Love and Kindness ( Metta ) meditation
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May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be free from suffering and its causes.
May your heart be filled with joy and laughter.
May you experience love and acceptance.
May you experience kindness and compassion.
May you experience calm and contentment.
May you abide in equanimity free from bias and attachment.
May you be at peace.
May you be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
May you feel safe and protected.
May you be at ease.
May your heart be filled with understanding and acceptance.
May you freely give and receive forgiveness and gratitude.
Metta (loving-kindness) meditation follows a structured sequence that systematically expands compassionate awareness from self to others. Here are the core steps:
1. Preparation: Settle into a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to center yourself. Allow the body and mind to quiet.
2. Begin with a Loved One: Bring to mind someone you care about deeply and direct the phrases toward them:
- May you be well.
- May you be happy.
- May you be healthy.
- May you be free from suffering and its causes.
3. Extend toYourself: Direct loving-kindness inward first by silently repeating well-wishing phrases. This is crucial because, as Thupten Jinpa emphasizes, true compassion must begin with self-compassion. Many Western practitioners struggle with this step, finding it easier to wish well for others than themselves. The traditional phrases are:
- May I be well.
- May I be happy.
- May I be healthy.
- May I be free from suffering and its causes.
4. Extend to a Neutral Person: Think of someone you neither like nor dislike (a neighbor, a coworker, someone you passed on the street) and offer them the same wishes.
5. Extend to a Difficult Person: This is where the practice becomes most challenging. Bring to mind someone with whom you have difficulty and offer them the phrases. Start with someone mildly difficult rather than your greatest adversary.
6. Extend to All Beings: Finally, radiate loving-kindness outward in all directions to all beings everywhere without exception.