Homework: Before getting up, feel thankful to be still alive and share loving-kindness to the world
Before getting up, taking a minute to re-unite your mind with the mental object at the center of your body and recollecting that you are lucky still to be alive, reminding yourself that one day in the future you must die for sure, spreading loving-kindness to all living beings in the world:
The first thing to do immediately after waking up in the morning is to spend one minute thinking of one’s mental object at the center of the body. During that minute we should remember that we are lucky still to be alive and remind ourselves that one day in the future we must die for sure, spreading loving-kindness to all living beings in the world. Having woken up with our mind at the centre of the body, we should wish the best on ourselves for the whole of the day.
Benefits to practitioner
Training ourselves in mindfulness, boosting our morale and increasing our capacity for loving-kindness.
Being endearing to others people and angels alike – and being blessed with a good complexion.
Training ourselves in generosity.
Avoiding recklessness – one’s thoughts never staying far from meditational emotion– because he is always present at the center of one’s body.
Having clear purpose in life every day.
Continuous progress in meditation.
Benefits to others
No harm coming to family or society by our hand.
Our family will gain a good role model of someone whose loving kindness always fosters peace in the household.
Society will become filled with the sort of charitable people who assist and forgive others – bringing security and peace to our midst.
Details of practice
After waking up mindfully with your mind at the centre of the body, bow at your pillow out of gratitude for surviving another day. You could visualize a meditation object at the center of your body or alternatively close your eyes and sit quietly for two minutes focusing and resting the mind gently at the centre of the body while imagining a meditation object at the seventh base of the mind. Think of the meditation object gently without worrying about how clear the image is. Simply being able to imagine something at all it a good first step. Make the practice regular, on a daily basis – and in this way, the meditation object will gradually become clearer. Having mastered this much, when meditating give yourself the feeling that the meditation object is bright. Start by making the left side brighter – then the right side. Make the front of the meditation object bright – then the back part. Make the upper part bright – then the lower part. Imagine that a halo of light is spreading out from the meditation object to touch the minds of all other beings, with the wish that they all be well and happy. Keep your mind calm as you perform this practice. Resolve to do everything to the best of your ability throughout the day ahead because we have no idea how much longer life will last. Thus we make the wish that all living beings have a share in the merit we have cultivated, whether it would be:
The merit of practicing the ten items of homework.
The merit of thinking of the meditation object continuously.
The merit from various meritorious deeds throughout the day The merit of training ourselves in meditation.
Lastly, we make the wish that accomplishing this sixth item of homework will bring us cheer throughout the day that one be able to cultivate merit and pursue the Perfections to the utmost, while enjoying strong health and long life.