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10-Minute Daily Meditation For Stress Relief: Easy Mindfulness for Beginners

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The sound of a purring cat is one of the most comforting sounds available and can help soothe and calm you down when you're feeling stressed. Naturally, it's not just the sound that is important, but it's also the presence of the warm cuddly cat. Purrli tries to recreate both the sound and the presence of your very own virtual cat through a custom sound engine modelled after real purrs.

With a purr that delicately changes over time, Purrli aims at making the experience as real and lively as possible. Just like a real cat, Purrli will call for your attention. Just be careful when adjusting the last slider, if you don't want to be nagged in the middle of your work.

The Story

When I developed myNoise - a free online background noise generator, try it - people kept asking me for a purring cat. Unfortunately, the audio engine on myNoise was not designed to play that sort of sound. But the requests kept coming! At one point, I realized that I was spending more time answering emails explaining why "a cat purr" wouldn't work than it would take for me to design one! This is how the cat purr generator on myNoise came to exist. When it premiered, 'Furry Friend' - the name of that generator - instantly filled myNoise fans and cat lovers with joy. The buzz on the Internet softly stretched from a subtle gentle purr to the roaring crescendo of a growl of now over a million views. Though successful, I have never have been particularly proud of that sound, and I can hear the many shortcomings coming from the inadequacy of the myNoise audio engine. Sooner or later, I had to come with a better purr generator, and I think it's ready. Meet Purrli, Your Internet Cat!

Purrli is a free website that runs without ads. Your support helps me to keep this site purring. If you enjoy Purrli regularly, consider supporting my work with a donation. You will be rewarded with bonus features, such as the ability to bring your own cat at the office (by loading your own picture in Purrli's full screen mode), and more purrs! (see below)

More purrs for PatrRRRrons

Patrons have access to different purr models. The default purr model named Babouche - the one playing now - is a tranquil, warm purr modeled after my female cat. Two other models are available: Simba, a 10-week old kitten. His purr hasn't yet the bottom-end of an adult cat, and that's what makes it so cute! And Tiger, a male cat with a more crackling purr. Tiger is a white noise purr machine, ideal for office use!

Patron Login

If you already contributed to Purrli, please log in.

In the beginning, I thought a cat purr would be no more than a gimmick. Something fun, but probably useless. Many user testimonials later, I realize how wrong I was. Thanks to the interaction with cat purr fans, I have discovered the many uses of such a particular sound, and - here is the revelation - just how such a simple sound can brighten the day of many people around the world.

If you are puzzled about why people would use a cat purr generator, have a look at the user testimonials shared below, and these are only a fraction of the messages I have received. These stories illustrate how people could be using Purrli in their daily lives, and explain why I was motivated to develop a realistic purr generator.

Anxiety Relief and Stress Control

I couldn't tell you how many times I've used this cat purr to counter a panic attack, both in process and coming up. Turning this on for even five minutes makes the tension spiral out of my shoulders.

At work, I'm always very stressed out. Since my cat can't join me there, this cat purr helps calm me down!

I'm a freshman in college who isn't allowed to have my cat on campus. Back home, my cat really helped calm me down after a panic attack. Sadly, that happened a few times since I've started college, and it has taken me much longer than it should have to calm down. Now, I'm crying listening to this purring cat, because I finally have a way to calm down after a hard day!

I cannot believe how helpful this generator is. I thought it was so ridiculous at first, but then I realized I had already been listening to it for five hours! I've been having anxiety and panic attacks lately, and this is about the only thing that is starting to calm me down again.

My cat that grew up with me during childhood died two or three years ago, and whenever I was upset, she would come and lay next to me and purr to calm me down. She would nap with me, and her purring would help put me to sleep. I really miss that. This cat purr generator sounds just like her, and it really helps with my anxiety, especially during large projects.

The cat purr helps me calm down during school. It's like having my cat with me in class, but without my actual cat.

Because of my anxiety and schizophrenia, I lay awake at night unable to fall asleep. I've always grown up with cats that had deep purrs. This really helps me calm down and ground me, all-in-all helping me sleep. I use it 24/7.

Sleep

I have an anxiety disorder and when my medicine doesn't work, I have an incredibly difficult time falling asleep. I can't stand it being silent, and I used to try to watch television, but I would get too interested in the show to fall asleep. The purr sound works perfectly. It calms me down when I start having anxiety or panic attacks, and it's just the right amount of noise to keep me company. I use it every night!

