Photo Credit: Pascal van de Vendel
This intermediate sound meditation was given by Freeman at the Boundless Love Project’s weekly group meditation on 4-7-2020. It is considered suitable for intermediate students because there is less instruction, and longer pauses. Enjoy!
Using the Meditation Script
We make this meditation script available so practitioners may review the content of the meditation, and so experienced meditators may offer this meditation to their meditation groups. If you want to offer this meditation to others, please read the article Twelve Tips to Peer-Leading Guided Meditations. For a printable copy, download and print this PDF of the Intermediate Sound Meditation Script. Enjoy!
Sound Meditation Script • 30 min • Intermediate Level
Ring Bell
We do this practice for the benefit and welfare of all beings and all life everywhere, including our own.
May we know the peace of accepting the truth of reality as it is.
May we know the security of having our intentions arise from unconditional, boundlesslove.
May we know the freedom of renunciation which liberates us from greed.
May we know the joy of living skillfully for the benefit and welfare of all beings and all life everywhere.
May all beings and all life everywhere be free of delusion, suffering, and dissatisfaction.
May all beings and all life everywhere be loving, peaceful, compassionate, and joyful.
Getting Settled
Gently breath in through the nose and deep into your belly.
Take several of these deep, quiet, belly breaths to settle the mind and relax the body.
Let your breaths be slow, silent, effortless, and soothing.
(3:00)
Gently notice the life and energy in the body.
Throughout this meditation, do what you can to keep the mind alert, engaged, and mindful, while also keeping the body calm, peaceful, and relaxed.
(4:00)
LET GO OF CLINGING
During this meditation, let go of the need to do, achieve, or accomplish anything. Let go even of the need to do this meditation correctly.
(4:45)
RELAX THE BODY
Take the next few minutes to gently move your awareness through your body and lovingly invite any parts of your body that are tight, tense, or stressed to relax and soften.
(8:00)
SOUND MEDITATION
Having calmed the body, we now begin sound meditation. Turn your attention to all the sounds you hear.
Let the sounds you hear be the anchor of your awareness throughout this meditation.
Whenever you get lost in thought, compassionately and silently note "thinking" and with ease and effortlessness return your attention to hearing the arising sounds.
As you listen there is no need to identify or interpret the sounds. Gently hear the sounds as they are, and add nothing to them.
If you hear someone speaking, do not concern yourself with trying to understanding their words. Simply hear the sound of their voice and allow the sounds to be, free of aversion and attachment.
Whether a sound is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, listen to it with peace, ease, interest, and curiosity. Allow all of the sounds to be as they are.
(11:00)
Calmly notice how the sounds heard are impermanent. Notice their dynamic, changing, temporary nature.
(12:00)
Peacefully notice how the sounds heard are impersonal. They arise lawfully due to numerous causes and conditions that are outside of your control.
(13:00)
Because sounds are impermanent and impersonal, it makes no sense to be upset by them, or to become attached to them. To do this causes needless suffering.
Simply allow all of the sound to be as they are. Relate to them free of all judgment and clinging.
(13:30)
Whenever you get lost in thoughts or emotional or physical sensations; calmly and lovingly label them as "thinking," or "sensations" respectively. Then patiently return your awareness to the sounds you hear.
(15:00)
As you listen to sounds, thoughts and sensations will arise.
Relate to these thoughts and sensations in the same way as you relate to the sounds: with healthfully detached mindful awareness, free of judgement and attachment.
(16:30)
LISTEN TO THE SILENCE
In addition to the sounds that you hear, listen also to the silence.
(17:30)
Notice how the silence is what allows all sounds to be.
(18:30)
Notice how silence is where all sounds come from and where all sounds return.
(19:30)
Patiently continue to rest your awareness on the sounds and the silence you hear.
(20:30)
Relate to everything that arises in your awareness with mindful equanimity, free of clinging and aversion.
(21:30)
Notice those moments when you relate to objects of awareness with equanimity, and observe how that creates a deep sense of peace and ease in the mind and body.
(23:00)
By mindfully noticing how equanimity works to create peace in the mind and body, you strengthen your mind's ability to relate to more objects of awareness with equanimity.
(24:00)
Notice those moments when you relate to objects of awareness with clinging and aversion.
Observe how clinging and aversion creates unnecessary stress and unpleasant sensations in the body and triggers fearful thoughts in the mind.
(25:30)
By mindfully noticing how craving and clinging work to cause unnecessary suffering in the mind and body, you strengthen your mind's willingness to let go of craving and clinging and remain in equanimity.
(27:00)
SHARING THE MERITS
Gently now, move your awareness to your heart area. As I share the merits of our practice, try to connect with and feel the meaning behind the words.
We share any merits gained from this practice with all beings and all life everywhere.
May all beings and all life everywhere be free from suffering and misery.
May all beings and all life everywhere abide in a deep and lasting peace.
May all beings and all life everywhere know the highest forms of happiness and be at ease.
May all beings and all life everywhere know their deepest essence to be: joy, peace, compassion, and unconditional, boundless love.
May all beings and all life everywhere be liberated, fully liberated, permanently liberated.
Ring Bell
(30:00)