Sitting with Our Father and Mother

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9534940088_e2381e04ac_oBefore the sixth dharma talk of the 21-Day Retreat: The Path of the Buddha at Plum Village in June 2009, Thich Nhat Hanh offered this guided meditation. It is a 10-minute meditation, so please find a place to sit and be fully present for the entire meditation.

Breathing in, I invite the Buddha to breathe with my lungs.
Breathing out, I invited the Buddha to sit with my back.

Buddha is breathing, Buddha is sitting.
I enjoy breathing, I enjoy sitting.

I know that the quality of the breathing, in the Buddha breath, is excellent.
I know the quality of his sitting is excellent.
I enjoy breathing. I enjoy sitting.

I am aware that my father is fully present in every cell of my body.
I invite my father to breathe in with me. Breathe out with me.
I would like to invite my father in me to sit with my back – this is my back, but it is also his back.
Father and son. Father and daughter. Breathing together.

Breathing in, I feel so light. Breathing out, I feel so free.
Daddy, do you feel as light as I do? Do you feel as free as I do?

I know that my mother is fully present in every cell of my body.
I invite my mother to breathe with my lungs, to sit with my back.
This is my back, but it is also hers.
Mother and son breathing in together. Mother and daughter breathing in together.
Mother and son breathing out together. Mother and daughter breathing out together.

Breathing in, I feel so light.
Mother, do you feel as light as I do?

Breathing out, I feel so free.
Mother, do you feel as free as I do?

By Chan Niem Hy

Dharma Teacher.

4 comments

  1. Thank you for offering this guided meditation. It was the first time I invited my mother and father to sit with me. It felt good to do so.

  2. I have been practicing this guided meditation every night for the last week. Sitting and breathing with mum and dad is a beautiful experience, thank you!

  3. We see a moon and a sun on many Buddhist pictures. The moon is our mother(cool) and the sun is our father(hot).The moon is always on the right of the picture while the sun is on the left on any holy Buddhist picture.Thus, in meditation, I always visualize my mother sitting on my right and my father on my left.

  4. A great meditation.
    I truly felt the surrounding love of my parents.
    The circles continue to our children and grandchildren.
    A treasured gift

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