This cat purr puts me to sleep even in the middle of the day. It's the ultimate comfort and relaxation app!

A purring cat helps my busy little two-year-old boy relax and fall asleep!

Purrli, on an iPad and under my pillow, is the best sleep aid I've found.

Helps me sleep every night, I usually fall asleep with my cat purring on my face, but since it's summer time it's too hot for my baby to sleep with me. This helps me fall asleep right away -- usually within five minutes! It NEVER repeats the same sound, it changes and it is amazing.

Listening to this gives me the best sleep I've had in my life.

Healing and Pain Management

I have fibromyalgia, so I am constantly in pain. This cat purr generator relaxes me and puts me to sleep. When I wake up during the night with pain, it helps me to fall back to sleep. I wish I had this years ago.

What a blessing this purr noise is. I am in a lot of physical pain, and it is impossible to remain tense from that pain when I'm hearing this.

Low frequency sound has been proven to increase bone density and heals bones faster. And cat's purr is in the sweet spot of it.

I have leukemia, and part of my treatment involves long stays in the hospital. Unfortunately (and obviously), I can't bring my cats with me, but this is a purr-fect substitute!

I've experimented with various types of sound therapy before, but nothing has been comparable to this one. It's beyond soothing, and I feel incredibly at ease after just a few minutes of listening.

Homesickness and Fond Memories

Sounds like my old cat who sadly passed away. This makes me feel like she is still with me.

I was able to duplicate the sound of my ailing cat (now that he's gone), and I can still hear him from time to time. Thank you.

I'm a college student who lives in a dorm. At home, I have three cats, but I miss them so much! Listening to Purrli makes me feel so calm and fills the entire room with love. I couldn't go a day without it because it's so comforting!

When I'm at work, I miss my purr baby so much. Having this playing in the background makes the time go more smoothly.

Productivity

This is so nice to listen to at work when I miss my cat. It really helps me focus, too; it's white noise without being too "white noise-y."

I have misophonia and work in an office. The purr generator has been a life saver. Now I can drown out the things like coughs, sniffles, throat clears, etc., that used to drive me nuts! It's comforting and helps me to focus.

This generator is great! It helps me concentrate by providing a background noise that is so normal to me that I sometimes only notice it when it's gone. In my unit - where there is constant noise and distractions - this is perfect!

Happiness

This is the best noise ever. I love to sleep listening to this. Reminds me of a cat I once had, which was the best companion ever! It is as if she were sleeping next to me. The experience is so real, it is absolutely amazing, soothing to the soul and brings joy to the heart. I find myself smiling easily when I listen to this. Thank you!

Unfortunately, I couldn't bring my cat with me while I am away studying at college, and I always miss my cat. Listening to this reminds me of my cat and always brings me joy. This also helps me because I can listen to the soothing sounds of cats purring while I am studying, and I don't get distracted by listening to music when I need to focus on my studies.

Put a smile on my face. I absolutely love this. Thank you!

I don't know why, but listening to this makes me really happy.

Allergy

I've always wanted a cat. I love listening to them purr and running my fingers through their fur. The people I live with are allergic to cats, so I can't have that experience. This app not only relaxes me, but also helps me to fall asleep, and it kind of gives me a small part of the cat owning experience.

I love this so much! It sounds like a real cat and makes me so happy! It's so calming and cute. *sigh* I can't have a real pet cat because my mother is allergic to the hair, but this is great!

Others

I will never listen to music again!

At the loudest setting, it's just like my 30 lbs. of fluff is sleeping on my face. Minus the being suffocated.

This doesn't just soothe my anxiety, it also calms my cat and makes him extra snuggly!

Funny how my cat searches for another cat behind the screen of my computer. It's great, peaceful, and so real!

Helping Cats Too!
As you just read above, a cat purr generator helps other cats too. This has confirmed to me so many times! Here are some additional "cat-tales":

I foster kittens sometimes, and I recently got three little fellas without a mother. They were really rowdy and didn't really purr much, so I decided to play this purring for them. When I came back to check on them, they were all sleeping around the speaker happily purring along with the recording! It really helps calm them down; I play it all the time now. Thank you so much!

My father recently rescued a kitten from an intersection while he was out, and the little guy has been housed in my room for the last few days. Playing this over my speaker has not only helped the kitten relax, but I find myself dozing off as well! And when the kitten curls up on me and purrs, I can hardly tell the difference! This app is absolutely becoming a part of my sleep playlists!

