Meditation, loving kindness and metta
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| Meditation, loving kindness and metta |
May all beings be happy.
May they live in safety and joy.
All living beings,
Whether weak or strong,
Tall, stout, average or short,
Seen or unseen, near or distant,
Born or to be born,
May they all be happy.
from the Metta Sutta, Sutta Nipata I.8
Metta Meditation
Brief instructions for metta meditation from The Issue at Hand
The
practice of Metta meditation is a beautiful support to other
awareness practices. One recites specific words and phrases evoking a
"boundless warm-hearted feeling." The strength of this
feeling is not limited to or by family, religion, or social class. We
begin with our self and gradually extend the wish for well-being
happiness to all beings.
There
are different descriptions of the practice. The following is a basic
set of instructions from the book "The
Issue at Hand" by Gil
Fronsdal.
To
practice loving-kindness meditation, sit in a comfortable and relaxed
manner. Take two or three deep breaths with slow, long and complete
exhalations. Let go of any concerns or preoccupations. For a few
minutes, feel or imagine the breath moving through the center of your
chest - in the area of your heart.
Metta
is first practiced toward oneself, since we often have difficulty
loving others without first loving ourselves. Sitting quietly,
mentally repeat, slowly and steadily, the following or similar
phrases:
May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.
While
you say these phrases, allow yourself to sink into the intentions
they express. Loving-kindness meditation consists primarily of
connecting to the intention of wishing ourselves or others happiness.
However, if feelings of warmth, friendliness, or love arise in the
body or mind, connect to them, allowing them to grow as you repeat
the phrases. As an aid to the meditation, you might hold an image of
yourself in your mind's eye. This helps reinforce the intentions
expressed in the phrases.
After
a period of directing loving-kindness toward yourself, bring to mind
a friend or someone in your life who has deeply cared for you. Then
slowly repeat phrases of loving-kindness toward them:
May
you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful
and at ease.
As
you say these phrases, again sink into their intention or heartfelt
meaning. And, if any feelings of loving-kindness arise, connect the
feelings with the phrases so that the feelings may become stronger as
you repeat the words.
As
you continue the meditation, you can bring to mind other friends,
neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, animals, and finally people with
whom you have difficulty. You can either use the same phrases,
repeating them again and again, or make up phrases that better
represent the loving-kindness you feel toward these beings. In
addition to simple and perhaps personal and creative forms of metta
practice, there is a classic and systematic approach to metta as an
intensive meditation practice. Because the classic meditation is
fairly elaborate, it is usually undertaken during periods of
intensive metta practice on retreat.
Sometimes
during loving-kindness meditation, seemingly opposite feelings such
as anger, grief, or sadness may arise. Take these to be signs that
your heart is softening, revealing what is held there. You can either
shift to mindfulness practice or you can—with whatever patience,
acceptance, and kindness you can muster for such feelings—direct
loving-kindness toward them. Above all, remember that there is no
need to judge yourself for having these feelings.
As you become familiar with loving-kindness practice during meditation, you can also begin to use it in your daily life. While in your car, or at work, or in public anywhere, privately practice metta toward those around you. There can be a great delight in establishing a heartfelt connection to all those we encounter, friends and strangers alike.
"“Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.”
Pema Chödrön |
| meditation, loving kindness and metta |
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I've never heard this form of meditation called metta meditation before but I loosely practice this anyway. All of mediation are amazingly beneficial and I love how you explain that feelings of anger that may arise are signs of your heart softening. #bloggerclubuk
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