Not too long ago, I shared a meditation on coffee with my newsletter subscribers. The piece spoke to the interconnectedness of the world and how we can strengthen our compassion muscle by tapping into that interconnectedness.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, my spiritual guide, and teacher, once said, “Everything we now enjoy has been provided through the kindness of other beings, past or present.”
If we reflect on this quote, we will see that anything we experience with our senses has been provided through the kindness of others! Even our bodies were given to us through the kindness of our mother and father.
This kindness is why our primary practice should be one of love and compassion.
Do me a favor? Take a look around your house and tell me what do you see? Most likely tables, chairs, a kitchen full of food, lights, clothing, and shoes. How about the computer or device you’re using to read this post? All these objects can all be used to generate compassion.
Here are 25 Household Items to Practice Meditation on Compassion
1. Electricity
2. Heat
3. Shelter
4. Food
5. Running water
6. Shoes, jackets and other clothing
7. Tables and chairs
8. Family – children, spouse, partner
9. Stove to prepare meals
10. Refrigerator
11. Air-conditioning
12. Garage for storage
13. Electronic devices
14. Toilet and toiletries
15. A bed to rest on
16. Books and other media to enjoy
17. Toys for your children or pet children
18. Yard or garden
19. Man cave
20. Woman cave
21. Safety
22. Internet
23. Happiness
24. Calm
25. Peace
Finding the Object of Our Meditation
While you meditate, sit with one of the objects from the list in mind and think how beautiful that I have a refrigerator to store food for my family, how lovely that I have access to running water, I’m so grateful for the comfort, warmth, and peace my home provides.
Taking it to the next level, you can then contemplate how many living beings worked to provide you with these things. Much of the benefits we receive are because of the physical objects we own – all of these advantages are created or provided to us by complete strangers.
For this reason, we practice profound and sincere gratitude, our heart begins to lighten, and a feeling of compassion naturally arises.
Holding the Object of Our Meditation
Maintaining this sense of compassion at our heart, we can then focus on the compassion for as long as possible. If we find ourselves losing our focus on compassion, we can gently return to the contemplation, finding the object of our meditation. This reflection is not meant to make us feel depressed or melancholy, but to motivate us to open our hearts wider, see the interconnectedness of it all and to practice and live compassion in our everyday lives.
First, we start with ourselves. Then we begin sharing our strengthened muscle of compassion, our bright and glowing heart, with our community and the world.
Your Challenge
Try this meditation for yourself! Your challenge is to practice this meditation for the next five days. Each day pick a new household object from the list and meditate for five to ten minutes. Leave a comment below letting me know about your experience.
Originally appeared on CharlesMinguez.com
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Image: Pixabay
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