Peace: The Gift of Metta Loving Kindness

International World Peace Day September 21

METTA SUTTA
BUDDHA'S TEACHING ON UNIVERSAL LOVING-KINDNESS

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
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.
The Blessings of Metta

Monks, when universal love leading to liberation of mind is ardently practiced,
developed, unrelentingly resorted to, used as one's vehicle, made the foundation
of one's life, fully established, well consolidated and perfected, then these
eleven blessings may be expected. What eleven?

One sleeps happily; one wakes happily; one does not suffer bad dreams; one is
dear to human beings; one is dear to non-human beings; the gods protect one; no
fire or poison or weapon harms one; one's mind gets quickly concentrated; the
expression of one's face is serene; one dies unperturbed; and even if one fails
to attain higher states, one will at least reach the state of the Brahma world.

Monks, when universal love leading to liberation of mind is ardently practiced,
developed, unrelentingly resorted to, used as one's vehicle, made the foundation
of one's life, fully established, well consolidated and perfected, then these
eleven blessings may be expected.

Anguttara Nikaya, 11:16

copyright © 2009 Metta Institute

Here is more on the practice of Metta. All Peace begins on the Inside---
Beginning with Self.--- elizabeth

METTA MEDITATION

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 written as a
gift to the community. It is freely given.
Brief Instructions for Loving-Kindness Meditation

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.

Excerpts gratefully reprinted from the book The Issue at Hand by Gil Fronsdal,
guiding teacher of Insight Meditation Center.

http://www.mettainstitute.org/mettameditation.html