Photo Credit: Ray Hennessy @rayhennessy
Helpful Hints on Working With This Meditation
This meditation was created for animal activists, and specifically those working for the Fur Free Minneapolis coalition. This loving-kindness meditation trains advocates to engage the issue with a universal love for all life. By relating to all with love and compassion, advocates will be more calm, even-minded, wise, and healthy. Moreover, their activism will be more effective, persistent, and joyful.
How The Meditation Works
As in all love-based meditations, we start by generating love for those easiest to love, and work towards generating love for those who may be harder to open our hearts to. The meditation guides us to offer kind blessings to a beloved animal friend, a fur-bearing animal, ourself, another animal activist, (a person who wears fur - found only in the written version below), and someone from the fur industry. As we do this, we either get a felt sense of the beauty and power of love, or we see what get in the way of us connecting to our inner love (mainly fear/judgment, greed, and falsehoods).
Whether we mindfully experience love, or that which gets in the way of love, either way we learn. The learning helps us better relate with kindness, love, and compassion towards all life. So don’t worry if you don’t feel very loving or kind during the meditation. If you do the mediation, you get the benefits of it, regardless of what you experience.
Meditation is like exercise, for some workouts you feel at the top of your game, others at the bottom, but all of the workouts help your body become stronger. Let go of concerns about the results and just do the practice.
Recommendations
Because changing long-standing habits of the mind and heart takes both time and persistent repetition, try to do this meditation every day. Have this meditation be your regular practice for a few months, and see how it starts to positively change your perspective and improves your activism.
The Meditation
We make this meditation script available so practitioners may review the content of the meditation, and so experienced meditators may offer this meditation to their meditation groups. If this is you, please read the article Twelve Tips to Peer-Leading Guided Meditations. We have created a PDF of the Fur Free Minneapolis Loving-Kindness Meditation which you can print and use to offer the meditation.
When the meditation is offered, neither the headers, nor any italicized words, nor items in parenthesis are read aloud.
Meditation Script
Ring Bell
We start by setting some loving intentions for this meditation.
May we do this practice out of love and compassion for all beings and all life everywhere, including our own.
May all beings and all life everywhere be loving, peaceful, compassionate, and joyful.
Relaxing and Anchoring Awareness on Heart
Breathe in through the nose and deeply into the belly to relax and calm the body and mind.
Peacefully take several of these deep and effortless breaths.
Calmly anchor your attention on the felt sensations of the heart area, the area in the chest in and around where the physical heart resides.
The heart area will be where you rest your attention throughout this loving-kindness meditation. Whenever you notice you are lost in thought compassionately return your awareness to your heart area. (2:30)
Receiving the Love of a Beloved Animal Friend
Gently bring to mind a beloved and living animal friend of any species. They could be an animal companion of yours or a friend's, an animal you know from a sanctuary or shelter, or a neighborhood squirrel or robin you feel connected to. Pick an animal whom you find it easy to open your heart to.
Gently visualize them, or have a sense of them, sitting in front of you.
Kindly reflect on the fact that like me, this being also wants to be safe, peaceful, and happy.
Joyously reflect on the good, praiseworthy, and generous qualities and actions of this being.
If anything about your friend causes your heart to close, notice that, and, whatever it is, just set it to the side for now. Just focus on the beautiful and wonderful qualities of this friend.
Have a sense of this friend offering you love, kindness, and goodwill. Loving energy radiates out from their heart and fills your own with love. You may experience this as a beam of white or colored light, or simply have a felt sense of this energy. Their love tells you, “You are worthy of love, care, and compassion.”
As you patiently and joyfully receive your friend's love, open your heart to this wise truth, that you are worthy of love, care, and compassion.
Gently feel if your heart is opening or softening. (5:00)
Patiently and joyfully, receive this love from your animal friend.
Offering Love to a Beloved Animal Friend
Now, gently offer back your own goodwill and kindness to them.
I will share some phrases for you to silently repeat to your friend. As you do this, try to connect with the meaning and felt sense of the words in your heart area.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering.
I will go through these phrases twice more and then allow you to offer them from memory silently on your own.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Gently check in and notice how open your heart is. Again, compassionately try to feel the meaning behind the words.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering. (7:30)
Continue to send them goodwill now on your own...
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Gently, now, let go of your animal friend with love.
Offering Love to a Fur-Bearing Animal
Calmly pick an animal who is used for fur such as a fox, mink, lynx, racoon, rabbit, beaver, coyote, or so on.
Gently visualize the being you have chosen, or have a sense of them, peacefully sitting in front of you.
Kindly reflect on the fact that like me, this being also wants to be safe, peaceful, and happy.
Patiently reflect on the beautiful, wonderful, and awe-inspiring qualities of this animal.
