last saturday i went to a meditation in the historic sweets ballroom. the theme had something to do with compassion and was partially lead by jack kornfield but sponsored by the east bay meditation center.
because we were supposed to be learning about compassion, jk led us in a specific a visualization. he asked us to close our eyes and imagine being in one of the most difficult situations we’ve been in. (i thought of a particular meeting with my women’s circle.) then we were supposed to notice a being of great compassion coming in the door (or across the field if we were outside) and excuse ourselves. my being was taller than me by at least a head, was apparently made of white light, and wasn’t identifiable as anyone in particular (others met the dalai lama, buddha, quan yin, jesus, a father, an aunt…) then we traded bodies with the being and we (now in the other’s body) became invisible. we followed our bodies back to the situation, sat down, and watched the deal with it.
i couldn’t hear anything my being was saying to them as me.
then it as me excused itself again and we walked back into the hall where we traded bodies again. then the being gave me a gift. mine was a clear crystal spiral on a thin silver chain. then it gave us some words of advice. mine said something about remembering they’re fearful, too.
then jk asked for examples of who we had seen, what gifts we were given, and what we had been told. i volunteered that i’d been given a spiral. i thought i had spoken clearly and loudly, but he said, “a sparkle?”
and i thought, “yes, in fact, yes.”