I know there will be difficult times working as a Peace Corps volunteer, far from my family and friends. In preparation for those times, I have decided to build an emergency kit for myself (see this post). I am going to document the contents of that kit in this journal.
The Tibetan book of the dead describes a very interesting process for helping someone that is dying. Here is my attempt to paraphrase that process:
- 1. Sit very close to the person that is dying.
- 2. Breath in as the dying person breaths out, imagining you are pulling the pain and death from the person that is dying.
- 3. As you bring this pain and death into yourself, use it to destroy those bad things that are inside of you (hate, anger, loneliness...).
- 4. When you breath out, breath out peace and happiness for the dying person to inhale.
Trying to understanding the pain of others has helped me understand and then reduce my own pain -- sometimes it has even helped the other. Also, in a strange type of symbiosis, as I build compassion for other people I find I am more able to have compassion for myself, which helps me have more compassion for others...
Item #1 -- Magic Jewels
- Compassionate thoughts are like beautiful jewels made of bright magic. Their magic is strong and over time can heal great pain.
(I'll write this phrase in my emergency kit's "book of thoughts")
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