Hello,
My name is Lauren and today we're going to be practicing a metta meditation for interconnectedness.
Metta means unconditional loving-kindness in the Pali language,
The historical language of the Buddha.
And when we send our unconditional loving-kindness to our friends,
Our family,
The whole world,
All beings,
We send the love of our awakened heart to awaken the hearts of others.
And as we do this,
We recognize that the concept of other is an illusion and that we are all connected and that we are all one.
We are all dependent,
Interdependent on each other for our lives and for our liberation.
So let's start.
I invite you now to find a comfortable seat or relaxed position.
And if you can just be 10% more comfortable,
If you need to get a blanket,
A drink of water,
Or adjust your position slightly,
Now would be the time to do so.
And when you're ready and feeling comfortable,
If it is safe for you to do so,
I invite you now to close your eyes and begin breathing intentionally.
With one deep breath in together,
Notice where the breath is entering your body,
If that's your nose,
Your mouth,
Or if you're feeling it in the rising and falling of your chest.
Just notice how the air is coming in.
Watch it.
And on the exhale,
Let your attention follow the breath all the way out until it is completely gone.
Gone completely to the other side.
Take one more deep breath in together and release it.
And as you are breathing in,
You are breathing in the air that the trees and the plants have made.
And as you are breathing out,
The trees and the plants of this beautiful planet are breathing in your breath.
And so you are breathing together,
Always,
Always connected.
All living beings on this planet breathe in and out at the same time as you,
All supporting each other in the web of life.
And keeping in mind how connected we are,
How one's self cannot exist without the interdependence of all other beings.
We're going to activate our bodhicitta and awaken our heart.
On the next inhale,
Bring to your heart the thought of someone you love unconditionally.
That could be yourself or a dear one.
And awaken your heart.
Feel how it feels to love them in all that they are.
And breathe in that feeling.
And breathe out that feeling.
Again,
Breathe in that feeling.
And if it helps to bring to mind your loved one,
Do that on the inhale.
Now we're going to intentionally send that unconditional loving kindness to our loved one on the next breathing cycle.
So breathing in,
And breathing out.
Call them to mind.
And breathing out,
We send them our love from our awakened heart.
We send them unconditional loving kindness.
We wish them well.
We wish them happiness.
We wish them freedom from suffering and the roots of suffering.
We wish them healing.
We wish them peace.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Send them all of that love.
On the next inhale,
Expand your circle to your family members who you love or your chosen family.
Breathing in,
Bring them all to your mind.
And hold your love for them in your heart.
Just a moment.
And on the exhale,
Wish them love.
Wish them happiness and peace and healing.
One more time.
Breathing in.
Now we expand our circle even wider as our heart grows.
We expand to our acquaintances,
Maybe our work colleagues,
Or our comrades,
Or our grocery store clerks,
And movie theater attendants.
Bring your acquaintances to your mind on the inhale.
And send them all love radiating out from you in an ever-expanding circle.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
On our next breathing cycle,
We're going to expand our circle even wider to include all people who live in our city,
Or our town,
Or our neighborhood.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Sending them all unconditional love,
Healing,
Peace,
Freedom from suffering.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Now bring to your mind one person with whom you have a grievance.
Just a small one.
Nothing too big.
Maybe a slight annoyance.
Bring that person to mind.
And keeping the feeling of unconditional love in your heart,
Send it to them.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Wishing them well.
Wishing them healing.
Wishing them happiness.
Wishing them freedom from suffering.
Now we're going to expand our circle even wider to include everyone in our country,
Or on our continent.
All the people who you don't know,
And who you do.
Bring them to mind.
Everyone living in your country.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Just sending them unconditional love.
You are just a conduit through which the love flows.
It enters on the in-breath from the source of all that is,
Moves through you,
And is pinpointed toward everyone in your country.
We're going to expand even wider to a bird's-eye view outside of the earth,
As if you were looking at our beautiful earth from the moon.
Envision the world.
Every mountain.
Every ocean.
Every river.
Every sky creature.
Every water being.
Every mammal.
Every reptile.
Every bug.
Every person.
Every city street.
Imagine the entire world being wrapped in your love.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Surround the entire world with unconditional love.
Sending the whole earth happiness.
May you be at peace.
May you be free from suffering.
May you heal.
May you be well.
Look how expansive your love can be.
Enveloping the entire earth and every living being on it in love.
Let's stay here in that loving glow for a few moments of silence.
Now,
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Breathing in,
And offer this feeling of love that you've been basking in to yourself.
From the top of your head to your toes,
Let this love wash over every cell in your being.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Offering that unconditional loving kindness to yourself.
Now,
Thank yourself for showing up to this practice.
For cultivating loving kindness and sharing it unconditionally with all beings.
By doing so,
You have just increased your capacity for compassion.
And today,
See if you can walk in reverence for the interconnectedness of all life.
Thank you.
