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Happy Hour: Compassion as the Air We Breathe - Nikki Mirghafori

The following talk was given by Nikki Mirghafori at Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA on October 19, 2023. Please visit the website www.audiodharma.org for more information.

Happy Hour: Compassion as the Air We Breathe

Hello, and welcome everyone to Happy Hour. It is lovely to be together in this moment in time. For our practice together, I want to invite us to continue to engage with the practice of compassion. There can't be enough compassion in the world for ourselves and for others, because there is so much suffering in the world. Bodies hurt, hearts hurt. There is, unfortunately, the continuation of the geopolitical situation—so much pain and suffering. As the Buddha said: greed, hatred, and confusion, not knowing any better, not knowing that harming each other and hating each other doesn't end hatred. Let's continue with the practice of compassion wherever it's called for. A couple of days ago we started inside and internally, and went outside. Maybe we'll do the same today.

I invite you to find a position where your body is comfortable enough in this moment in time. If there is discomfort present, that's okay too. Can we welcome that? Can we relax and soften with whatever is present in this moment? Inviting our hearts, our minds, and our bodies to relax as much as possible. Relaxing into and around what is, with no agenda.

And if thoughts are arising in this moment, it's not a problem. Yet, can we relax them too? Invite them to safety and ease. Can they rest as we invite this body to rest and collect itself?

Letting the body relax, the heart, the mind, and just receive the breath in the belly. Calming, soothing, settling. Settling our minds and our hearts. They can be so agitated, especially when there's pain and sorrow. Settling is not the way to deny pain and sorrow; it is a way to establish more stability so we can be with pain and sorrow skillfully, with compassion instead of agitation and reactivity. So, settling. Settling with each breath. No agenda, just to settle. In-breath and out-breath, two companions, new friends.

And as we relax our hearts, our bodies, our minds, we relax our embrace. Our hearts embrace with a very, very light touch to relax around, and ever so lightly embrace what is challenging—maybe in the body right now, in the mind, in the heart. Not looking for it. If there's nothing challenging, it's okay. Let yourself just stay with this gentle, open embrace of care. Arms open, hands turned up ever so gently. Breathing.

Notice if, as you fully relax and soften your body with each breath, through this complete relaxation and settling, the body can feel lighter, softer, a little fluffy, perhaps. Again, don't try so hard. It's not about trying, but letting go. Softening, relaxing more and more of your muscles, of your thinking, into the nature of what's called the air element. Embracing the air element of your body.

Light. Moving. Feeling the breath being breathed. As if this body of yours is the breath itself, is the air itself. Expansive, as if this body is gas, and with the container of the skin released, this body spreading. These molecules, air itself, spreading the air of compassion, traveling far and wide. Becoming a breath of compassion.

Traveling to perhaps a loved one, or an area of the world, as this air element spreads. As you surround each being with your presence, as this air of compassion is being breathed in and out, blessing each and every person with comfort. Care. Being compassion. Being care. Bringing succor¹ and ease wherever the air element of your body shows up and spreads.

Compassion as the air we breathe. Becoming, being compassion in your heart's desire. If we could bring succor, calm, and care, if we had a magic wand and we could shapeshift our form, become gas, become air, bless every cell of another being's body to be free from sorrow and suffering—wouldn't you? This practice is an exploration of this wish. Offering yourself up to the altar of humanity, one breath at a time.

And as we bring this meditation to a close, offering our practice, offering ourselves, our goodness to all beings everywhere. As if we could spread our goodness, molecules of goodness, all around this planet, this world. May everyone, in ways I can't imagine, benefit from my goodwill, my friendliness, my care. May all beings be free from suffering and sorrow. May all beings be well. May all beings be free, including myself.

Reflections on the Practice

Thank you for your practice, everyone. The way we explored the practice of compassion in this session is unlike any time in the past we've explored it. It is a different way. As I was leading the meditation, different images and teachings came to mind. One of them was from the Jataka Tales², which are the stories of the many lifetimes of the Buddha before he became the Buddha. They recount the many rebirths he had and how he developed various qualities. Each time, he would be reborn, perhaps as an animal.

In one of these tales, there is a story of him offering his body as food for a starving lioness and her cubs. There is this profound sense of offering your body out of compassion. In this practice today—maybe coming up from the pain in my own body—there was a sense of lightness that was coming, feeling light and airy. What if we could offer our bodies as air that others breathe, bringing them comfort and care? It's a transformation of our wish to bring comfort and succor. We transform ourselves into this agent that goes around, this air that hugs people, engulfs them, and penetrates their cells through the oxygen they breathe, bringing comfort, ease, and succor.

Like any practice, this might have worked for some of you and been an "aha" moment, and for some of you, it may not have. It's all okay, not a problem. If it worked for you, great, add it to your arsenal. If it didn't, let it go, no worries. There are so many different ways into the temple.

I'd like to invite us to explore how this practice was for us in small groups. Please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and stay with the content of your compassion practice and the cultivation of your heart.

[Small group breakout sessions]

Group Reflections

Welcome back, everyone. Given that I'm not feeling well, I'm only going to take one or two reflections tonight, so feel free to write them in chat or raise your hand.

Mary: I just want to speak to what you just said. I realized you seldom talk about yourself, but it was quite a human moment to experience. Of course, it made me feel sad that you were in discomfort, but at the same time, I felt a connection to you and the group in a different way—realizing that we all have our challenges, even the Buddha, or the teacher. So, thank you.

Nikki Mirghafori: Thank you, Mary. I appreciate your reflection. I see reflections in the chat. Janette says, "I feel so much gratitude to you for meeting with us and giving us the gift of the beautiful guided meditation even though you have pain tonight." Thank you, Janette. Fred says, "Thank you for being here tonight, Nikki." And someone else says, "I hope you feel better." Thank you, me too.

Hugh, you have the last word.

Hugh: Thank you, Nikki. I was struck by a phrase that you said tonight about how we should offer the best of ourselves up on the altar of humanity. It reminded me of the phrase Namaste³, which to me has always meant, "The very best in me salutes the best in you." Now tonight I'm thinking, oh yeah, just offering up a plate of food, like a tasty morsel: "Here, take me. Nothing but wholesome and nourishing intentions towards you."

Nikki Mirghafori: Oh, thank you so much. This is so beautiful, I love it. This invocation of Namaste—the very best of me sees the very best of you, and giving up this very best of ourselves for the sake of all beings, for the sake of ourselves and all beings. Beautiful. Thank you, Hugh.

Amy says in the chat, "I was reflecting on the wind, a wind being like the air of compassion blowing through. It reminded me of the song my dad sang to me at bedtime called They Call the Wind Maria." I don't know that song, now I have to go look it up.

Thank you for the goodwill and "get well soon" wishes coming fast and beautifully in the chat. Thank you so much. Thank you all for your practice. Thank you for your cultivation of kindness, goodwill, your good heart, and your compassion for the sake of yourself and for the sake of all beings everywhere. May all beings be well and free from sorrow. May all beings be free, including ourselves. Take good care.