Across the world or closer to home .. there are times when human suffering leaves us unsure of what we might do, what we might say, how we might find peace again .. and in those times I sit with Metta (Loving Kindness) meditation.
There are time when we all need a little 'loving kindness' .. for ourselves and others and I have often relied upon this practice when I am faced with suffering, grief and sadness.
May you be happy
May you be peaceful and at ease
May you accept yourself just as you are
May you be free to live and love fully
Metta is a Pali word that translates as 'love', or more often 'loving kindness' .. an unconditional wish of wellness for all, an openhearted offering of kindness and gentle awareness and embracing of suffering.
Based on the traditional Buddhist practice of mettā bhāvanā ("cultivation of mettā") in this meditation we silently repeat some classic phrases, systematically offering loving-kindness first to ourselves, then to a loved one, a dear friend, a neutral person, someone we find a little difficult .. and then to the entire world.
We begin by offering metta to ourselves:
May I be happy
May I be peaceful ... at ease
May I accept myself just as I am
May I be free to live and love fully...
We repeat this mantra for a few minutes and reflect on the words as they weave into our breath and our heart.
We then extend the same wish to others, spending a few minutes repeating and sharing the loving-kindness mantra with .. a loved one .. .. then, a dear friend .. a neutral person .. and finally someone we find a little difficult.
At this time you might like to also extend loving kindness to all the children and family and workers and friends dealing with the grief of the current events surrounding the loss of flight MH17.
May you be happy
May you be peaceful and at ease
May you accept yourself just as you are
May you be free to live and love fully...
When silently reciting this mantra you may wish to bring to mind (and heart) the person you wish to extend metta to. Imagine this person in a happy place, with a smile on their face, recognizing that everyone on this earth seeks happiness, connection and love; that we are all on the same journey.
Metta meditation has a profound ability to settle a suffering heart and also transform our relationships - not just with those in the world around us, but also with ourselves!
Please don't worry if you don't truly feel the hearts warmth extending out .. it is much more important that our intention is there to begin to open the circle of loving-kindness .... in this way Metta meditation helps us shift our focus from getting love to creating it, from fixing life to embracing it ..
