Metta - Getting The Feeling Going

Ajahn Dhammasiha gives instruction on how to develop Metta using a mantra.

Transcript

What's really important in metta meditation,

Meditation on loving kindness,

Loving friendliness,

Unconditional goodwill to all beings,

Is to get the feeling going.

It's not an abstract mental exercise,

It's not a thinking exercise,

But what really counts in metta meditation and in all samadhi meditation is actually the emotion,

The feeling.

It's a very beautiful feeling,

Uplifting.

It is a classic happiness which is wholesome.

What we talked about earlier at noon,

The distinguishing between wholesome spiritual happiness and worldly carnal happiness and metta is definitely a feeling of vedana,

Which is very much on the side of wholesome spiritual moving towards the end of suffering.

It's a very uplifting emotion,

Very buoyant,

Purifying for the mind.

It is also often a physical pleasant feeling which is wholesome.

When we practice metta we may notice how our whole body feels at ease,

Feels very quiet,

Very subtle,

Very relaxed.

It's a meditation where we can easily notice progress because the pleasant feeling can arise quite early on.

However,

The most important thing to start with is to get some whiff at least of that feeling,

To notice that emotion somehow.

What often is recommended to start simply with the most easy object you can possibly find.

Don't start with your arch enemy trying to practice metta on that person.

That is excellent to do it but it's not a good way to start.

You may go straight away into anger.

We pick whatever is the easiest object.

Usually if it's a human it's better if it's the same gender so that metta doesn't deteriorate into sensuality and attachment.

Even say a parent or a child may sometimes be too close simply.

Maybe you pick someone maybe of the same gender and a little bit more distant.

Say an uncle or an auntie who was always supportive of someone you really like,

You feel so much sympathy for.

Or it's a spiritual teacher.

Or else if you are lucky and you're quite at ease with yourself you can also pick yourself.

That is a traditional way in the commentaries assuming that people wish themselves well.

However,

Nowadays quite a number of people find that hard.

They don't like themselves.

If you don't even like any human being you can pick an animal.

Some people find it easier.

A fluffy little kitten,

A cute doggy,

Maybe easier to start off with metta.

But it should be easy.

And then we simply have to imagine that being,

That fluffy little kitten or that human being we really like.

And now we wish them well.

We simply repeat the same little chant we're always doing.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

So very easy.

We simply repeat these few words,

This little formula,

This mantra if you want to call it mantra.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

Whatever speed is most convenient to you or what feels natural,

Just mentally repeating,

Undistracted,

Continuously.

And we mean what we say.

We put our whole heart into this formula.

We really mean each word in gladness and in safety,

May you be at ease.

If you wish you can imagine that being at a very happy time and they were over the moon,

Beaming,

Radiant,

Happy,

At ease.

Imagine them at that situation.

But most important we continue repeating the little mantra.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

Now these words or mantra are simply meant to trigger,

To generate the emotion of loving-kindness,

The feeling.

So while we are repeating the mantra in gladness and in safety may you be at ease.

We carefully observe whether we can notice that feeling arising,

The feeling of matter,

Whether we can recognize the emotion of loving-kindness in our heart.

If we don't notice anything,

If we just continue repeating that formula patiently,

If we observe with awareness,

Mindfulness carefully,

Can we notice that feeling of matter building up,

That pleasant feeling that holds some emotion?

Can we recognize it?

Once we notice and recognize that emotion,

We just pay some attention to that while we are repeating the words.

And then usually that feeling will grow,

Will develop,

Unfold.

And some people it may manifest quite physically,

Often in the chest area,

Like a warm,

Open feeling in the chest area,

Like a golden light in the region of the heart,

Like a soft feeling throughout the body,

The body being light and at ease.

Whatever it is,

We notice that and we allow it to unfold while we continue repeating the little mantra.

If we get distracted,

We just bring our mind back.

We are lost in thought,

In the past,

In the future.

We quickly notice and we just return our mind to that little mantra,

Gladness and its safety.

May you be at ease.

Once we can notice the feeling,

The emotion of loving kindness,

We can shift to a different object.

For example,

Ourselves.

Each one of us is also a living being.

We deserve loving kindness from ourselves,

From others,

Because loving kindness is unconditional.

It doesn't matter whether we think we are fantastic or we are hopeless,

Whether we believe we have messed up or we believe that we are doing fine,

That is totally irrelevant.

There's only one condition to receive matter,

That is to be a living being,

A conscious being,

So we all qualify whatever we may have done or not done.

