Seeds in the Field of my Mind

Becoming a mama has given me a new perspective on compassion. There is a saying in Buddhism that you should treat everyone like mother. The idea is that in the endless process of re-incarnation eventually everyone HAS BEEN your mother.

I'm her mother. I get it a little more now.

What is growing in my mind anyway? Is it this deep mama compassion?

I don't often take the time to "weed" it. It's a bit overgrown these days, but hopefully there are some seeds of compassion in the tangle somewhere. My mind just needs a bit of clearing to let the good stuff grow.

Here is what I should be growing... from HowToMeditate.org

1. Meditation

Contemplating the innumerable ways in which others help us, we should make a firm decision: `I must cherish all living beings because they are so kind to me.’ Based on this determination we develop a feeling of cherishing – a sense that all living beings are important and that their happiness matters. We try to mix our mind single-pointedly with this feeling and maintain it for as long as we can without forgetting it.

2. Dedication

We dedicate all the virtues we have created in this meditation practice to the welfare of all living beings by reciting the dedication prayers.

3. Subsequent Practice

When we arise from meditation we try to maintain this mind of love, so that whenever we meet or remember someone we naturally think: `This person is important, this person’s happiness matters.’ In this way we can make cherishing living beings our main practice