you like.
And if you like to go get up and walk away, do so very quietly.
This is a meditation on generosity and also a kind of introduction to
meditation for all of you to get a taste for it again. So,
as usual, I’d like to ask you to stop speaking and to sit
down in a comfortable position, everybody on their own with enough
space between each other, so that you can be undisturbed and focus
on yourself.
Only with small children I would suggest that one parent can have
them on their lap or next to them, helping them not to get lost
and restless. (wait)
So now try to find a position in which you can sit comfortably for about
5 minutes, back fairly straight but still relaxed and flexible.
And I would recommend to close your eyes, because that helps with
staying undistracted from outside, although I know that some people
will find it difficult to stay with eyes closed for 5 Minutes.
Please make an effort and close your eyes now and then,
when you hear the bell ringing, you can open your eyes again.
What can you be aware of now, when you have your eyes closed: Any sounds? --- Any smells? ---Any sensations in the body? ---Any feelings?--- Any thoughts? -----
How do you feel right now? --- Excited and curious about what will be
happening?
Where in the body can you feel that? ---
Or do you feel tired after a day’s preparation with packing
and travelling, arriving and meeting many new people? Where in your
body can you feel tiredness? --- Or what else do you feel right
now? ---
Just say silently ‘hello’ to these feelings, like somebody
who says ’hello’ to their visitors.
Allow them to settle down inside of you.
Now direct your attention to the body: Can you feel your body, sitting
here --- the ground which supports the body, receiving your weight?
---
Can you allow the weight of the body to sink into the ground, and
give your spine more lightness and possibility to move a bit and
find a comfortable balance in itself?
Can you feel your breath moving in and out? --- Take a few deep
in-breaths and let the out-breath flow out long.
In this meditation we want to reflect on GRATITUDE. The first idea was
to reflect on gratitude for the monastery which makes it possible
that all of you can come here for the Camp --- gratitude for the
Retreat Centre which is set up so nicely for you with the effort
of many people ---gratitude for your mum and dad, who gave life
to you and brought you here ---
But when I wanted to prepare the meditation in this way, I felt
slightly resistant to this approach.
Instead I would ask you to reflect on it in a different way:
What does the word ‘gratitude’ bring up in your mind?
Being asked to reflect on “GRATITUDE”?
Is this perhaps one of the terms which press your buttons may be after your mother has told you so often not to complain about what she was cooking for you and to be grateful that you have a healthy meal while other children are starving!?
This example is actually true for me
Just one of the situations I remember, where I was told to be grateful,
to say, thank you, because that was what you were supposed to do.
---
To be told to be grateful seems to spoil my readiness to feel any
sense of gratitude. Instead I use to feel resistance or anger, because
I’d rather express myself freely. --- How about you? ---
Take some time now to remember situations where you were expected
to say thank you? ---
Have you then been able to say ‘’thank you’’
from the bottom of your heart?
Or what was happening in your mind instead? ---
Or is there anything coming to your mind now, in this situation, which
you can really appreciate and feel grateful for, just from your
own heart? ----
Is there anybody with whom you would like to share your sense
of joy or gratitude, may be later, with whom you want to celebrate
what makes you feel happy and grateful, in you ---
So that the other person can know, what is alive in you --- There
is no SHOULD.
Only if it would mean something for yourself. ---
Now just feel your breath going in and out gently. ----- Is that a calming
or an upsetting sensation? -----
Is that anything you would ever feel grateful for? -----
Some of you might feel grateful when they hear this:
bell
Now imagine you couldn't see.
Which sight would you miss most?
Now turn inwardly toward your eyes as if you could speak to then. Let them know, how grateful you are for all the beautiful things you can see through them, especially the one sight which you appreciate most.
Now imagine you couldn't hear.
Which sound would you miss most?
And then turn inwardly towards your ears and let them know how grateful
you are for their service.
For all the voices, music, sounds you can hear through them.
And especially for the one thing which you appreciate most.
Imagine you couldn't taste.
Which taste would you miss most?
Turn inwardly towards your tongue and let it know how grateful you are for its service to you....