This setting made our kitten meow when he got close to the computer, and there didn't seem to be any other reason? He was also purring. So, I guess this setting is "kitten-approved"!

Thanks for this! I just found today a tiny cat without a mother almost dehydrated. I took him home, but he was very wild and tried to bite me and scratch me with all the power he had in him... I gave him some food and drink, but he was very much in fear and cried. I then found this app and started to play it for him. He was so happy to hear it! Finally, he stopped crying, became relaxed and is happy :-)

My cat and I are in love with this generator! He is an enormously active cat, and itís really hard to calm him down. But this problem is solved. Now we can finally rest together listening to the relaxing sounds of purring <3

I have a hyperactive kitten, and when I play this, he relaxes and rests. We nap together with this noise playing.

I do a lot of editing and writing in the evenings, and I DO have a cat that 'tries' to help me. I play this, and we both relax. Chives falls asleep on his little nest close by, and I zone in on the manuscript I'm working on. Win-Win for me and the fuzz butt.

I got a ten-week-old kitten today, her name is Luna. She has been hiding most of the time because she started to miss and call for her mother, so I came up with an idea to put this on. It started to soothe her almost instantly, and she even came up to me where I had my phone playing the sound, and laid with me. It was a perfect bonding experience!

I just moved, and my kitty is very, very freaked out by being in a new place. I have been able to coax him out from under my blanket with this sound, and it's helping getting him settled. Thanks for helping to soothe my baby!

It sounds so realistic that I can practically feel the vibrations from it. As soon as I turn it on, if my cat is close enough to hear it, she immediately lays on my bed and gets cuddly. She and I both love it.

Both my cats immediately came over to the computer. One lay down and chilled, and the other poked and sniffed the speakers for five minutes. Too cool.

My cat was, as usual, was yelling at me, something about the can opener. I put this on, switched around, and at once she was "content" and laid down and relaxed. It's not just an ambient sound, it's a command mode!

On a deskop or laptop, Purrli starts purring once the page has fully loaded. On mobile phones and tablets, you may have to interact with Purrli first: tap the background, or move a slider.

If you cannot hear any sound, and are using a smartphone, remember that tiny speakers are not able to reproduce the low frequencies of a cat purr. The use of headphones/earphones is highly recommended. Connecting to external speakers can make a big difference too.

Since Purrli runs from a browser, it heavily depends on how that particular browser behaves when faced with power saving issues. Particularly on mobile phones and tablets. If Purrli stops playing when your device enters sleep mode, try using a browser keeps playing sounds in the background, even during your phone standby. Purrli recommends Opera (Mini or Coast on mobiles).

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The Internet has a Cat! Meet Purrli, the online cat purr generator.

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The sound of a purring cat is one of the most comforting sounds available and can help soothe and calm you down when you're feeling stressed. Naturally, it's not just the sound that is important, but it's also the presence of the warm cuddly cat.

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Invitations for listeners to engage with practices that radically shift our response to stress and bring a healing and freeing evolution of consciousness.

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5 Minute Meditative Breathing Exercise | For Reducing Stress & Relieving Anxiety

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Guided meditations are offered freely by Tara Brach, Ph.D, psychologist, author and teacher of meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening.

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Need a few minutes to relax?

Get comfortable in your chair. Loosen any tight, uncomfortable clothing. Let your arms rest loosely at your side. Allow yourself a few moments to relax.

If your thoughts wander, just let them while gently moving your attention back to the relaxation. If you become anxious or uncomfortable, stop the relaxation by clicking on the pause button.

To begin, focus your eyes on the candle flame. Notice its simplicity and its beauty.

Take time to notice your breathing, gradually slowing down the rate of inhaling and exhaling as you become more comfortable.

Now relax and enjoy the feeling.

Close your mouth and relax your shoulders, releasing any tension that's built up.

Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Let the air you breathe in push your stomach out.

Hold your breath in as you slowly count to four.

Breathe out slowly through your mouth as you continue counting up to six.

Breathe in (three, four, five, six).

Hold (two, three, four).

Breathe out (three, four, five, six).

Breathe in (three, four, five, six).

Hold (two, three and four).

Breathe out (three, four, five, six).

Breathe in (three, four, five, six).

Hold (two, three, four).

Breathe out (three, four, five, six).

Breathe in (three, four, five, six).

Hold (two, three, four).

