time to grow and learn. You are not meant to be perfect.
Suffering is inevitable. It is part of the fabric of life. There are
going to be frustrations in any life. The goal is to use them as
something positive. Feel the light of loving-kindness shining
from your heart throughout your body. Now send that
compassion to your loved ones, to anyone you are struggling
with, and out to all who are in need of love and compassion.
11 . Generosity. Feel the deep generosity that is in your heart.
Imagine yourself radiating this generosity of the spirit to all
around you. How can you give your gifts? How can you
transform your problem into an opportunity to give to others?
When we give joy to others, we experience true joy ourselves.REJOICING IN YOUR DAY
How we close the day and go to sleep is an important part of our practice.
Both Buddhist and Christian monks, like people in many traditions, have
a practice of reflecting on the day. St. Ignatius Loyola called it the Daily
Examen. Buddhist monks call it Making a Dedication. The practice has
different aspects, but all involve reflecting on the events of the day as a
way of noticing whether one has fulfilled one’s intention, experiencing
gratitude for one’s blessings, and turning toward the next day on the
journey of life. The following is a shared practice reflecting the major
features of the two traditions. If you have a religious faith, you can adapt
this into a prayer practice in which you are in conversation with the
divine. If you do not, you can focus on the highest and best part of
yourself.
1 . Reflect on the day. Before going to bed or while lying in bed,
take a few minutes to reflect on your day. Consider important
experiences, conversations, emotions, and thoughts, although it
is important not to focus too much on what you did or did not