Reflect on the many ways this animal interacts with the members of their habitat to keep their community healthy and thriving.
If anything about your being causes your heart to close, notice that, and kindly set it to the side for now. Just focus on the amazing and wonderful qualities of this being.
Gently keeping our awareness on the heat area, and feeling the meaning behind the words, let's now offer this being our goodwill and love. (10:00)
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Continue to send them goodwill now on your own...
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Whenever you notice the mind has strayed, patiently and lovingly return your awareness to feeling the heart area and sincerely offering the blessings to your animal friend.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from suffering.
Gently, now, let go of your being with love.
Offering Love to Ourselves
Calmly feel the heart area.
Gently acknowledge that it can be mentally and emotionally challenging to love, care for, and advocate for animals while so many of them endure horrendous cruelty and violence at the hands of humans. Because it is hard to be a caring human being, we will offer kindness, compassion, and goodwill to ourselves. (12:30)
To start, joyfully reflect on all of the kind actions you have done and the good qualities that arise in you from time-to-time that you appreciate or are grateful for.
If anything arises that blocks your ability to appreciate yourself, gently notice it, and set it to the side for now. Then return to consider all that is good, generous, and skillful in you.
Kindly now, with your awareness grounded on your heart area, offer yourself some goodwill and love.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be peaceful and happy.
May I be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of my suffering.
Gently notice how open your heart is, and really feel the meaning behind the words.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be peaceful and happy.
May I be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of my suffering.
If able, allow the loving energy of your heart to flow outward and fill your whole body, surround your body, and even fill the room you are in with love and goodwill.
Continue to send yourself goodwill now on your own... (15:00)
May I be safe and protected.
May I be peaceful and happy.
May I be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of my suffering.
Letting go of yourself with love now, keep feeling the heart area.
Offering Love to an Activist
Now silently choose a fellow animal activist to send your kindness to. They could be someone you really care about, or if you are feeling up for it, someone you find mildly annoying or challenging to work with.
Calmly visualize them in front of you, or have a sense of them in front of you.
Kindly reflect on the fact that like me, this person also wants to be safe, peaceful, and happy.
Gently reflect on the kindness, love, and generosity that they have shown you and others.
If anything arises that closes your heart to them, mindfully notice it, and set it to the side.
If at any point, following this meditation becomes too difficult for you, then go back to offering blessings of love and kindness to yourself for the rest of the meditation.
Reflect on the fact that it can be hard to care about animals when they face so much cruelty and violence. (17:30)
Calmly acknowledge this person's beautiful intentions to reduce the suffering of animals, and that even if they do it differently than you do, like you, they are doing their best.
Resting your awareness on the sensations you feel in your heart area, silently offer your this activist your blessings.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Calmly continue to silently offer them these blessings on your own now...
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Gently check in and notice how open your heart is. Again, compassionately try to feel the meaning behind the words.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.(20:00)
Peacefully now, let go with love of the activist you were blessing.
Offering Love to a Fur-Wearer
Pick someone you know who wears fur. This could be a relative, a friend, a person you have seen, or a celebrity you know of. Visualize them, or have a sense of this person in front of you.
If at any point, this becomes too difficult for you, then go back to offering blessings of love and kindness to yourself for the rest of the meditation.
We will now go through a series of wise views and reflections to help us relate to this person who wears fur with kindness and compassion. Mindfully notice how these reflections affect your heart area.
Gently reflect on if you have ever purchased or worn fur; hunted or trapped animals, gone fishing, or eaten animals or animal products? If so, you have directly or indirectly harmed animals too. Let this reality keep you humble and kind. Remember that many caring people commit cruelty directly or indirectly out of ignorance.
Notice how this reflection affects your heart.
Gently reflect on the fact that a loving activist is a more successful activist. Judgment, anger, and hostility make people defensive and polarizes the conversation while kindness, compassion, and patience brings out the best in ourselves and others and leads to growth and reconciliation. Out of our kind desire to help animals, it makes sense to treat those who wear fur with kindness, respect, patience, and courtesy. (22:30)
Gently reflect on all the ways people who wear fur suffer and need our compassion. If they are compassionate but ignorant, it will be painful for them to learn how animals are harmed to make fur, so we best tell them in a kind, friendly manner so they can more easily hear us.
If indifferent to animal suffering, people who wear fur have hardened and warped their hearts, making them fearful and defensive, or egotistical and isolated. All of these mental and emotional states cause them misery and cut them off from the joy of connecting with animals and their inborn love.
Many wear fur to seek happiness where it cannot be found, such as in the "status" and "luxury" of a fur coat. This is recipe for suffering. True happiness comes from within, not from our possessions. True happiness comes from relating to all people, animals, and life forms with kindness and compassion.
People who wear fur are suffering, and need our compassion. Through our compassion, we can patiently help them come into a skillful and harmonious relationship with animals.
