Long-time The Tibet Center student, Rob Young, offers how he prepares for each day with his daily message of Mindfulness, Gratitude and Generating Bodhicitta.
A Daily Restoration of Mindfulness & Gratitude
GENERATING BODHICITTA
With the wish to free all beings,
I shall always go for refuge
To the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Until I reach full enlightenment.
Inspired by wisdom and compassion,
Today in the Buddha’s presence,
I generate the mind intent on full awakening
For the benefit of all sentient beings.
As long as space endures,
As long as sentient beings remain,
Until then, may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.
(Recite 3 times)
Today is going to be my peaceful day. I will not let anything disrupt my peaceful day.
If something starts to disturb me, I will address it with courage, within myself first, before I react, and if taking action, taking the wise response that benefits all.
I will remember to respectfully honor myself, my feelings, and also honor their dignity, offering kindness to them instead of negative responses.
Whatever happens today, I will remember to respond with kindness
May my speech be kind
May my actions be only in kindness.
If I start to feel compelled to be defensive, may I PAUSE and choose non-action first. Walk away if necessary. Mentally set the event down, and let it go. Life is too short to try to hold onto moments past.
May I remember to love my family fully, generating gratitude for those who love me. May I speak to them with kind words
May I mind my tone as if talking to a child. May I remain gentle and practice right speech.
May I think about others first, in that, how my actions are affecting those I interact with. May I strive to be of benefit to them and to provide a safe space and pleasant experience.
May I love on others as if it’s my last day, my last opportunity to be of help to someone.
Remember, no one else is committed to you.
No one else has committed to treating you well today.
If someone is kind to you, thank them sincerely
And since no one has taken a commitment to your well-being
Be sure to take it up for yourself and take GOOD care.
You must really remember to take GOOD care of yourself.
May I remember the Buddha and his teachings
May I remember my great teachers and Sangha (dharma friends)
May I generate gratitude for this day, another day to be of service
May I remember I am here to be of benefit to others
May I remember all the love and effort invested in me for my continued enrichment
May I remember those who believed in me
May I remember people are suffering, and acting out of their own ignorance. Responding to the world in ways they feel will alleviate their suffering. “For they know not what they do!” A wise one once said.
Keep choosing Kindness, keep developing Metta
And REMEMBER this. It is your narrative of experience that defines the experience. You are designating the values of this experience. You are assigning meaning to what can be meaningless. You can change your day at anytime, by changing your mind and the where you have placed value.
GENERATING BODHICITTA
With the wish to free all beings,
I shall always go for refuge
To the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Until I reach full enlightenment.
Inspired by wisdom and compassion,
Today in the Buddha’s presence,
I generate the mind intent on full awakening
For the benefit of all sentient beings.
As long as space endures,
As long as sentient beings remain,
Until then, may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.
(Recite 3 times)