Metta Loving Kindness Meditation

Mettā (Pali) or maitrī (Sanskrit) means loving kindness, a feeling of benevolence and friendliness towards others. It is one of the four Brahmaviharas, or sublime attitudes, that the Buddha taught will bring the practitioner to a state of communion with Metta Meditation is a way to direct our mind to cultivate these feelings towards people we know, people we like, people we dislike, and to all beings. It can be easy to feel loving and have positive thoughts towards people we really like, and it is usually very challenging to do this for people that we resent in any way. Opening our hearts to generate good feelings towards others helps us to be more compassionate and less judgmental to others, and more loving towards ourselves.

There are many variations on how to practice Metta, but usually you practice visualizing others in a state of well-being, while silently repeating words that pray for their well being and freedom from suffering, such as "May you be well, may you be happy, may you be free from suffering."

Begin by conjuring up a vision of a benefactor; someone who has always been loving and supportive of you. Picture them seated in front of you, radiating contentment and joy, health and ease of mind, and for several moments repeat the prayer for them silently. Next, picture a neutral person, like the cashier at the grocery store, to whom you don't have any positive or negative judgments towards. Then, pick someone who irritates you, or who has harmed you in the past, and recognize them as a human deserving of love and happiness, and direct the blessing towards them. Next, take your hands over your own heart, and direct these words and loving feelings towards yourself, offering and receiving the blessings. Finally, direct your loving thoughts and words towards all sentient beings. Spend a few moments, 1-5 minutes, on each of the 5, then rest your mind and sit for another moment, noticing the feeling of ease and openness in your being.