This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers.

Guided Meditation: Mindfulness with Goodwill

Good morning everyone, and welcome to our meditation time.

There is an expression sometimes in English that when there's maybe something to do, or some idea comes up to do something, someone might say, "Well, why not? Why not just do it?" I suppose sometimes that's maybe foolish, and maybe sometimes it's wise to just have that be the deciding factor.

This idea of, you know, why not do something. But I'm going to offer that for this meditation: why not be kind? Why not have some degree of goodwill as you sit here and meditate? Why not? Probably there's no good reason why not. It's actually considered a very useful aspect of meditation practice, to do it with goodwill.

And one of the things that needs our goodwill maybe the most sometimes—our kindness, our friendliness, our warmth, our loving-kindness—are all the places inside that don't have that. The feelings, the attitudes, the beliefs, the habits, the conditioning, the difficulties that exist within us, the momentum inside of us of anything but goodwill. Anything but kindness. The harshness, the hurt, the anger, the shame, all kinds of things that are quite powerful for some people, for all of us sometimes. And the very parts that are difficult to have kindness for, to have friendship towards, goodwill towards, to hold in kind regard, are the very things that probably need the most of it.

And so, when we bring mindfulness to these difficult parts of ourselves, one of the things you might consider is that our careful attention, the mindfulness, is a form of kindness. It is a form of kind regard. Just to be aware of it, to allow it to be there, and just really see something is a kind of love, I believe. So, can you, during this sitting, somehow find in some parts of you, maybe in some small corner someplace, where being aware of the breathing, your body, your experience, being aware of what is difficult for you, that you can be aware of it with a kind regard? With goodwill, with kindness, with friendliness, with some kind of goodwill? And let that be the support for you to sit here and meditate and become simpler, become quieter, become more just content or at ease just to be here. Even with what is difficult, holding everything in a field and a heart of kindness.

So, sitting upright, gently close your eyes, and begin a process of gentling your body. Or to say it differently, to calm or relax. Perhaps relaxing the face. Sometimes the muscles of the face are overused, and if we pay careful attention, we'll notice that some of the muscles of the face might be tired from the effort of being held in any particular way. And to allow the muscles of the face to rest. They're not needed to be engaged at this time. It's okay, and it's safe to let the muscles of the face relax.

And then you can also maybe allow the muscles of the shoulders to rest, to relax. Maybe they're also tired from their effort. Or maybe there's a subtle, almost like a desire in the shoulders to finally release, relax.

And perhaps also in the belly. That maybe, just maybe, it might be nice for the belly to be soft, relaxed, settled. The belly doesn't have to be protecting ourselves all the time. Right now, it's okay to relax.

In the heart also, we can have a kind of a desire, or a longing, or a pull to not be agitated. To be allowed to be at ease. And as you exhale, you might relax the heart area, soften the whole body sitting here.

And then to search inside of yourself, in any way that's your way, in any way that is simple and not a lot of work, in some way that's not perfect, to find a place of goodwill, of kindness, of mettā^[1], where you can hold yourself or what's difficult in you in kind regard. In appreciating, valuing that it would be nice if you were happy and well. And that you wish yourself that. That's a beautiful and appropriate wish to have, to wish yourself well. And at the same time, to appreciate receiving those well-wishings. To have this simple friendly relationship with oneself.

And then, with whatever goodwill you have, to let that be part of your awareness of the body breathing. Almost as if your body breathing is also a support and a companion in this goodwill to self. Perhaps, as you exhale, to allow there to be a quieting of the mind. The thinking mind probably also would like to finally rest and not work so much. Allow it to quiet. Maybe the thinking mind, thinking, can soften. Perhaps even for a minute or two, you can, as you soften your thinking, quiet your thinking, choose to have thoughts of goodwill, of well-wishing for yourself. Perhaps a relaxing into goodwill, a relaxing opening, allowing yourself to have a warm-hearted attitude in which you're being, through which you're being mindful, with which you're being aware.

And then, as we come to the end of this sitting, bring your attention to what is soft within you. A place of softness, tenderness, maybe in the area of the heart, somewhere in the chest perhaps. The kind of softness and tenderness that comes from a simple feeling of kindness, or love, or care. When you do feel loving, or caring, or kind in the simplest, most relaxed kind of way, where do you feel that in the body? And what would it be like to breathe through that part of your body? As if the exhale was sending it off^[2] into the world, spreading, suffusing your goodwill outward. That the hard boundaries of the body, of the self, become permeable to a suffusing idea, or image, or vision, feeling of tender kindness.

And with a simplicity to it, without grand plans or needs, to extend your goodwill to others. May it be that others experience well-being. That others experience peace. May it be that my kindness and goodwill are able to touch others with a touch of safety, friendship, goodwill. May it be that my kindness, my kind regard for others, be translated and be expressed in acts of body, speech, and mind that are for the benefit and the welfare of all beings everywhere. May it be that through my actions, this day becomes a little more useful for someone else. That someone else feels supported, feels safer, feels encouraged, and appreciated.

May it be that our meditation practice together spreads outwards a feeling of goodwill to the hundreds of people that those of us sitting here today might have some communication with. Maybe like a ripple spreading out from the 500 people meditating now, out widely into the world. A shared care for the world.