Cattāri Brahmavihārā

In many ways, the pressure and overwhelming stress I have been under lately has forced me to begin again. It is as if I am being steadily crushed by an enormous, iron mountain and all of the excess energy I had to devote the practice has been sapped leaving me to choose carefully exactly what the theme of each session should be. In this respect, I am grateful for the lesson that intense dukkha has provided because it has really stripped away all of the inessential clutter in the mind and brought everything down to brass tacks.

One thing which I have gotten back into the habit of doing and which seems to be worthwhile is to review the session in the last minute or so of the meditation. Sometimes I review in terms of what should have been done or, as in tonight’s review, I reflect on the fact that whatever I was doing worked to calm the mind and that the practice has benefits. For now, this is all I can ask for and I am grateful to the Tisarana, my parents, teachers and all beings upon whom I depend. Sabbe satta sukhita hontu!

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