In gladness and in safety,

May I be at ease.

In gladness and in safety,

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

If we can maintain matter,

Even directed to ourselves,

If we can still feel that emotion,

Then we can start spreading out now,

Including everyone in this dhamma hall,

All human beings here.

Whether young or old,

Male or woman,

Or Z or Sri Lankan or German,

Or Pommi or Kiwi,

Doesn't matter.

Everyone human in this dhamma hall,

All included,

Vietnamese.

In gladness and in safety,

May you be at ease.

In gladness and in safety,

May you be at ease.

May I be at ease.

May I be at ease.

We can include even any non-human beings here,

Any animals,

Insects,

Mozies or ants,

Cockroaches,

Monkeys,

Any spiritual beings,

Ghosts,

Devas,

Vahmas,

Devaputas,

Gandavas,

Yakas,

Nagas,

Garudas,

Kumbhandas.

May our spirits may be in and around this dhamma hall.

May they all be included in gladness and in safety.

May you be at ease.

We can start breaking down all boundaries,

Transcending all boundaries of space and,

As we chanted,

Pervading the quarters,

The pavanah.

One quarter,

The second,

The third,

The fourth,

All around,

Above and below,

Including all the neighbours,

The horses,

The dogs,

The wallabies,

The crows and eagles.

Spreading behind us,

In front of us,

On the sides,

Below and above,

Up into the sky,

Into the clouds,

The birds,

The devas,

Those travelling in airplanes,

Below us,

The miners,

The beings roasting in hell.

We're breaking down the boundaries of space and the boundaries of classification,

Of rejecting and liking,

And everyone is included.

Buddhists and atheists,

Muslim,

Jewish,

Christian,

Saints and sinners,

Criminals and heroes,

Taliban and US Marine,

Ukrainians,

Russians,

Crimeans,

Tatars,

It doesn't matter.

People who hate us,

People who love us,

People who can't bother about us,

Totally irrelevant.

Whether they will reciprocate our matter,

Or whether they will return hatred,

Irrelevant.

Absolutely everyone,

Absolutely all directions,

Including all of Brisbane,

All of South East Queensland,

Queensland,

Australia.

Immigrants and Dinky Diozis,

Aborigines,

Illegal immigrants,

Kiwis,

Indonesians,

All around the world,

From the Amazon rainforest to the Himalayas.

To this whole planet Earth,

In all directions,

Even out into space,

Martians,

Venetians,

Fire-way galaxies,

Vogons,

Whatever creature they may live,

Whether they are green or pink,

And no boundaries spatially,

From the highest heaven to the lowest hell,

All four quarters infinitely around us.

No boundaries by classes of beings,

Friends,

Loved ones,

Opponents,

Competitors,

Enemies.

No distinction,

Any conscious being,

Spirit or human,

Animal or ghost,

Near or far,

Exalted or ugly,

All beings throughout the universe,

With a boundless mind,

Abundant,

Exalted,

Immeasurable.

We include everyone in the universe,

In gladness and in safety,

May all beings be at ease,

In gladness and in safety,

May all beings be at ease.

Thank you.

Reviews

An effective guided metta bhavana practice. Will return to this for sure!

Wonderful guidance, I felt (& feel), very immersed by a feeling of metta 🩷💜🤍

Understanding the path to growth helps. Thank you.

Wonderful instructions 🙏🙏🙏🙏

This was the first time that I really “felt” metta instead of “thought” my way through the practice. So beautiful and powerful, a whole new way to experience this practice. Thank you so very much ❤️🌟

Excellent. May you be happy, may you be safe, may you be free.

Wonderful mantra recitation to help us develop a feeling of metta for all beings everywhere. Thank you!

That was the most effective metta meditation I have done on this app. Thank you 🙏

Thank you 😊

Thank You Ajahn, I am so blessed to hear this.

Thank you for a simple mantra, it is more helpful than several phrases. I appreciate gentle voice and pace.

Beautiful, thank you

5/5 such a powerful practice I felt my heart 💓 open up. Thank you 🙏🌈🕊

I have no words... I have never felt a more life changing feeling. I needed this today. Thank you.

In gladness and in health, may you be at ease

This practice has helped to progress in my love and kindness experience.

Thank you. A beautiful meditation.

Meditative and educational. Very good for beginners. Part instruction. Part meditation.

First time I experienced Metta meditation. Now I understand how it is a benefit to the mind, body, soul and all beings :)

Thank you - may you be happy, safe and at ease!