Compassionate Integrity Training CIT-Faciltator-Guide-2.1-Final | Page 36

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
I NTRODUCTION TO C ONTEMPLATIVE P RACTICE S CRIPTS
O VERVIEW
T
he scripts contained in this section should be used as a general guide for leading practices in CIT;
they do not have to be read verbatim. Each script does, however, cover key elements necessary to
achieve the Practice Learning Outcomes outlined in the CIT Manual. As the practices become
increasingly analytical, it is important these elements be included. If you deviate from the scripts, be certain
these components are not left out. As a tool for continued practice, you may want to record the meditations
for the participants to use between sessions, or you may direct them to the CIT Practice Recordings found
at the CIT website. Please be sure to read or present any explanatory material about a practice before leading
it. You will find these under the “In Preparation for the Practice” headings before each script.
M EDITATION OR C ONTEMPLATIVE P RACTICE ?
A number of distinct practices can be called meditation. Therefore, it is helpful to know the term
“contemplative practices.” Contemplative practices are typically practices of inner reflection that are
intended to bring about the cultivation or development of inner mental or spiritual qualities, such as
compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, awareness, wisdom, mindfulness, conscientiousness and so on.
It can be helpful to know the Sanskrit and Tibetan terms for meditation. The Sanskrit word bhavan ā
literally means “cultivation.” This shows that meditation is the cultivation of inner qualities and that we
can have many forms of meditation, since we can cultivate many inner qualities. The Tibetan word is goms ,
which means “familiarization.” This indicates that through practice, we familiarize our mind with certain
states, like gratitude, etc. Both these words show that meditation is a gradual process that does not happen
overnight. Vegetables and fruits cannot be cultivated rapidly but take time. Similarly, the cultivation of
C ENTER FOR C OMPASSION , I NTEGRITY AND S ECULAR E THICS | L IFE U NIVERSITY | M ARIETTA , G EORGIA
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