Meditation

After an incredible year in a program at St. Louis University, I wound up with friends all around the world. The director of our program mentioned that part of her daily meditation was to sit before a globe and think of each person, where they were working (many were missionaries) and where they were from. She tried to expand her heart and love out to each of them and through them to the people they served, the people of their homeland and all the people in the world.

It is a practice I have adapted in my own way. Each morning as part of my meditation, I try to include those I know and love, those I know and like, those with whom I work, those I encounter in my daily life, my neighbors, the residents of my state, my nation, my world. I ask that all of them may be happy, well, united, free and safe.

Then I try to expand that out to include the people I resent, don't like, don't agree with, am angry with, and so on. I try to put faces on these people and names, since often they are in the news. It is not enough to ask this for people in general. I ask it for particular people. It is much more difficult, but I find that it helps me get through the day without getting as agitated, annoyed and judgmental. I don't always succeed, but at least I am trying.

I started doing this over a year ago when I became very angry with a particular political figure. I started tacking his name onto my little mantra: "May all be happy, especially So-and-so. May all be well, especially So-and-so. May all be united, especially So-and-so. May all be free, especially So-and-so. May all be safe, especially So-and-so." I found that after a few minutes of asking that he be happy, well, united with all that is, free and safe, I felt better and could smile when I thought of him.

I note that I avoided asking that he be changed to believe what I believe or that he be changed to do what I want him to do or anything like that. All I did/do was ask that he be given what I ask that I and those I love be given: happiness, wellness, unity, freedom and safety.

I wish that I could report that a year later I am a much better person, but it seems I still have to do this every morning for a while.

Progress, not perfection.

BTW, I have since learned that there is a Buddhist meditation technique similar to this. If you want to know more about that, click on Metta bhanvana. It is easily adapted to the way you pray in your own religious tradition.