Gently notice if any of these reflections affect your heart's ability to open.
If any thoughts arise that close your heart to your chosen person, simply notice these thoughts, and set them to the side for now.
Resting your awareness on the sensations you feel in your heart area, compassionately offer your this person your blessings.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy. (25:00)
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Calmly continue to silently offer them these blessings on your own now...
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Really feel the meaning behind the words of your blessings.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Offering Love to a Trapper, Fur Farmers, or Another in the Fur Industry
Letting go of the person who wears fur with love now, we turn to gently offer our loving-kindness to those in the fur industry: fur farmers, fur trappers, fur sellers, and the like. Pick someone you know who traps animals or works in the fur industry. If you do not know anyone, then pick someone you know who hunts or traps animals, or someone else you know who wears fur.
Visualize them, or have a sense of this person being in front of you. (27:30)
We will now go through a series of wise views and reflections to help us relate to this person with kindness and compassion. Mindfully notice how these reflections affect your heart area.
Keeping your awareness on your heart area, compassionately imagine this person as a newborn baby; pure, wholesome, kind, and free of any prejudice, judgment, hatred, and cruelty. See the radiant goodness in them.
Now gently imagine what teachings, experiences, and suffering they have endured to disconnect from animals to be able to harm and kill them as they do. Did they receive cruelty from the hands of others which makes them think this behavior is normal and appropriate? Imagine how lonely, isolating, and fearful it must be for them to be cut off from our natural empathy and love for animals?
Compassionately reflect on the fact that if you had had the same upbringing, experiences, and life circumstances, as this person, you too would be doing what they do. It is only because of good fortune and pure luck that you have had experiences that allowed your heart to remain open to the love, joy, and beauty of the animal world. If not for our good fortune, we too would be working in the fur industry.
Allow this understanding to keep us humble and relate to all people as friends, siblings, and equals.
Reflect on if there are any qualities about them, or kind acts they’ve done, that you can appreciate about them.
If any thoughts arise that close your heart to them, simply notice them as judgment or greed and set them to the side for now. (30:00)
With great compassion, and keeping your awareness on your heart, offer this person your kindness:
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Calmly continue to silently offer them these blessings on your own now...
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Do your best to send them some unconditional love and goodwill.
May you be safe and protected.
May you be peaceful and happy.
May you be free from fear, greed, and falsehoods, which are the source of your suffering.
Offering Love to All People, Beings, and Life Forms
Keeping the fur industry person in front of you, on their left add your beloved animal friend, on the right add your fur-bearing animals, and next to them add the animal activist. Have a sense of all of you standing in a circle together. (32:50)
Calmly offer your kindness to the group of you:
May we be safe and protected.
May we be peaceful and happy.
May we be free from suffering.
Offer your goodwill to them now on your own:
May we be safe and protected.
May we be peaceful and happy.
May we be free from suffering.
Offering Love to All Life
Lovingly expand your focus now to include all people, all animals, and all life forms everywhere. Open as far and as wide as your heart can go. Try to cover the entire earth, or the entire universe, with your love if you are able.
May we all be safe and protected.
May we all be peaceful and happy.
May we all be healthy and strong.
From this expansive state of goodwill, have a sense of this goodwill that radiates from you also protecting you.
Continue to radiate out your goodwill as we share the merits of our practice. (35:00)
Sharing the Merits of Our Practice
We share any merits gained from this practice with all beings and all life everywhere.
May all beings and all life everywhere be free from suffering and misery.
May all beings and all life everywhere abide in a deep and lasting peace.
May all beings and all life everywhere know the highest forms of happiness and be at ease.
May all beings and all life everywhere know their deepest essence to be: joy, peace, compassion, and unconditional, boundless love.
May all beings and all life everywhere be liberated, fully liberated, permanently liberated.
Ring Bell (37:00)
Acknowledgements
This meditation was created by Freeman and given by him at the monthly Our Wellness and Liberation Gathering that happened February 20, 2020.
Our heartfelt thank you goes to:
Matt Johnson and Mysti Irwin from the Fur Free Minneapolis coalition for requesting this meditation be created.
Unny Nambudiripad for organizing and hosting the event and for providing a delicious, post-meditation vegan enchilada dish for all present to eat.
All the animal activists who came to the gathering, did the mediation, and gave us your feedback on the meditation. Thanks also for all of the wonderful work you do to protect animals.
Thanks to all of you who are using this meditation to become a kinder, more joyful, and more effective activist. Your efforts will not be in vain.
Bryan Schumann of BryanSchumann.com for the Boundless Love Project theme music behind the intro and outro for this meditation.
All of the people with Fur Free Minneapolis who are helping to share this meditation with other activists, and helping to create a global beloved community where all life thrives. Thank you!