Mini-Meditation
When the caterpillar of passion emerges from the cocoon of peacefulness, it becomes the butterfly of love.
If there were no caterpillar, there would be no butterfly, and the cocoon would never exist.
Meditation
(maximum 12 minutes)
Think of a situation that makes you feel guilty, shameful, sad, grieving, angry, or agitated. (Pick only one.)
Imagine that the situation is like a long string that you pull out of your heart.
Keep rolling up the string into a ball until it finally ends.
Eliminate the string by burying, drowning, or burning it,
or turning it to dust.
Feel the peace that fills the space taken up by that
thought.
Commentary
Many of the thoughts and feelings that bring so much heaviness and limitation to our lives can be eliminated consciously. Some of us do this through psychotherapy or analysis; some people use bodywork or exercise; some use certain physical postures, as in hatha yoga. Here we are using meditation in a directed way, to intentionally remove negative impressions.
Please note that in step 4 of the instructions, the burying, drowning, burning, or turning to dust corresponds to the four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. As a general guideline, impressions of guilt are best buried; impressions of inferiority, sadness, and grief drowned; excessive passion and anger burned; and impressions caused or held by too much activity in the mind dusted away.
Meditations on Peace (p.98)
Week Five – Thursday
Meditation
(maximum 12 minutes)
or turning it to dust.
thought.
Commentary
Many of the thoughts and feelings that bring so much heaviness and limitation to our lives can be eliminated consciously. Some of us do this through psychotherapy or analysis; some people use bodywork or exercise; some use certain physical postures, as in hatha yoga. Here we are using meditation in a directed way, to intentionally remove negative impressions.
Please note that in step 4 of the instructions, the burying, drowning, burning, or turning to dust corresponds to the four elements: earth, water, fire, and air. As a general guideline, impressions of guilt are best buried; impressions of inferiority, sadness, and grief drowned; excessive passion and anger burned; and impressions caused or held by too much activity in the mind dusted away.