Compassionate Integrity Training CIT-Faciltator-Guide-2.1-Final | Page 113

C OMPASSIONATE I NTEGRITY T RAINING
A S ECULAR E THICS A PPROACH TO C ULTIVATING P ERSONAL , S OCIAL AND E NVIRONMENTAL F LOURISHING
Now bring to mind the person who has caused you difficulty. At first, it should not be someone who has
caused you only a minor difficulty. (pause 1 to 2 minutes)
Bring to mind the situation in which this person caused you difficulty. What were they experiencing? What
mental state could have led them to behave in this way? What other causes and conditions went into this
event? (pause 1 to 2 minutes)
Can you recall times when you were under the influence of a harmful mental state? When you have acted
in ways or said things that you regret? In these ways, is the person who caused you difficulty like you?
(pause 1 to 2 minutes)
As you think about this situation logically, does it make more sense to place blame on the person or on the
mental state and multiple causes and conditions that led them to behave the way they behaved? (pause 1 to
2 minutes)
As you think of this person, consider whether there are any reasons for gratitude. Has this person ever done
anything ever to benefit you? If not, has this person done anything to benefit others, their family, their
community, their friends? Perhaps you can be grateful for what this person has taught you not to do or
how not to behave. Or perhaps something good has come from the interaction with this person? (pause 1 to
2 minutes)
Consider all the benefits for you and others that come from forgiveness rather than holding onto
resentment. (pause 1 to 2 minutes)
If you feel you are ready, think to yourself, “I make mistakes and so do others. I recognize that this person
has made a mistake, and I forgive them.” (pause for 1 minute)
As we draw our meditation to a close, let's shift our attention to the sensations of the body. Pay attention
to any pleasant or neutral sensations. (pause 1 minute)
As we conclude, you may add a resolve statement or a dedicatory wish at this time, and then when you are
ready, you can gently open your eyes. This concludes the practice. Y ou may choose to journal about any
insights that arose during the practice.
C ENTER FOR C OMPASSION , I NTEGRITY AND S ECULAR E THICS | L IFE U NIVERSITY | M ARIETTA , G EORGIA
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