Imagine you couldn't smell.
Which scent would you miss most?
Imagine you couldn't have sensations in your fingers and body. Which touch would you miss most?
Imagine you couldn't think.
Which thought or mental activity would you miss most?
Imagine you wouldn't have pure awareness, no Buddha-mind.
Without that you would be lost in the flood of sense information.
So now speak to this Buddha-mind or non-sense mind inside of you, and let it know how much you appreciate its space and clarity which allows you to keep perspective on how things are
Now open your eyes and look into the eyes of your neighbour -
Can you see the same Buddha-mind in her eyes?
Bow slightly to him or her in joy and gratitude,
If you value a companion who reminds you of the awareness and knowing,
let them know.
And look around, there are more of them............
So just sit comfortably and close your eyes gently
So lets visualise a beautiful house
lets do that know
It has lovely gardens, its in the countryside.
We can start by walking up to the house. The door is brilliant white and it has door knocker which has three gems on it, red, green and blue, in colour.
The red gem represents the Buddha - awareness, mindfulness
the green represents the Dhamma- the teachings of the Buddha,
blue represents the Sangha the people that explore the Buddhas teaching.
You open the door and walk in to a house that is painted brilliant white.
As you walk in there is a door on the left and it has glass door which you can look through and as you look inside you can see many different animals happily talking to one another and many people looking after one another.
This door is to remind us that we can act for the welfare and happiness of all beings
You carry on into the house and a beautiful person approaches you with a gift you take delight in this.
This remind us, we can be honest and generous and take delight in giving and sharing
You look at this person and see the goodness in that person.
Perhaps you want to say something to this person, you can think about what you might say that is friendly, honest and kind.
This remind us, we can try to speak the truth, promote concord and friendship, speak kindly, gently and beneficially
If you want to say something you can.
This remind us, we can be honest and sincere in relationship with others, nurturing true love and compassion.
Its time to leave the house now, just as you walk out another person comes up to you, the person looks quite funny. This person has a fat belly and a very small mouth and long neck. The person ask you to follow him, he wants to offer you something that will harm you mind and body. You smile at this person, he suddenly disappears.
This reminds us, we can strive to keep our minds clear, alert, mindful, and unconfused as much of the time as possible.
You walk out the door, touching the door knocker and looking at the beauty of the three gems. You walk down the path and back into this room.
You can feel the body sitting on the mat, you can open your eyes when ready, have a look around the room and see the other people.
The best way to do this is to record this on to a tape or get somebody to read this to you. Please take extra care with this meditation.
Just become aware of your breath, take a few deep breaths and then gently close your eyes and prepare yourself to go on a journey. Make yourself comfortable, you can lie down if your like.
You can choose a starting place, perhaps its near the sea , or snow or mountains, the jungle or forest, in the countryside, in the middle of London, wherever you feel safe. If you look around at this place you'll see you have a friend (it might even be a friendly animal) next to you, if you can't see him or her then just feel the presence of somebody very caring.
So just allow yourself wander around this place, exploring and investigating what's going on, notice the colour of the sky, and the landscape around you, what does it feel like. Let your journey unfold in front of you like a movie.
If you notice something frightening remember you friend is there, and remember its a fantasy so you can always use your star trek teleporter to escape to a safer place.
Let see what's happens .... Suddenly a big bird called Garuda comes down and offers you lift, its a friendly bird - very strong and big, and very kind. You get on and it takes you on a journey, perhaps over the mountains, over towns. The sky is blue with no cloud, the sun is bright. You arrive in a new land, look around to see where you are, is it a town, or in the countryside, floating on the ocean. You look in the distance, is there a place where you can see your sage waiting for you.
Now go towards that place. The Garuda puts you down....you approach this place, look at it, what is it, perhaps it is a Bedouin tent, a city, forest grove, or street corner. Then approach this place where you find your wise person. The person seems to have a certain glow, and feels so lovely to be around such a person. You go up to this person
Perhaps you want to ask some questions....perhaps you just want to sit there.
The person looks at you with friendliness. Perhaps your questions are answered - perhaps not ... So its time to leave this place now... you call up on your star trek phone, it transport you back to where you started off.