Breathe out (three, four, five, six).

Breathe in (three, four, five, six).

Hold (two, three, four).

Breathe out (three, four, five, six).

Continue breathing in (four, five, six).

Hold (two, three, four).

And out (three, four, five, six).

Remember, if stray thoughts enter your mind, gently return your attention to the relaxation.

Now, as you breathe out, silently and calmly repeat to yourself:

My breathing is smooth and rhythmic.

My breathing is smooth and rhythmic.

My breathing is easy and calm.

My breathing is easy and calm.

It feels very pleasant.

If you'd like, you may close your eyes now and focus on the music, or continue to look at the flame.

Continue to repeat to yourself:

My breathing is smooth and rhythmic.

My breathing is smooth and rhythmic.

I am peaceful and calm.

I am peaceful and calm.

Continue to take deep, rhythmic breaths. Let the tension fade away each time you breathe out. Let the music soothe you.

If you've closed your eyes, gently open them and gaze at the candle flame.

Return to your day peaceful, more focused and relaxed.

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Video: Need to relax? Take a break for meditation

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Meditation - Spend a few minutes on stress reduction with this guided meditation video.

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Free Guided Meditations | Happier meditation

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Free guided meditations to help with stress and anxiety, including favorites like relaxed dishwashing (yes, really). Embrace the messy, imperfect journey of mindfulness-wherever you are in your practice.

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Join one of our research-based self-compassion courses led by a trained MSC teacher today!

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And more on Stress Management from VeryWellMind

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Music can affect the body in many health-promoting ways, which is the basis for a growing field known as music therapy. However, you can use music in your daily life and achieve many stress relief benefits on your own.

One of the great benefits of music as a stress reliever is that it can be used while you conduct your regular activities so it really doesn't take time away from your busy schedule. Music provides a wonderful backdrop for your life and you can find increased enjoyment from what you're doing while reducing stress from your day. Put together a custom playlist for each of these activities and you may soon notice a significant decrease in stress.

When Getting Ready in the Morning

You can wake yourself up with music and start your day feeling great. By selecting the right music, you can set the tone for a lower-stress day.

Classical or instrumental music can help you wake up while keeping you calm and focused. If you have a big, busy day ahead that requires extra energy, try something that's upbeat and makes you want to dance and smile.

During a Commute

Put an end to road rage by playing your favorite music in the car.

It can relieve some of the tension you feel from the commute itself and the day so far.

It can help you feel less like you're wasting time in traffic and more like you're having some nice time to yourself.

It can take your mind off of all that you need to get done once you reach your destination. You will arrive less stressed and more prepared to take on what awaits you.

Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and it can actually keep your stress level down. Eating at home is a great way to ensure healthy meals and less expensive, but many people find themselves too tired to cook once they get home.

If you put on some smooth jazz or a similar genre of music that you enjoy, cooking becomes a fun activity rather than a chore. You will likely find yourself relaxed and in a better frame of mind once dinner starts, which can enable you to savor your dinner and your company as you eat.

While Eating

Music can also be a helper as you're eating your meal. Soothing music can trigger the relaxation response, which can lower cortisol levels, making it easier to digest food. Studies have shown that classical music, in particular, can help you eat less, digest better and enjoy your food more﻿﻿﻿﻿.

Keeping a simple, organized home can really help to cut down on your stress level, but cleaning itself is a chore that many busy people don't have the energy to face after a long day. However, if you throw on some energetic music (hip-hop or pop, for example) you can raise your energy level and have fun as you clean.

When Paying Bills

We all need to pay bills, but the job doesn't always take a high degree of concentration. Playing music while you write your checks can help take your mind off of financial stress you may be feeling and make the task more enjoyable.

Getting enough sleep is important for proper functioning, and getting enough sleep can help you handle stress better. Unfortunately, stress can also interfere with sleep in several ways.

Playing music as you drift off is one way to counteract the effects of stress by taking your mind off what's stressing you. Music can help slow down your breathing and soothing your mind.

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Music brings great health and stress relief benefits. Discover several ways you can use music to enhance your regular activities and relieve stress.

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Meditation On Lovingkindness - Jack Kornfield

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Explore the transformative power of loving-kindness meditation with Jack Kornfield to cultivate compassion and peace in your daily life.

