One is to be grateful for the fact that the place you are in is safe, and not hostile to your hopes and dreams of living a deeply meaningful life. If you were in Afghanistan or the Congo your choices would be severely limited and as a woman, you would not be safe. So let’s not take for granted this privilege we have that allows us the freedom to pursue deeper inquiry about the meaning of life.
Another aspect of this teaching is to cherish that we have exposure to methods that can wake us up from unconscious living and show us the path to genuine happiness. We remember that we have the capacity to actually understand these contemplative teachings, and can create a skillful path of meditation. This will inspire us to actually practice regularly.
With this initial mind changing, there are two questions to contemplate:
- What are some of the other privileges I have that are easy to take for granted.
- Recognizing the tendency humans have for complacency, what am I doing with this precious life?
Take 5 minutes in a yin pose while considering these inquiries, and write down in your journal what arises for you.
