The Traffic Jam Meditation

I live in Southern California so when I came across the "traffic jam meditation" I not only chuckled, but I also felt a sense of encouragement. Traffic jams are a very easy way to loose your peace and composure.

The following Traffic Jam Meditation is an excerpt from the ebook Hello-With Love, and Other Meditations, by Venerable Vissuddhacara. His insights, and the meditation are truly precious.

"When you are caught in a traffic jam, instead of getting uptight and tense, apply mindfulness. Be aware of your mind and body. Observe the sensations in the body. Notice your breath - both in and out. Be aware of your sitting posture, feel the contact between buttocks and seat, and between back and back-rest. Sensations of warmth and pressure in those areas of contact can be felt and noted.

Feel your hands on your steering wheel. Observe your mind, too, and notice its tense, edgy, impatient, agitated, disturbed, or whatever state. You'll be surprised that such simple awareness can produce a calming effect. You'll feel a little bit more relax, a little less tense. Then, if you maintain your mindfulness, observing say your in-breath and out-breath, you'll loosen up further and will relax even more.

Then you can also radiate loving-kindness which you must remember is something you can practise any time anywhere. So here in the traffic jam, you can radiate thoughts of goodwill to all around you. You can think any wholesome thoughts you like such as, "May all beings be happy. May they be peaceful. May they be healthy. May they be wise, enlightened, free from suffering, live in peace and harmony, free from such traffic jams, not get angry, and so on."

You can keep repeating and radiating such thoughts to all those people who are caught in the traffic jam, to all those people around you out there, and to the passengers that may be in your car. And to anybody else you may think of, such as your loved ones or friends. Or just to all beings at large throughout the whole universe. And, of course, you can also direct those thoughts to yourself, wishing the same for yourself."

Traffic Jam Meditation

"Keeping cool and radiating love:
May all those who are caught,
like me, in this jam be happy.
May they keep cool and not get angry.
May all beings be happy and live in peace & harmony."

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