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Four Elements of True Love

The first element of true love is loving kindness. The essence of loving kindness is being able to offer happiness. You can be the sunshine for another person.You can't offer happiness until you have it for yourself. So build a home inside by accepting yourself and learning to love and heal yourself. Learn how to practice mindfulness in such a way that you can create monuments of happiness and joy for your own nourishment. Then you have something to offer the other person.

The Practice of Loving Kindness

In our daily lives, we are often caught by wrong perceptions. We are human, and we make mistakes. When we listen unmindfully, we misunderstand the other person. We have to be aware of that. The Buddha said that we are caught many times a day by our wrong perceptions. We have to be careful not to be too sure of our perceptions. You might like to calligraphy these three words and put them on your wall as a bell of mindfulness: "Are you sure?"

When we look deeply, we often discover that it is we who cause ourselves the most suffering. We think our suffering is brought about by others - our parents, our partner, our so-called enemy - but when we look deeply, we see that out of forgetfulness, anger, or jealousy, we have said or done things to create our own suffering and the suffering of those around us. Suppose in the past I said something unkind to someone and made him suffer. Now, touching deeply the present, I can breathe in and out, smile to that person, and say, "I am sorry. I will never do that again." When I practice this, I see the other person smiling to me even if he is not there, even if he has already passed away, and my wound can be healed. Touching the present deeply, we can heal the past. The practice of dwelling in the present moment can help us calm ourselves and transform our pain. If you were abused by your parents or your society, it is important to learn how to transform the violence that is within you, so that violence will stop destroying you and those around you.

Whenever there is a fight between parents and children, both sides lose. Children who have been sexually abused by adults often feel helpless. They feel that violence will eventually destroy them. It is very important to learn the art of transforming the energy of violence in you into something more positive, like understanding or compassion. If you have suffered because of violence, you may tend to use that violence against yourself. That is why it is so important to practice looking deeply to take good care of the violence that is within you. Looking deeply, you will be able to see what could have caused the other person to act so violently towards you. You see the person who sexually abused you as someone who is sick and needs to be helped. Children who have been victims of that kind of sickness also need to be helped. If you are aware of their suffering, you will be able to generate the energy of compassion and bring about healing. In the past, you may have been animated by the energies of hatred, violence, and blaming, but through the practice of looking deeply, those energies can be gradually transformed into understanding and compassion. Compassion helps us understand others, even those who have caused our suffering. With compassion and loving kindness in us, we suffer much less.

Looking deeply, we can see the other person as our mother, father, or ourself. Then it is easy to act with compassion. The hatred and anger we have towards the other person prevent us from being happy or peaceful. But if we practice looking deeply into the other person, we see that she also suffers. She may be living in hell, and she needs help. Maybe you are the only one who can help. With that kind of insight, the stream of compassion suddenly begins to flow in your heart, and you suffer much less. Your insight is the fruit of your practice of looking deeply.

Just as there is no need to worry about the past, there is no need to worry about the future. The future is made only of the present. The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. If you walk deeply, drink deeply, and act deeply - in ways that bring real peace and joy to yourself and those around you - the future will be assured. When you have a fight with the person you love, try closing your eyes and visualizing yourself and the other person 200 years from now. After three breaths, open your eyes and I am sure you will see the other person differently. You will only want to take him or her into your arms and practice hugging meditation. Breathing deeply and holding the one you love, the energy of love, care, and mindfulness will penetrate her and she will be nourished and bloom like a flower. You will want to do everything you can to make her happy now. Don't wait until tomorrow.

Taking care of the present moment, you recognize the presence of the sunset, the morning star, the magnolia blossoms, and the person in front of you. When you practice this way, you will not be lost in your worries or anxieties about the future, or caught by the suffering of the past. The teaching of the Buddha is clear. You only have to practice it. With the presence of a loving Sangha, it is easy.

Buddhist meditation is, first of all, living mindfully. We practice precepts (sila), concentration (Samadhi), and insight (prajna). Being present helps us touch and look deeply into whatever is there. When you live deeply each moment of your life, you will have insight into yourself and also the person you think is the cause of your suffering. When insight is present, it is easy to love and accept, and you will see that the other person is not your enemy. He is yourself, and he needs you in order to be transformed. With that insight, the nectar of compassion is born in your heat. That nectar is the Buddha, the Holy Spirit, God, and it is available to us twenty-four hours a day.