Have a look around the place, how does it feel. You friend says goodbye and you feel yourself coming back into the room. You bodies on the ground and you can become aware of your breath. When you feel it is right open your eyes.
(EFFECT --- 2nd PRECEPT)
This is a guided meditation on what it means to be HEIR OF MY KAMMA.
As always, when we do sitting meditation together, please find a place
on your own
(only parents with small children keep them near to themselves).
Find a position in which you can sit comfortably for about 5 minutes,
back upright, but relaxed.
Please stop talking, and slowly close your eyes, directing your
attention inward. ---
You may want to take a couple of DEEP in-breaths, making space inside
---
remembering the peace and freedom we have in our hearts. ---
Feel your body, which you have inherited from birth. ---
And feel your breath, going in -- and out. -----
The sensations of breathing helping you to remember your NOSE -- , your THROAT --- , your CHEST --- , your BELLY. ------ You can feel your body breathing. -----
Focusing our attention on the body breathing has an EFFECT on our hearts
and minds -----
We tend to calm down naturally, and we are less focused on things
from past or future. --- Right?
Although small children find it difficult sometimes, because --- often they are restless and want attention or want to be entertained. So when we meditate together like this, I need to make it interesting for them too.
So I will tell you a STORY now, a TRUE story. ---
It’s a story about how we are HEIR TO OUR KAMMA: how we have to live with the results of our actions.
And it’s a story about the 2nd precept too.
A while ago, a man came to the monastery. He came to pay back quite an amount of money he had stolen from the donation box here 15 years ago! At that time, he had got away with it nobody had seen him. There was nobody who could tell him to pay it back. Really nobody? ---
He came on his own accord now, 15 years later, saying that he couldn’t
live any longer with this burden of wrong-doing and shame in himself.
After all these years of unease in himself, he had finally made
an effort to earn enough money, save it up to the full amount he
had stolen 15 years ago, and then he had come to pay it back. ---
After that, he felt relieved and even a bit proud of himself. He
felt he could trust himself again. Finally he had responded
to the deepest wish of his heart, he had taken responsi-ability.
He could pay it back, and was a free man again. ---
Isn’t that beautiful?
Can you relate to this story? --- Do you remember something from your own life, where you had taken something that didn’t belong to you, and may be, after a short while of triumph, that you had been clever enough to get away with it, started to feel uneasy and miserable: somehow it didn’t feel right any longer, and you started wishing, you wouldn’t have done it? This is how we learn to know that we NEVER get away with it, because we can’t betray our own heart.
We are the owner of our actions, and heir to the results of our actions. The results of what we are doing are with us, even if we try to not notice. And even if others didn’t notice. ---
So, in case that you have any unfinished business, anything that you regret to have taken, even if it is long ago --- : Can you pay attention to how your heart is feeling about that now? --- And can you think of a way how to ‘pay it back’, so to speak, how to relieve your heart from that burden, how to feel trustworthy again? ----- May be, you can make a resolution now, for later: how to do that? ---
So if you do something good, it may be that you want to impress somebody else and get praised. But in the first place, the effect will be that YOU feel good in yourself. ---
And if you do something bad … - notice, what happens. ---
Can you come back to your breath again? Breathing in and out. ---
bell
Please, slowly open your eyes again.
This is a guided meditation on FOOD and its causes: "Who puts the food on my plate?"
I would like to have 2 volunteers - who would enjoy to have a special
task for this meditation? Hands up …
The first volunteer: could you please count the people mentioned
as a cause for one special food item, and let us know the number
in the end?
The second volunteer: could you please count the items and animals
mentioned as a cause for one special food item, and tell us the
number later?
Thank you.
Now sit down in an upright and comfortable position and close your
eyes, please.
Can you direct your attention to the breath, starting with some
deep breaths --- and then allow the breath to flow naturally, feeling
how the air is flowing into your body and out again. ---
What did you have for breakfast today?
Can you let all the items you were eating and drinking this morning
come up in front of your inner eye?
So what were the causes for all this food to appear in front of
you this morning?
