Meditation Exercises

     Just for a moment, let everything pass by like waves in the sea, like clouds in the infinite sky.

     Simply observe. Be still. And know. Everything is right here.

     Let it be.
     Let go and let bed.
     At ease, Nothing more to do. Nothing to figure out, understand or achieve.
     Simply present Natureal. At home and at ease.
     Know yourself.
     See things just as they are in the present moment.

     Breathe in and out. deeply and slowly. Letting it in, letting it out. Letting go a little more with each breath.
     Let everything quiet down naturally, by itself.
      
     Let the body settle naturally in its own place, in its own time. Let the mind settle naturally, in its own way, in its own time. Let everything go naturally for a few moemnts.

     Moment by moment, one moment at a time.
     Breathe. Smile. Be Aware
     Breathe. Smile. Be Aware
     Breathe. Smile. Be Aware

     Now

     Open your eyes
     Raise your gaze.
     Eleavate the scope of the 360-degree sphere of total awareness.
     Look at the sky.
     Gaze evenly into space, with a soft focus.
     (No eye strain neccessary.)
     Space, like mind, has no beginning and now end.
     No inside and no outside. No actual form, no color, no size, no shape.
     Mingle the gaze with space; merge mind with infinite, empty space.
     Dissolve into space - spacious awareness.
     Cast the breath into space, following the out-breath--
out, out, out, out. Allow all thoughts, feelings, sensations, and emotions to come and go freely, casting everything off into vast space.

     Gaze freely in vast space, into the open sky, in the crystal  clear sphere of pristine awareness.
     And let go, let go, let go.
     Breath out.
     Breathe the sky in and out, and breathe and dissolve into the sky with your out-breath. Follow the out-breath --out, out, out.
     Breathe out.
     Open up.
     Unfurl your infinite Buddha-mind.
     Let it all go.
     Let be.
     Drop everything, past and future.
     Drop off body and mind.
     Mingle with the sky and slowly
      dissolve totally
       into the spacious
        luminouse
         joy of meditation.
 
 

     After this meditation sit and enjoy the infinite luminous emptiness.
 
 

This candle falme meditation helps us look beyond the separation between inside and outside. While doing it we see how easy it is to retain the image of the candle flame long after it has been snuffed out. It prepares us for the other, more detailed, creative imagination and visualization practices, as well as for the entering into the clear light as we fall asleep each night.
 
 

Light a candle.
Turn off the lights and sit down one or two feet away.
Stare at the candle flame for several minutes;
just watch the flame.
When the mind waders and is carried away by thought, notice
that distraction and gently bring it back to totally paying
attention to the flame.
Watch the flame.
See the flame
See fire burn.
Watch the flame;
go into the flame.
become the flame.

Suddenly, snuff or blow out the candle.
And close your eyes.
Watch the afterimage of the flame
forming o the inside your eyelids.
Watch the flame.
See the flame.
Go into the flame.

Be flame.
Let go
and dissolve
into the clear light within
the natural mind --
and just like that
without further effort
meditate.