After practicing taking ourselves as the object of love, we change the word "I" into "he" or "she." (See The Nine Prayers, below.) We can do that only when we have some understanding, peace, and solidity within ourselves. Self-love is the foundation for the love of others. We begin with love for someone we have sympathy with; then for someone we are fond of; and then for someone who has made us suffer. The children in Somalia, the victims of war in the former Yugoslavia, the children in my mother's native village may be considered first as neutral, people we don't really know. But if we touch them deeply, looking into them, they are no longer neutral to us. We see that they are ourselves, and suddenly compassion and loving kindness are born in us. They become true objects of our love. Finally, we come to the person we consider our enemy, the person who made us suffer. With the practice of deep looking and deep understanding, that person can also become the object of our love.

But first, we have to learn to look at ourselves with the eyes of understanding (prajna) and love (maître). Many of us cannot accept ourselves. We are at war with ourselves and want to run away from ourselves. Practicing looking deeply into ourselves and seeing the nature of the joy and pain within us, gradually we are able to accept, love, and take care of ourselves. "Know thyself" is the practice of love. If we look deeply into ourselves, we discover the conditions that have formed us and then we can accept ourselves - both our suffering and our happiness. So first of all, we accept ourselves as we are. Then we can accept the other person as she or he is. Looking deeply, we see how that person has been formed. Just as a flower is made only of non-flower elements, that person has been made of elements that are not him - his ancestors, his parents, his society, and so on. Once we see the causes and conditions that have made him, we are able to accept him and take good care of him.

According to the teaching of the Buddha, love is made of understanding. With understanding, you can love. To understand is to see all the difficulties, pain, and problems the other person is having. If you ignore the suffering and aspirations of the other person, how can you say you love him or her? But to love and understand is also to see the aspirations and hopes of the other person. To understand him more, you can go to him and ask, "I want to make you happy, but I do not understand you. Please help." If you want to love someone you don't understand, you might make him or her suffer more. A father has to go to his son and ask, "My son, do I understand you enough? Or is my love making you suffer?" Husbands have to ask wives the same question. Otherwise our love can suffocate the other person. It may be just a person for him or her. The practice of mindfulness helps us be there, look deeply, and understand the other person. We need to say to the other person, "I really want to love you and make you happy, but I need your help. Tell me what is in your heart. Tell me your difficulties. Tell me whether my way of loving is making you happy or unhappy." That is the language of true love. We need the other person's help to love properly and deeply.

All of us are subject to wrong perceptions. We have an idea of happiness and we want the people we love to follow that idea, but by forcing them to do so, we make them suffer. True love is always made of true understanding. That is in the teaching of the Buddha. "Looking with the eyes of compassion" is an expression from the Lotus Sutra, describing Avalokiteshvara. When you look at others with the eyes of compassion, not only do they feel pleasant but you also feel very pleasant, because understanding and love pervade your heart. The amount of happiness you have depends on the amount of compassion that is in your heart. Compassion always carries with it joy and freedom. If you love someone without understanding, you deprive her of her freedom.

The Nine Prayers

May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.

May I be free from injury. May I live in safety.

May I be free from disturbance, fear, and anxiety.

May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and of love.

May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.

May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving, and delusion in myself.

May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself every day.

May I be able to live fresh, solid and free.

May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.

NOTE: After practicing "May I be...", you can practice, "May he (or she) be...", visualizing first someone you like, then the one you love the most, then someone who is neutral to you, and finally the person whom thinking of makes you suffer the most. Then you can practice, "May they be...', beginning with the group, the people, the nation, or the species you like, then the one you love, then the one that is neutral to you, and finally the one you suffer the most when you think of.

In Buddhist psychology, we say that our consciousness is made of two levels. The lower level is called store consciousness ( alayavijnana), like the basement. We keep all our seeds down there, and every time we or someone else waters a seed, that seed will sprout and manifest itself on the upper level of our consciousness, called mind consciousness ( manovijnana). Mind consciousness is like the living room consciousness. Seeds in the storehouse consciousness manifest themselves in the living room consciousness. There are also mental formations. Mental formations are of 51 kinds, according to the Northern tradition of Buddhism. Mindfulness, loving kindness, hatred, violence, fear, equanimity, and faithfulness are mental formations. They manifest themselves on the upper level of our consciousness.

Our store consciousness is described as the soil, the earth, containing many positive and negative seeds. We have to be aware of all these seeds and their importance. We have seeds of suffering in us, but not only seeds of suffering. When we look deeply into ourselves, we may touch the suffering first, but we should know that there are other seeds present. Our ancestors have transmitted to us seeds of suffering, but also seeds of peace, freedom, joy, and happiness. Even if these seeds are buried deep in our consciousness, we can touch them and help them manifest.