Somebody must have had the idea to put out breakfast, and some people
must have picked up that idea and prepared the breakfast, right?
Let’s take an example and look into it in a deeper way: You
might have had some MILK today for drinking or on your corn-flakes.
So let MILK be our example.
The two volunteers - now comes your special task: please try to
count all the people and items involved with making the milk appear
on the table.
And now for all - please contemplate:
Did somebody pour the milk into your cup /on your cereals? - So
one person involved.
Then somebody else must have put it out on the servery. - Where
did they get it from?
From the fridge? - Ok, somebody must have put it into the fridge.
Where did they get it from?
It was delivered. - By whom? - Driver involved, food company, store,
some more people there…
How did the milk get to the store? - From a factory, ok, dairy factory.
People involved there with filtering milk, heating it, filling it
into cartons, bottles. Again some people working for your milk.
Now, where did the dairy factory get the milk from? - From a farm?
What are people on a farm doing to get milk? - Ok, they must have
these things with four legs and an udder, some people looking after
them. milking them, looking after the machines …
So, now the cows, where do they get the milk from? (They bought
it in the store? - Sorry.) They make it. Magic - they eat grass,
digest : out comes milk, very nice.
Now we come down to the grass-roots: Where does the grass come from?
- Earth.
Grass needs earth, sun and rain to grow.
And earth, where does earth come from?
- It’s there? Yes, thank you. That’s obvious. But how does earth come into existence? - Things deteriorating, like?
- Remember leaves in autumn? So: leaves, wood, shit (sorry), dead bodies, everything. Earth made by living things falling apart. Does that include humans?
- Think of grave yards, ashes … Yes, human beings as well, I’m
afraid so.
So where do human corpses come from? - Human beings, like you and
me, born as babies, then growing up, getting old ...
So, human beings, what keeps them alive? - Parents, friends looking
after them, food, milk … - HA!
See? - Milk comes from milk, the cycle is closing.
(The volunteers, please keep the number you have got by now in mind, your counting task is finished. - I will ask you later for the result.)
Now for all again: you can look at it the other way round. - You are drinking milk, you are living, at some point, your body will die, deteriorate, become soil, then grass, then cow, milk, and appear in front of somebody else in the future. Nice, isn’t it? ---
Bell.
Please open your eyes now. ---
I would like to ask the volunteers:
How many people have you counted approximately, who were involved
with bringing the milk on your plate? -
And how many animals and items were involved? -
Thank you.
So far for milk: a whole chain of causes just for milk to appear on
the table: about … people and … items, including animals
and plants.
May be including even a great-great-grandfather of yours?
Can we greet them all with a warm smile and ‘thank you’
for helping us stay alive and healthy? ---
So, the next time when you see food appearing in front of you, you may want to pick another item and let the whole chain of causes and effects - people, animals and things - come up in your imagination, and you may have this funny feeling of wonder:
How you are connected to everything and everybody, to the whole
universe!
(End)
Please sit down in a comfortable position back upright and relaxed. Again, try to sit not too close to each other, small children close to one parent. --- Can you please stop talking and close your eyes?
One question: Although I have asked you to close your eyes - what is
YOUR intention when you are closing your eyes?
Think about it for a moment: What are your reasons to close your
eyes? ---
Do you close your eyes because you want to meditate and be able
to focus inward, without being distracted by visual impressions
from outside? ---
Do you just do it because I said so? Then, what is your
intention behind that? ---
Do you follow my suggestion because you trust me, and believe that it
will have a good result for you? -
So is your intention then to have some kind of good result, some
new experience? --
Or is your intention to be here with the others and do what they
do? ---
Or do you just want to use the opportunity to sleep or day-dream
a bit? ---
So there could be different intentions for doing the same thing! ---
What do you think will you feel more alive and be more successful with what you are doing if you really WANT it, or if you just go along with what other people say or do? ---
Ok, let’s do the next step: Meditation often starts with mindfulness of breathing. So, please focus your attention on the breath, on the sensations of breathing in and out. ---
What is your intention for practicing this mindfulness of breathing
now? ---
Do you want to feel the breath because it is a nice and peaceful
feeling? ---
Is your intention to calm the mind and not get distracted too much
by thoughts and sounds? ---
Is your intention to train yourself in mindfulness and concentration?
