Daily Archive

I began the meditation by remembering that my goal was to arrive at the firm wish to become a Buddha for the benefit of all living beings.

I started by thinking about how a person wishes to become a doctor in order to cure people of illnesses. I thought of Florence Nightingale, whose story is simply told in a book my Little One is reading. She studied in secret to become a medical professional, spurned samsaric distractions, and put all her knowledge and experience into practice for the benefit of others. She was not interested in being famous. Her only interest was to help others.

I tried to see things as trainee doctors saw them. I tried to feel what they feel. They are full of motivation and enthusiasm. They want to work hard and get qualified as soon as possible, because then they will be able to heal people most effectively.

I understood that this translated directly to myself wanting to fulfil my wish to  free all living beings from their worldly suffering and give them true lasting happiness. I focused on this wish and slowly developed a feeling of progression and movement. I visualised a shining light ahead, which was my goal, and a steel track leading towards it. I was on the track and my actions of taking and giving were the force which moved me forward. I knew that as long as I keep practising Dharma I will be moving along the track towards enlightenment. I stayed with this feeling of practising Dharma, moving forward, and the goal of enlightenment for the sake of all living beings as my object of meditation. It felt good and wholesome. I felt like my life had meaning, and that I was making progress to a supremely worthwhile goal.

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My practice today is to keep this mind of Bodhichitta – the wish to become an enlightened being so that I can free all my kind mothers, trapped in the prison of samrara.