A Passage for July

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Summer is upon us, and we've been enjoying the beauty and everything the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer.

YA-SF-summer

A favorite part of our summer is a full month of meditation retreats and events at the BMCM headquarters in Tomales, California, which brings together YA friends from all over the world. This past weekend, a retreat coincided with a birthday celebration for Christine Easwaran's 93rd birthday, resulting in an amazing gathering of YAs!

YA-Summer-Group

This month we wanted to share "Discourse on Good Will" from the Sutta Nipata. This passage has been standing out recently because of the scope implied by its words -- it challenges us to imagine our good will reaching out towards the whole world. We're inspired to expand our love from reaching out to just our close acquaintances to "a limitless love, without hatred or enmity."

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this passage in the comments below. Is there a line that strikes you?

Discourse on Good Will – The Sutta Nipata

May all beings be filled with joy and peace. May all beings everywhere, the strong and the weak, the great and the small, the mean and the powerful, the short and the long, the subtle and the gross: may all beings everywhere, seen and unseen, dwelling far off or nearby, being or waiting to become: may all be filled with lasting joy. 

Let no one deceive another, let no one anywhere despise another, let no one out of anger or resentment wish suffering on anyone at all.

Just as a mother with her own life protects her child, her only child, from harm, so within yourself let grow a boundless love for all creatures. 

Let your love flow outward through the universe, to its height, its depth, its broad extent, a limitless love, without hatred or enmity.

Then, as you stand or walk, sit or lie down, as long as you are awake, strive for this with a one-pointed mind; your life will bring heaven to earth.