It is a sunny spring day; you are strolling in the vicinity of the temple courtyard and enter into its magnificent garden. You walk along a verdant alley, edged with flowers, pausing with quiet reverence before the shrines consecrated to Guan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion.
You feel Her blessed Presence in each dainty statuette, whether of porcelain, wood, or stone; in the offerings of flowers and fruit; in the gentle movement of the air, perfumed with the exquisite fragrance of flowers; and in the distant sounds of flute which come to you from afar...
Silence and serene joy infuse everything: each stone, each petal, each whispering sound and softly trilling note... And you, walking along the graden path, are also wholly part of that same silence and joy... You sense Her Presence in the midst of the rose-and-violet hued blossoms all around you. You see Her, enveloped in a soft, golden light, dressed in flowing robes with cut-jade ornaments. In Her hands, She holds a small golden vase covered with hieroglyphic tracework. You admire the refinement of this lovely Goddess and perceive the exquisite tenderness of Her soft, gentle touch upon the world.
The radiant glow of love and compassion emanates from Her. She gazes upon you. Her eyes, streaming forth rays of living light and heat, fill you with love. So does a mother look upon her babe. So gaze those who love. You see yourself reflected in Her eyes, in the extraordinary light that flows outward from Her heart. Your heart is filled with the light of Guan Yin.
Guan Yin takes you by the hand and together you stroll along the paths. You whisper to Her of your sorrows and confide in Her your concerns for your loved ones – both the ones who live next to you, and the ones who are far away. She smiles at you, and you are filled with the force, the strength, of Life.
She raises Her vase over you, and pours forth the rose-and-violet essence of the Light of Compassion. It is as if a waterfall of flower petals has engulfed you, caressing you tenderly, enveloping you, dissolving your cares and your sorrows. Washed clean by the pure light of compassion, your heart is once again ready to live. To live joyfully, completely, wholly, broady, righteously. You behold your loved ones, who also receive this cascading waterfall of the light of Compassion. They bathe in it, and are healed by it. All is infused with light, life and love. You raise your eyes to the heavens and you see Guan Yin, extending the protective mantle of her Compassion over the Earth and pouring forth Her soul-awakening light over all living beings. This river of Compassion covers and penetrates all the Earth, transforming it into a rose-and-violet sphere of the tenderest, calmest light...
The meditation is complete: you are in a splendid mood; you remember a multitude of fresh, captivating impressions, perceptions, insights and experiences. Do not be in a hurry to share them with anyone else. Relive and recollect that which you experienced in images and sensations, as your senses continue to respond to what transpired on your journey. Your mission is to train yourself to become a balanced person, in equilibrium, in command of your mental state, so that you are not susceptible to rash reactions when your mind is in a whirl. You will arrive at the goal of being able to control everything without actually controlling anything. At first, we realize, this seems like a rather complicated task. But gradually you get better and better at channeling your thought processes in the optimal direction. And only then will you be ready to soar, flinging wide the wings of your awareness, and always without losing yourself in the process... And that will be when the time shall have come for you to share the joy of your experiences with the people you cherish most, in order to energize them with your own happiness...