Summary: The introduction to today's practice was tailored to us here in Phuket in the sense that we are coming out of retreat soon, but it can be applied by everyone. Alan talks about including the people we are going to see soon into our Loving Kindness meditation, and talks about the quite palpable effects that this can have on our relationships with such people in the (near) future. He includes his experience of this when dealing with Indian customs officers in Delhi, and if you feel skeptic about the effects of doing this meditation the best thing you can do is try it!(And then keep your eyes open). For what it counts, I can also vouch for this. After the meditation, which consisted of brief instructions followed by silence, we had a question from... Noah! So you probably know where this is going. The question contains several parts, all dealing with Bodhicitta, and actually becoming a Bodhisattva. Alan talks about the path to bodhicitta, including the importance of cultivating the Four Immeasurables, first at their "boundless level" and then going Maha (Great). The question not only deals with the achievement of bodhicitta (which in itself is radically profound), but also explains the process of sealing this bodhicitta (making it gold-like) with great wisdom. Alan includes very valuable tips that can help us orient ourselves towards this great aspiration of bodhicitta starting today, and the episode magestically culminates in the achievement of Rigpa (pristine awareness). By the way, for clarification on any of the above points (including Maha-4I) you might want to check several of the previous episodes where they were covered in detail! And by now I don't think I need to give much explanation regarding why this picture is so relevant.