---
Or, do you do it because you want to be a good girl, a good boy
and do what I suggest? ---
Or is you intention going into a completely different direction?
---
Just notice what your intention is, and how you feel about it. ---
I assume that, if you come to the Summer Camp, you will at least have
SOME interest or intention, to learn how to meditate, to learn to
know what it is all about. Right? ---
Can you give your mind a clear intention, like: I want to know what
mindfulness of breathing is! ---
So, if it is true that from intention follows action, then you will
DO it and find out about it, right? -
This is your chance mindfulness of breathing:
Please stay focused on the breathing sensations at the tip of your NOSE
for a while. ---
And as soon as you notice that you get distracted, can you bring
your attention back to the nostrils? ----
Notice your intention. Are you really INTERESTED to know how
the breath feels like?
I suggest that, if you have an interest, you will probably
be more successful and feel better with what you are doing.
Now, does the breath feel cool at the nostrils or rather warm? ---
Is it cooler when you breathe IN or when you breathe OUT? ---
Notice: when you start to be alert and interested, there is something to discover.
Let’s go to the THROAT. - Can you feel the breath in your throat? Are the sensations of breathing IN there different from the sensations of breathing OUT? --- What about the temperature? ---
And each time your mind wanders off the breathing sensations at the throat, as soon as you notice it, remember your intention: I want to know how the breath at the throat feels like! And bring the attention back to the throat. ---
Try it with a new intention - you can choose: Do you want to focus on the breathing sensations around the CHEST or around the BELLY? Do you want to take some interest in what is happening there, how breathing IN feels different from breathing OUT? -----
You can have the intention to explore it more in detail:
In which areas does the body seem to expand with the in-breath?
---
Can you feel it in the front? ---Can you feel it at the sides? ---
Can you feel it in the back? ---
In which areas does the body seem to contract with the out-breath?
---
Can you influence the muscles for breathing out? ---
What FEELINGS or emotions arise with the in-breath? --- Are the feelings,
emotions that are arising with the out-breath different? ---
Did you discover something for yourself?
How does the change happen between breathing in and out?
Do you have to decide whether you breathe in or out, or does it
simply happen by itself? ---
Is there a TURNING POINT, a gap, or is it one flowing movement from
in-breath to out-breath? -
Can you influence that intentionally? ---
The more you are interested in the sensations of breathing, the more
there is to discover.
But it only works, if you are clear in your intention, and if intention
is followed by action, if you DO it: if you are willing to bring
the attention to the breathing space, again and again. Then your
awareness of breathing will become stronger and more and more refined.
The Buddha said: Mindfulness of breathing is one way of realizing enlightenment.
How do you feel now? Just notice. ---
Knowing how you feel can also be a step towards enlightenment, waking
up.
- bell -
Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. You may feel a bit uncomfortable when you sit with eyes closed because usually we check with our eyes whether we can feel safe. So it takes a bit of courage and trusting each other.
With eyes close you can now more easily sense into your body: Feel the weight of your body, the gravity that pulls you towards the ground.
Keep sitting upright, although you might want to let the body to relax from within, let it slightly slack for one inch or so, to release the holding. Allow the breath to breathe out deeply and breathe in lightly.
Feel those parts of the body which touch the ground: Your buttocks, parts of your legs and feet. The weight of the body pressing down on these parts a bit.
Imagine that the ground, the earth is receiving your weight willingly and openly. So you can let your weight sink into the ground, give all holding away. You can trust that the earth is holding you.
Feel your body breathing. In and out. With each in breath, sense how the belly expands, so that there is a lot of space around your heart. With each out breath you let go of the breath and relax...
Now imagine that, while breathing out, you let the weight of your body wash down, as if you can use the out breath as an energy which washes through your body down into the earth. And the earth is receiving willingly all that burdens you. Let it all go - all the hurry of packing, all the feelings of uncertainty about coming to a new place, all excitement about meeting friends. - Allow the out breath to wash it all down through the body, into the ground.
