Tradition holds that the Buddha introduced Metta practice to a group of 500 monks during a three month rainy season retreat.
According to the legend, it is said that all 500 monks emerged from the retreat, after practicing peacefully and calmly, fully enlightened.
Indeed, Metta meditation practice can be a useful technique in breaking down our notions and concepts of separateness and realizing the interconnectedness of all things, particularly all sentient beings.
After this guided meditation, we will close with a reading from the Karaniya Metta Suta, in which the Buddha teaches us Metta.
For now, let's begin our guided meditation.
Find a comfortable position,
whether it be sitting upright in a chair, or on a cushion, or lying down on your back or side.
Once you have found a comfortable and sustainable position,
close your eyes
and breathe deeply.
Hold the breath for a moment and exhale
How does the breath feel as it enters through your mouth or nose into your lungs?
How does it feel as your lungs expand to accommodate the breath?
As you exhale, take notice of how it feels as your lungs contract, and the breath exits through your nostrils or your mouth.
Is it warm or
cold?
Take a few more deep, mindful breaths
as we unite the body and the mind.
There is only here
only now
only the breath
in
and out.
Now, bring your mind to these elements, which will be the focus of our practice in this moment.
These things are common to all sentient beings, and unite us all in our interdependence.
These are the desire to be happy.
To be safe,
and to live at ease free from all pain and suffering.
To be free from pain and suffering, does not mean we cease to experience these things. Rather, our practice is to view suffering through the lens of impermanence and be liberated from the thought patterns that can often captivate us when we encounter pain and suffering.
So let's begin our practice with a focus on our own liberation.
Repeat after me
either aloud or silently
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be free from all suffering.
This practice may be difficult at first, especially if you feel unworthy of these things, or they they seem unrealistic.
Release these notions from your mind as best you can
and repeat:
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be free from all suffering.
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be free from all suffering.
Sit with this a moment
and know that we cannot liberate anyone until we first liberate ourselves.
Next, visualize someone that you love very much.
This could be a relative, partner, spouse or a close friend.
It could be a pet.
As you visualize them,
imagine with each breath that you are sending all your love and well wishes to this person.
Now, imagine that you are in front of them, face to face, looking into their eyes.
Now say to this person,
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
Take a deep breath
and say again to your loved one:
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
Once again:
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
Now imagine someone about whom you feel neutral.
This could be someone you see regularly, but don't know personally. A grocery cashier and delivery driver, the work associate,
someone you aren't close to, but for whom you have no negative feelings.
Although you don't know them well,
you are connected in your desire to have a good life, free from the bonds of suffering.
With this person in front of you,
look at them and say:
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
Visualize now
someone you dislike
or would consider an enemy.
This could be someone who has hurt you in some way
or simply someone who annoys you or whose personality rubs you the wrong way.
This person is also like you
in that they, too,
want a good life, free of suffering.
As the saying goes: hurt people
hurt people.
If they could just free themselves from the cycle of suffering,
they might treat you and others more kindly and have more consideration and compassion.
Let us share this intention for them as well:
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free
from all suffering.
You may have found that last part of the practice difficult,
and you may have decided even to sit it out.
That's okay. It's understandable.
This is a practice after all.
As you continue this, you may find it
a little less difficult each time to send these intentions to someone for whom you have negative feelings or unpleasant memories.
For now, do what you can
and continue to practice.
For the final part of our practice,
visualize yourself floating
up,
up,
up,
high above the trees and mountains,
through the clouds,
through the atmosphere,
and imagine
you are suspended in space,
looking down at the earth below.
Returning momentarily to the breath,
with each exhale,
imagine you are sending light and love and well wishes and positive energy to all sentient beings everywhere.
All sentient beings desire safety,
happiness,
freedom from suffering,
just like you.
Send your love to them now.
Now,
as before,
share your intention
toward all sentient life:
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free from all suffering.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be free
from all suffering.
Return once again, now, to the breath.
As you breathe,
imagine you were floating downward.
Back down to the earth.
Back to
where are you began this practice.
Take a few more breaths,
and when you hear the sound of the bell,
slowly open your eyes.
And now, a reading
from the Karaniya Metta Sutta,
as attributed to the Buddha:
"This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness and who knows the path of peace.
Let them be able and upright, straightforward and gentle in speech,
humble and not conceited,
contented and easily satisfied,
unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways; peaceful and calm
and wise and skillful;
not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove,
wishing, in gladness and in safety:
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings, there may be,
whether they are weak or strong, omitting none;
the great or the mighty; medium, short or small;
the seen and the unseen;
those living near and far away;
those born and to be born;
may all beings be at ease.
Let none deceive another,
or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill will wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life, her child, her only child,
so with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living beings,
radiating kindness over the entire world,
spreading upwards to the skies,
and downwards to the depths,
outwards and unbounded, freed from hatred and ill will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down,
one should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding two fixed views, the pure hearted one,
having clarity of vision,
being freed from all sense desires,
is not born again into this world.
Reference to the historical literature regarding the origins of Metta practice and the reading from the Karaniya Metta Sutta comes from mountainhermitage.org.
For more in depth study on lovingkindness meditation, check out How To Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, available through your local library, or wherever books are sold. A link to purchase this book can be found in the show notes for this episode at thequietedmind.com
Thank you for listening and practicing with me. May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be free from all suffering.
