Banner photo credit: Quino Al @quinoal
Congratulate yourself on being 3/4ths of the way done with the course! Way to go! Know that this course still has much good fortune to offer you.
Keep lovingly doing your practices and let them help you connecting with and unleashing your inner wisdom, love, and joy.
Do as Soon as Possible
1. Read this entire page so you understand your mission for the week. (3 min)
2. Click on the link to download the week 9 handouts that will help you with your mission:
3. Practice BALADI one or more times per day. Each time you practice BALADI counts as an investigation. Expect to spend 3 or more minutes for each time you practice is. To aid you with that, please:
• Read, and review as needed, the following new handouts:
- Tips to Help You BALADI
- Labeling Practice
- Imagine the Innocent Infant Within
- What View Makes Sense to You?
• Review handouts from previous weeks on falsehoods and investigating falsehoods as needed.
Do Every Day
5. Every day, between now and the next class, meditate using the compassion meditation. Now that you have established a daily meditation habit, it is time to gently expand that practice. This week, please use the 8-minute compassion meditation. You may use the 7-minute version if you still struggle to meditate four or more times per week, or on days where you don’t have time to do the longer one. Stream or download them above. Immediately after meditating, record the meditation on your tracking log. (7-8 min)
5. Every day, between now and the next class, do the week 9 intention-setting practice (see handouts above), then immediately record it in your tracking log. (6 min)
6. Be Here Now. Continue to lovingly do your best to do the Be Here Now practice to live in the present moment. To aid you with that, please:
• Read the Be Here Now Practice handout and follow the instructions.
• Make a point of reading your Be Here Now slogan cards throughout the day, and let them remind you to do the Be Here Now practice.
• Label disturbing thoughts as either: self-judgment, judgment, pasting, futuring, or fixed-views. Then individually label the feeling tone of the thoughts and any emotions they generate as either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? Also label when the mind is free of false thoughts and note the feeling tone of this as well.
7. Each day, any time after 2 PM, message your gratitudes to your gratitude group. Read their gratitudes and practice being happy for their happiness (sympathetic joy). (1 min)
Do This on Days When You Miss Doing the Meditation, the Intention-Setting, or Both
8. If you miss meditating or intention setting for a day, get out your journal and answer these questions (5-10 min):
• What prevented me from successfully completing my intention (to meditate, do the intention-setting, or both)?
• What can I do to prevent this situation from happening in the future?
• If I can’t prevent this situation from arising, what can I do to not let it derail me from completing my intention?
These questions can also be found in your Creating a Daily Meditation Practice handout under the heading “Test Drive Your Intention.”
Please do not record these as investigations in your tracking log any more. We want that number to reflect the number of self-judgments you have investigated. Thank you!
Recommended
9. With 8 million views and counting, this powerful talk by Buddhist nun, Gen Kelsang Nyema, called, "Happiness is all in your mind,” answers the question: If depending on circumstances for our happiness leads to misery, how can we achieve a stable, lasting happiness? Watch it and read a transcript of it here.
9. Listen to This too shall pass by India Arie to remind you of the impermanent nature of all forms, and the suffering caused by depending on them for our happiness. Lyrics below.
Lyrics to “This too Shall pass” by India Arie
I've achieved so much in life
But I'm an amateur in love
My bank account is doing just fine
But my emotions are bankrupt
My body is nice and strong
But my heart is in a million pieces
When the sun is shining so am I
But when night falls so do my tears
Sometimes the beat is so loud in my heart
That I can barely tell our voices apart
Sometimes the fear is so loud in my head
That I can barely hear what God says
But then I hear a whisper that this too shall pass
I hear the angels whisper that this too shall pass
My ancestors whisper that this day will one day be the past
So I walk in faith that this too shall pass
And the one that loved me the most
Turned around and hurt me the worst
I'm doing my best to move on
But the pain just keeps singing me songs
My head and my heart are at war
Cause love ain't happening the way I want it
Feel like I'm about to break down
Can't hear the light at the end of the tunnel
Is when I pray for healing in my heart
To be put back together what is torn apart
And I pray for quiet in my head
That I can hear clearly what God says
But then I hear a whisper that this too shall pass
I hear the angels whisper that this too shall pass
My ancestors whisper that this day will one day be the past
So I walk in faith that this too shall pass
All of a sudden I realized
That it only hurts worst to fight it
So I embrace my shadow
And hold on to the morning light
This too shall pass
This too shall pass
This too shall pass
This too shall pass….
I hear the angels whisper
That trouble don't have to last always
I hear the angels whisper
Even the day after tomorrow will one day be as today
I hear my angels whisper
I hear my angels whisper
This too shall pass