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Guided Meditation: In the Current of Now

Good morning, everyone. This week, I've been offering a variety of images for meditation practice that hopefully support what the teachings are on Nibbana^[1]. To continue this today, I'd like to say that in relationship to Nibbana—and I'll talk more about it later—there's a very important concept of the current of a river. At some point in practice, we enter a current that will carry us, the current of the river that we float on and that carries us to the ocean.

This idea of being carried by a current relates to practice. One of the reasons to be really in the present moment, to learn to let go of hindrances, to let go of our distractions, and to have some stability with attention in the present moment, is so that we can be carried by something. The practice is not only about what we do, but the practice is also about how we are practiced—how something gets set in motion that begins to live in us, open up, develop, and grow in us to carry us along. Then, practice becomes less about what we do and more about what we allow.

As long as the mind is distracted and caught up in thoughts, practice tends to be more about what we are doing to let go, show up, and stay focused. But over time, that balance shifts towards less and less of us doing, and more allowing the Dharma^[2] to carry us on the current.

With that as a background, we sometimes say in English "the river of time." If you think of time as a river that's always flowing by, the place where it's flowing by is the present moment, and that's where we catch the current of time. Perhaps, if you allow a wild stretch of the metaphor, the waves of time are the breathing—the inhales and the exhales. The breathing is always in the present moment as well. If we rest on that, we are carried by the waves, the rhythm, the cycle of rising and passing of the inhale, and the coming and going of the exhale. Allow that to represent time, allowing us to be in the river of time in the present moment, being carried along.

So you have to find the balance between placing yourself in the present moment with the breathing, but also allowing yourself to float or to rest in the experience of the breathing as well. Where that balance is for you will shift over time. Where it is for you is the right place for you; there's nothing wrong with where you are when you start practicing. We just practice where we're at.

Taking a meditation posture, I often say gently closing your eyes, because this idea of gentling oneself can be helpful. The posture itself can be helpful if it feels strong or confident. Those two can go together: a kind of confidence in our body, and also a gentling, a softening.

Then, settle in by perhaps taking those long, slow, deep inhales. Those deep inhales and exhales at the beginning are also a reminder that yes, here is the present moment. This is the meditation hall; this is the temple that we'll be meditating in, the midst of the body breathing here. This deep breathing is also a reminder that it's okay to put aside your thoughts and concerns. If they're important, they can come back at the end of the meditation. You're allowed to give yourself a break from your usual concerns, thoughts, and fantasies.

Let your breathing return to normal and relax your body on every exhale for the next few exhales. Roam around your body to see where you can soften and relax any places of tightening, holding, or contraction. As you exhale, release. Maybe find the place on the inhale, and on the exhale, let go. Soften the belly. Soften the arms and the hands. Release any tightness in the legs, the feet, and the hip joint. Release any tightness around the waist and lower back.

Wherever in your body you associate with your thinking—maybe in the head, maybe the thinking muscle—can be relaxed. Any tension or tightness that might be associated with thinking and being concerned about things, as if the brain is a muscle, perhaps there can be a way of softening, relaxing, and releasing the brain.

Finally, perhaps you can evoke a little bit of contentment just sitting here in meditation. Contentment just to be here. It's quite a significant event to sit and be mindful of our experience. One of the most profound things a person can do is to enter the doorway of the present moment, to really be in our experience of the body and the mind as it's being lived.

To be in the current of time is to be in the present moment with how things unfold. Perhaps allow the cycle of inhaling and exhaling to be kind of like the surface waves of the river of time, and allow yourself to float. Be carried on the ups and downs of those gentle waves. Perhaps as you exhale, let go of thinking or quiet your thinking, being lifted by the inhale and settled with the exhale. Floating in the current. Floating in the river of time as things unfold.

You might notice from time to time that you step out of the river. You start thinking about what happened, or become too abstract in your commentary or judgments. See if you can stay floating in the river, receptive and allowing of the next present moment as it flows through, riding the inhales and exhales.

To ride on the present moment is to ride on an experience that will never return, and to appreciate the opportunity to really experience life in the current, the river of the present moment.

The ability to have some bit of rest, resting and opening to the present moment, is an ability that can be used to meet and be aware of others, whether it's in person, on a phone call, in an email, or just in our thoughts. There's a way of offering our presence as a gift. Offering a heartfeltness, a respect, a care, and a friendliness that is almost inherent in offering our kind attention and kind regard to others.

This ability to sit in meditation, settle down, and become a bit calmer in order to be more mindful of our lived life, can become a gift that we bring to the world. To be able to enter the world with gift-bestowing hands and gift-bestowing hearts. This meditation that we're doing is not just for ourselves. To really open up fully in the current of freedom is to realize that we also do it for others. When the heart opens, it's clear that we share this life with other people, one way or the other.

May it be that the meditation practice we do supports us to keep our minds, our hearts, and our hands open to support the welfare and happiness of others. May we bring the kind of attention to others that in and of itself is beneficial to them. Simply our care, our attention, and our ability to listen can grow from doing this meditation practice.

May it be that we meditate for the welfare and happiness of all beings. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. And may all beings be free.