Infusion I

Related to our recent investigation into the qualities of our True Nature, there is a practice that focuses on infusing those qualities into our physical and mental being. It is called Bhavana, which in Sanskrit has many meanings including: Spiritual Cultivation and Calling Into Existence.

Bhavana also has the remarkable meaning of “infusion” – as when you are making tea, infusing an herb in alcohol, making a medicine to drink, or soaking yourself in a quality you see grow in your life To practice bhavana meditation, we think of a quality we would love to be permeated by, allow ourselves to feel the quality grow inside and around us, and then just soak in it.

Here is a list of some qualities evocative of our true nature that were experienced and expressed by other meditators after a recent group meditation:

This is by no means a complete list. The experience of the nature of mind is inherently difficult to describe with our common vocabulary, as the experience transcends the habitual ways we see the world. We can actually only describe the resonance of that experience after the veil closes and we re-construct the world of the separate self.

A relative practice, like Bhavana, can work in the opposite way, by evoking the remembered qualities we felt with our experience of nature of mind. Steeping in these qualities loosens the grip on our world view imposed by the ego and helps us relax, be open to, and welcome the pulling back of the veil to see our true nature.

If you would like, you can choose two or three qualities from the list above that resonate with your experience in practice and write them down. If you have other words that evoke this felt sense of open, compassionate, and aware presence, feel free to add them to the list. Use those words in your practice of Infusion, and see if you can extend those qualities from sitting practice into your daily life.