Setting the Conditions
"The very thing you seek in life is within your grasp if you only know how not to grasp for it; it’s already here.”
-Ram Dass
We meditate for the same reason that we do everything in life - to achieve happiness or, as the greeks called it, eudaemonia, “flourishing”. Paradoxically, though, the more we grasp at this happiness, the more it eludes us, and the further out of our reach it moves. Instead, it is when we set the conditions for flourishing that flourishing arises.
When we take our meditation shape - standing, walking, sitting on chair or cushion, or lying down on the mat or in bed (beditation!) - it does us no good to will our minds to be still. Nor can we will our hearts to be open. Both will unfold over time, if we create the space, the habits and the conditions for them.
In the case of Loving Kindness meditation, the invitation is to allow our hearts to open, and for a genuine wish for the well-being of others and ourselves to arise. At times this may come easily, especially if we’re thinking of a dear loved one. The bright light of kindness may easily shine out from us in those cases. In other instances, the invitation may seem to go unheeded by our hearts, no light shining forth, just a sense of flatness, silence, a wall where a door once stood.
In these instances, it important to remember that we’re just setting the conditions for kindness to flow forth from us, and to trust in the process. Even if it feels inauthentic, we can offer up as a gift to whomever we’ve envisioned, “May you be well. May you feel loved and supported. May you know happiness.” Just the offering of the wish can, over time, shift things for us.
Pema Chodron, a wise teacher of meditation, refers to this as being like "poking a pinhole" into the veneer over the heart, allowing a small stream of light out. Over time and with each new pin prick the hole grows, until the light shines freely. This powerful image reinforces the notion that our core nature is one of love and kindness. It, like the happiness we seek, is already inside us, ready to shine brightly if we set the conditions for it.
We hope you can join us this week as we set the conditions for kindness.
May all beings everywhere, find what is already here,
Your friends at CMP
For more information on Ram Das, see the 2019 documentary, Becoming Nobody.
For a beautiful compilation of some of Pema Chodron’s talks, listen to The Pema Chodron Audio Collection.
Guided Meditations
Visit the CMP website www.CommunityMindfulnessProject.org for guided meditations. You'll find them on the Guided Meditations page under the Resources tab.
We Need Your Support
CMP thrives on donations. All of our weekly sessions are free and open to the public, but donations are essential to our sustainability. CMP is a licensed charity in the state of CT as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Checks can be given to facilitators at our weekly sits or mailed to Community Mindfulness Project, P.O. Box 1713, New Canaan, CT 06840. Credit cards are accepted in the Giving section of the website (www.CommunityMindfulnessProject.org). For donations of wired funds or appreciated securities, please email welcome@communitymind.org. Thank you!
