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Guided Meditation: Mindfulness Which Includes Everything

Good morning, and welcome to this sitting. Mindfulness is the primary practice that we teach here at IMC^[1] and for our retreats at IRC^[2].

Mindfulness can be done in a variety of ways and have many subjects. For mindfulness, I tend to prioritize using breathing as the home base—the center for mindfulness. But mindfulness doesn't have to be exclusive to the breathing. In fact, mindfulness which can help us be wise in our full life—our whole life—is a mindfulness that's inclusive. When awareness can be inclusive of everything, then awareness becomes special, and for me, it becomes sacred.

As soon as we exclude something from awareness—saying that for the purposes of awareness, this is not going to be included—then we lose that special, sacred place of freedom with mindfulness. It doesn't mean we agree with everything; it just means that we hold it in awareness. Then wisdom can operate after that. To practice mindfulness is to rest in the simplicity of awareness that can hold whatever arises.

We prioritize breathing in a simple way as the basis, the place with which we are developing clear seeing, clear awareness of what is. But if something else arises in practice—some other sensations or experience goes on—to encourage this inclusive approach to mindfulness, you could, if you'd like, say to yourself the phrase: this too.

This too, I'll be aware of. As opposed to, oh no, or not this, or let's get rid of this, let's get back to the real thing. Everything that occurs, anything that comes into awareness, you can meet with this too.

And this too hopefully represents a relaxed, spacious, inclusive awareness that doesn't get caught up in being for or against anything. Mindfulness does not need to be for or against anything—that's the work of wisdom. But in meditation, stay simple. And for meditation, it's wise, it's wisdom, to keep it really simple. This too. Holding awareness simply and directly. Breathing at the center of it all. Body sensations as they come are predominant; emotions as they come and are compelling; thoughts and mental activities, sounds around you. All along exercising, exploring how mindfulness can be spacious, receptive, and not entangled with anything, not caught by anything, just aware—simply aware.

Guided Meditation

So, we can start with a simple awareness of breathing. Becoming aware of how the body experiences breathing. Breathing in, and breathing out. Being aware, being mindful of how the sensations change in the course of one cycle of breathing in and breathing out.

And if you notice tension and holding in your body, you might try just saying this too, and hold it in awareness. Be aware of the tension, but don't do anything about it. Don't relax. Just see what happens if you are aware of it. This too is allowed to be as it is.

If there are any emotions that are strong: this too. See if you could find a way to be aware of the emotions, your mood, how you are. That's simple, just this too to be aware of. Without commentary, without stories, as if it's a unique and new phenomenon for this moment, never before experienced, maybe even never to be experienced again. It just happens to be the experience of the moment to be held in awareness.

And then being aware of your thinking: this too is included. Neither for nor against your thinking, just something to be aware of. But maybe in the way you'd be aware of someone speaking a language you don't understand. Just the phenomenon of thinking. Stepping back, and this too is observed.

And then becoming aware of breathing again: this too. This inhale, this exhale. Each particular inhale will never occur again; each particular exhale will never occur again. And so to be fully aware of this particular inhale, this particular exhale. Maybe receiving the inhales in the body, allowing the release of exhaling.

And as needed, remember always: this too is included. Nothing excluded. Awareness is capable of including all things, maybe one thing at a time.

As you're sitting here now, what is it you might be ignoring, that if you included it, it would be easier to be in the present moment?

Dedication

And as we come to the end of the sitting, consider how a stable awareness that can include all things can also be used to include in our awareness, and in our hearts, other people. The phrase this too can apply to the people we encounter, or communicate with, or learn about. This too, this person too, I can include in my heart. This person too, I can include in my goodwill^[3].

You don't have to agree with a person, be for or against the person, or approve of what the person is doing. You don't even have to tell the person that you have goodwill. But this too, this person too, to include in your heart.

And may it be that this meditation that we do teaches us how beneficial it is for ourselves and for others to include everyone in our hearts, to exclude no one. To mature in the practice of mindfulness and the Buddhist path is to move towards including all beings in your heart, to have a heart that is as wide as the world, and with our care extending throughout the globe.

May it be that our meditation today together is for the welfare and happiness of all beings everywhere.

May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. And may all beings be free.