Additional Affirmations
Community Gathering Affirmation
Today I feel fortunate to sit as a member of this kind community,
In the safety and security of like-minded friends,
Sharing this present moment with others dedicated to the cultivation of goodness.
Today I’m grateful for the direction and support that this community provides,
A community worthy of my time and commitment,
A community where my efforts have meaning, purpose, and are appreciated.
Today I’m thankful for this community of awakening,
A place to gain the knowledge and skills to improve my life,
A family, a home, and a sanctuary for all of us seeking refuge from the storm.
Affirmation of Our Responsibility to the World
As conscientious practitioners, we must recognize our responsibility to the world,
To strive to live skillfully, while helping others to do the same,
To strive to live in balance and harmony with nature and others,
To strive to gain mastery over our minds, and embody our true benevolent nature,
To expand our hearts and minds, transcending our shared human limitations,
To not intentionally harm sentient life or our planet,
To maturely accept and embrace the reality of our situation while striving to improve it.
Altruistic Affirmation
May all be healthy, may all be prosperous, may all be well.
May all be present, free of past regret and future worry.
May all abide in constant appreciation, which is the source of great joy and contentment.
May all realize their true nature and the true nature of reality, which is awakening.
Blessing (used as an offering of inspiration, sympathy, and concern)
May you be healthy; may you be prosperous; may you be well.
May you be present: free of past regret and future worry.
May you abide in constant appreciation: which is the source of great joy and contentment.
May you realize your true nature and the true nature of reality: which is awakening.
Meditation Affirmations
Meditation Affirmation
With a deep appreciation for this precious life and a resolve not to waste it,
I now engage in meditation.
With a deep conviction in the vast benefits and importance of this practice,
I now engage in meditation.
With the wish to develop myself and uncover my full potential,
I now engage in meditation.
With the wish to gain mastery over my minds and emotions,
I now engage in meditation.
With the wish to bring peace, contentment, and genuine happiness to my life,
I now engage in meditation.
With the wish to awaken from mundane habitual existence,
I now engage in meditation.
And with a mature resolve to persevere in spite of any obstacles that might arise,
I now engage in meditation.
Seven-point meditation checklist
- Posture – Sit in a comfortable yet alert posture, as if being drawn upwards by a string attached to the crown of your head.
- Hips – Roll your hips forward accentuating the gentle inward curve of your lower back.
- Joy – Smile and appreciate the present moment and this opportunity to practice.
- Acceptance – Sit as an open observer… without striving, judgment, or concern.
- Equanimity – Use your breath to calm your mind, establishing an effortless contentment.
- Awareness – Become present… while establishing a clear, alert, and bright mental state.
- Engage – Focus on the breath, switch on and let go.
When ready, silently say the word or mantra ‘meditating’ to engage your meditation, then repeat as needed.
Meditation Dedication
As I arise from my meditation, I feel joy from fulfilling my ongoing wish to develop myself.
May I sustain throughout the day the meditative equanimity that I have cultivated.
May my own peace, stability, and contentment extend to and nurture others.
May my efforts encourage and support all those cultivating awakening.
Meal Affirmations
Long Meal Dedication
This meal before us symbolizes abundance and prosperity,
Offering us joy, nutrition, and wellness.
Within it we find great love and care in its preparation,
Great joy and happiness in its sharing,
Great delight and pleasure in its many tastes and textures,
As well as the anticipation of a full and content stomach at the meal’s end.
Conversely…
We must also recognize that this meal represents life's suffering.
For within it we find vast hours of backbreaking labor in its cultivation,
Great sorrow in the loss of small innocent life in its harvest,
Great greed and unfairness in its commerce,
And of course, our inevitable dissatisfaction at its natural imperfections.
It is through reflecting on both of these truths, that we generate deep appreciation.
So, as we reflect on these truths, let us eat mindfully, being present and aware.
Let us eat in moderation and balance, to nourish and fuel our hearts, minds, and bodies.
Let us eat joyfully, appreciating the company of our friends, families, and community.
Let us eat so we can be productive on our path and in our commitment to benefit others.
Short Meal Dedication
While enjoying this meal let us eat mindfully, being present and aware.
Let us eat in moderation and balance, to nourish and fuel our hearts, minds, and bodies.
Let us eat joyfully, appreciating the company of our friends, families, and community.
Let us eat so we can be productive on our path and in our commitment to benefit others.
Healthy Diet Affirmations
This practice is for those who have difficulty maintaining balance, moderation, and/or wise
choices pertaining to their daily diet. Recite this prayer each morning, and when needed.
For myself, daily diet is a main spiritual practice,
With a long, healthy, and quality life as my aim.
I undertake this practice because I respect and appreciate myself,
I undertake this practice because I recognize the wonder of my being.
Today I will nurture myself with wisdom, loving-kindness, and care.
I will be mindful of the spiritual wholesomeness of healthy dietary choices,
I will maturely recognize my desires as merely patterns that need to be modified,
I will be skillful in diligently habituating and deepening new wholesome patterns.
Today I will engage in mindful eating during all meals.
I will practice the three-breath meditation at all prescribed times*,
I will cultivate my ongoing dissociation between food and pleasure,
I will cultivate my ongoing dissociation between food and emotion.
Today I will maintain a balanced diet in proper moderation; and tomorrow, and each day thereafter, I will reap its rewards.
* The prescribed times for the three-breath meditation (when pertaining to diet) are: before making dietary choices, when strong desire arises, before all meals, and towards the end of the meal (when first feeling you’ve eaten enough). The practice of mindful eating is shared in the text Awakening Through Appreciation, available for free downloaded at SBTonline.org
Short Diet Affirmation - recited before making dietary choices
Out of kindness to myself, I uphold the mature choices I have pledged to follow, and tomorrow, and each day thereafter, I will reap their rewards.