What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. —Ecclesiastes 1:9 English Standard Version
Recognizing the truth of that quotation, I won’t claim that I invented the meditation I’m about to guide you through. It’s adapted from other sources. For example, here’s a video of an hour-long dharma talk called “Taking Refuge in the Island Within Ourselves” by Sister Chân Đức in the Plum Village monastery and retreat center in France.
I’ve added a twist or two I haven’t seen before, even though I’m sure I’m not the first to think of them, and combined it all into a guided meditation. I’d appreciate any feedback you can provide via a comment on this if you’re receiving it as a blog post or, if you’re listening to the podcast, an email to melpine@substack.com.
Before we start the formal meditation, let’s pause and reflect on the simple Buddhist Refuge Prayer.
I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the dharma. I take refuge in the sangha.
By the Buddha, we mean the historical Buddha Gautama, all the Buddhas of all time, and the innate Buddha Nature within us.
By the dharma, we mean what the Buddha taught and how the world works—what our innate wisdom tells us about reality.
By sangha, we mean our community of fellow worshippers and the sense of spiritual friendship we experience.
By refuge, we mean where we go to feel safe and seek answers to life’s most difficult questions.
You may prefer other words for your island of refuge, but I hope this meditation helps you find it when needed. (If you are reading this post, you can click above to begin the recording or keep reading for text with instructions.)
Find a spot where you’ll be comfortable and uninterrupted. If you’re sitting on a chair or cushion, you can rest your hands on your legs or knees. If you’re lying on your back, rest your forearms on your body or at your sides. Whatever your posture, try to keep your spine straight but relaxed so air flows effortlessly into and out of your lungs.
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Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness, I send my heart along with the sound of the bell. May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness and transcend all anxiety and sorrow.
[Gatha adapted from the Mindfulness Bell.]
(Ring bell three times.)
As the sound of the bell fades, you remain at peace in the present moment. The past has vanished. The future is an illusion. In this moment, there’s nothing to do…nowhere to go. You are simply being.
(Pause)
You’re resting in open awareness, eyes closed or comfortably open, not squinting. Your eyelids are relaxed like the rest of your body. Your breathing is natural. You might scan your body for any areas of tension.
(Pause)
At any time, feel free to move around, stretch, change position, or take a drink while you remain in awareness. As long as you do everything in awareness, you are still meditating. When your mind drifts, as it will, simply come back into awareness. Noticing the drift and coming back into awareness is an act of awakening.
(Pause)
Now, in your mind, create a place where you can always feel safe and calm despite any turmoil around you. It might be a cabin in the woods or on a mountaintop. It might be a tropical island all your own. It might be a spot on an ocean beach. Maybe a room in your home. Whatever environment represents safety and calm, make it the way you want it, and go there in your mind.
(Pause)
The world around your island of refuge hasn’t stopped being a place of turmoil, but you see it as it is—just turmoil. The turmoil doesn’t change anything in your haven of safety and calm. Even your own distracting, monkey-mind thoughts are part of the turmoil out there. As long as you remain here in your refuge, you see them for what they are—merely turmoil. You can observe them without being carried away by them.
(Pause)
If this is a new experience for you, you might let my remaining words wash over you until I ring the bell three times to indicate the end of the meditation. If you have done this meditation or one like it before and feel comfortable with it, you might try one more step. You might try removing the mental image of a specific place and simply recognize that’s your mind—your innate Buddha Nature—seeing the world as it truly is. When you find that place in your mind without needing props to get there and know it, you are resting in your Buddha Nature.
I’ll remain silent for a few moments as you rest there with or without imagined walls or trees or water around you.
(Pause)
(Ring bell three times.)
If you’d like a song about another peaceful island to relax to for a few more minutes, click the video below.
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Finding Your Island of Refuge