To touch the seeds of joy, peace, and love within you is a very important practice. You can ask your friends to do the same for you. If you love someone, you acknowledge their positive seeds, and practice touching them every day. Touching and watering the seeds in one person is a very concrete practice of love. If you love me please refrain from watering only the seeds of anger, despair, and hatred in me. If you love me, recognize the seeds of joy, gladness, peace, and solidity in me also and touch them, several times a day. That will help me grow in the direction of health, joy, and happiness.

To practice mindfulness is to practice selective touching. Your happiness and suffering depend on you and the people around you. If they refrain from touching your negative seeds, if they know the art of touching the positive seeds in you, you become a happy person and your suffering will gradually be transformed by that kind of selective touching.

We learn how to touch the beauty of the sky and the autumn leaves even if pain and sorrow are still there. If it is difficult, we have to rely on the presence of a Dharma sister or brother to help us do so. If one mindful person, capable of joy and happiness, sits close to us, her energy of mindfulness and joy will support us and help restore our balance. Suddenly, with her sitting close, we are able to touch the blue sky and the colors of autumn again. I think all of us have had that kind of experience. Alone it may be difficult. But with someone beside you, solid and free, it is less difficult. We profit very much from his or her presence. If you find yourself in a desperate situation and that person is far away, you go to her, because her presence can help you restore your balance and get in touch with the positive elements that are within and around you. That is why a Sangha and a practice center are so crucial.

You need a practice center where you can find brothers and sisters, so that in difficult moments you know where to go to get support. Even if you cannot come, just thinking about it can give you some relief. Building a practice center, building a small Sangha in your city so that you have the opportunity of meeting other brothers and sisters for the practice of walking meditation, mindful breathing, tea meditation, and recitation of the precepts is very important. It is a raft that can rescue us.

One young American who practiced during the Winter Retreat at Plum Village was asked to write down all the positive traits of his father and his mother. He found it easy to list positive things concerning his father, but he was having difficulty with his mother. He was able to write only two or three positive things about her. But when he began to look deeply, he was surprised to find that he could touch many positive things in his mother. He practiced walking meditation, sitting meditation, mindful breathing, and all the activities of the Sangha. Then when he sat down to write, the insight came very naturally. In a few days he discovered dozens of positive qualities in his mother. The more his discovered, the more his resentment toward his mother vanished, and he reestablished his deep connection with her. Compassion and love flowed in his heart. Then he sat down and wrote a love letter to her.

When his mother received the letter, she was very moved. Her son had never talked to her that way, in the language of true love. He recognized all her qualities and felt grateful for her presence. She rediscovered her son and her own happiness. She regretted that her mother was not still alive so she could write the same kind of letter to her. The son then wrote another letter, saying, "Mother, my grandmother is still alive in you. You think that she has passed away, but she is still alive in you. You can touch her deeply. So why don't you write that letter now? I am sure Grandmother will read your letter, even as you are writing it." That was the insight he got in the practice - that all our ancestors are still alive in us. Our parents, even if we hate them and do not want anything to do with them, are still inside us. We are only a continuation of them. The son wrote the second letter to his mother, and his mother practiced writing the same letter to her mother. One person practicing may help the whole family to practice.

The practice of Buddhist meditation is the practice of true love. True love has the power to liberate us and bring happiness to ourselves and to living beings around us. True love is the love that retains liberty and creates joy. We cannot be peaceful and happy if we do not have true love in us.

(introduction)

He or she who wants to attain peace should practice being upright, humble, and capable of using loving speech. Her or she will know how to live simply and happily, with senses calmed, without being covetous and carried away by the emotions of the majority. Let him or her not do anything that will be disapproved of by the wise ones. (three bells to begin guided meditation)

May everyone be happy and safe

Everyone happy and safe

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How can I be ok when the world is terrible?

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How can I be ok when the world is terrible?

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How can I be ok when the world is terrible?

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Let’s be honest: The world can be a pretty terrible place. From personal losses to national tragedies and global disasters and everything in between… It’s easy to feel depressed about the state of the world. Just thinking about the sheer amount of awfulness around us can be completely overwhelming—even paralyzing. The problems are far too … Continue reading “How can I be ok when the world is terrible?”