And with each in breath draw in the lightness of fresh air, and let
your body be filled with that lightness...
Can you enjoy it?
If there is still any tension left in the body, any hardness, any pain - direct the out breath especially to those parts, releasing all tension and giving it away to the ground. Let the holding melt away....
Feel how your body becomes more relaxed, resting on the ground and filled with lightness, aliveness, fresh energy, joy. Feel the peace of letting go...
Now slowly open your eyes and keep sensing into your body while looking at the ground before you. Keep sensing your breathing in the body. With this awareness of body and breath it will be easier to stay connected with your own feelings.
Notes
if the kids start giggling -embrace that in the meditation guidance
If you start giggling: can you feel where the giggling is happening
in your body?
What is happening in the belly? Can you sense movement there?
This is a good meditation for bringing people together.
(Need the same number of tea lights as people)
Instructions
To be done in the quietest way possible -
By offering a candle on the shrine we can burn away anything we came with so we can start again - start fresh for the camp.
So lets make this offering to letting be to generating harmony and allowing ourselves to listen to ourselves to find out what we really need to make this camp enjoyable and relaxing.
Once everybody has done this
So by lighting our own light we generate even more light we look after our own light and then collectively the lights give even more light. So with this camp- if we each switch on our own light, collectively we we glow- like a lighthouse and this helps everybody.
Please sit in a comfortable position, eyes open, watching the flickering
light of the candles....
Breathe in this sea of light, take a long in breath, and breath out
slowly -
feel how your body is relaxing with the out breath...
Take 3 deep and silent - in and out breaths, and while doing so, let all heaviness of your body sink into the ground.
Now direct the attention to your eyes: they are like OPEN DOORS through which you can see what is in front of you, outside. The eyes are connecting your inner space with the outer space - can you feel that?.....
Now direct your attention back to your breath - feel how the in breath is drawing the air from outside your face through your nostrils inside and is then filling your inner space, deep down into your lungs.
And then, breathing out, you open your inner space to the space in front of you and let the breath flow out.
The breath too is connecting your inner space with the space around you which we all share - can you feel it?...
If we are aware like this, breathing and seeing will connect us with
each other: We are all breathing in a shared space, are we all are
watching the same candles on the shrine.
Right now, the candle light, this sea of light , is coming through
100 pairs of eyes and each of us is filled with this same vision
of a sea of light - give yourself a moment to really understand
that and enjoy it.
This is what is connecting all of us, in this moment.
Bell
When I give the instructions, please listen carefully without doing it, until I tell you when to start:
Please find a partner and sit opposite to each other
One person will be looking, the other person will sit with eyes
closed.
The question for both is: How do I see you? Who are you?
The person with eyes closed will ask herself this question by reflecting
on her memories about this partner.
And the looking person will find out by looking into the others
face.
Please find out who will be the onlooker, and who will stay with eyes closed - is that clear?
Now, please, start both with eyes closed.
First direct your attention to your breathing in and out. Do this
for a few breaths.
Now the person who has agreed to be the onlooker, can open their eyes, while the other person stays with eyes closed, stay with eyes closed, just remembering - what you know about the other, and how you feel about him/her.
There are some questions for the person with open eyes:
Make a journey over the face in front of you.
Watch all the details but also your feelings and reactions to it.
Start at the forehead
how does the hair frame the forehead?
What is the colour of the skin? Does the light reflect in some places?
Can you see pores, wrinkles, moles? - Scars?
What is the form of the eyebrows, and how much space is between
them?
Do both eyes look similar or is there a difference?
How does the back of the nose meet the forehead?
Can you see the nostrils? Are they moving with the breath?
What is the form of the line between the lips?
What signs in the face you look at tell you something about her
age?
What do you find most typical about this face? Is the face the person?
Or only surface?
Can you see what s/he is feeling right now
Can you be aware of the space between this face and your face?
Now the person with the eyes closed is opening her eyes.
Please look into each others eyes.
Does that feel different
For a moment share you experience with your partner