Mettā For Oneself And Spread Throughout The World | Ven Cand

Ven Canda guides us gently through this metta meditation with starting by inviting us to offer metta (loving kindness) to ourselves and sharing this wholesome emotion with the whole world by spreading it throughout the world. Venerable ends this meditation with a short blessing chant. This guided metta meditation was given as part of the Global Metta Retreat for Ajahn Brahm's 70th Birthday in August 2021.

Transcript

So please,

As usual,

Adjust your posture if you need to,

Or even if you don't think you need to.

It might just show your body that you're here to care.

And this is especially important with loving kindness practices.

It's not the time to start working with aches and pains,

Analyzing the nature of that pain.

So see if you need to adjust your limbs.

And establish a posture that is both upright and alert,

And yet relaxed.

And just gently passing your kind awareness,

Your loving awareness,

Through the body.

Checking it out part by part to see if anything needs to be loosened up.

Maybe a roll of your shoulders,

Stretch of your neck.

Check if any clothing is a little tight.

That your weight is evenly balanced between the buttocks or the knees,

The feet,

If you're sitting on a chair.

Just see if you can welcome this body into the space.

Establishing mindfulness as a priority in the beginning of the meditation.

Just giving yourself time to arrive.

And if you wish,

I'd like to invite you to just connect with or remember a quality within yourself.

That you can really value and appreciate.

You can respect.

It may be a kind deed that you've performed recently,

Something you've done to help someone else,

Or even to care for yourself.

See if that recollection brings a sense of uplift and encouragement to the mind.

You connect to your own goodness,

To the beautiful qualities in your heart.

Perhaps you are quite a patient person.

Perhaps you try to be kind.

Perhaps you have a great love for the dhamma,

A lot of sada,

Devotion,

Confidence,

Faith.

Maybe your sincerity or willingness to make mistakes,

Whatever it is.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

It was good,

It was kind.

Or even something that you didn't do,

Perhaps you stopped yourself saying an unkind word to someone else.

See if you can connect with how that felt.

Notice any softening,

Any uplift in the heart.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

See if you can recognize the beauty that's there in your heart and that you can continue to cultivate.

Gently letting this reflection fade and coming in contact once again with your body,

Perhaps the area around the chest.

Or any place where you feel fairly pleasant or neutral sensations,

A sense of ease.

The mind can easily rest.

We're going to start just generating towards ourself.

You may do this however you wish.

Sometimes to get this going,

It can be helpful to use some phrases.

And it's best when these phrases really capture your deepest most sincere wish for your own well being.

So see what you really wish for yourself right now.

So recently I've been practicing with four phrases which I'll share just as a guidance or an idea.

And I say these phrases as though offering myself a beautiful gift or planting a seed in fertile soil.

Then I listen between each phrase to the resonance of those words,

To the meaning,

The experience of loving kindness,

Trusting in the power of those intentions to bring about the experience of loving kindness in the heart.

May I be happy.

Deeply content.

May I be healed.

May suffering end.

You may choose to have only one phrase or even just spontaneously generate a feeling of method towards yourself,

Whatever you find helpful.

Keep on inclining the mind in the direction of loving kindness towards yourself.

Rejoicing in giving yourself this gift without expecting anything in return.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

And if you find your mind wanders away.

Gently,

Patiently.

Bring it back to your body to any pleasant feelings over there.

And once again,

Connect with your most deeply heartfelt wish for yourself.

Repeat the words if they help you within your mind,

Pausing between each phrase to allow the mind to incline in the direction of loving kindness.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You may find that as your mind quietens or gets into the groove of loving kindness.

The spaces between each phrase lengthen.

Maybe drop down to fewer words.

You may even find that the mind.

Stops to experience the breath along with the loving kindness.

Just see how your mind inclines.

You have continuing with loving kindness or using that loving kindness.

So that that becomes the object now of your loving kindness.

So I'll be quiet now for some minutes and see where this process takes you.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

So we're coming close to the end of this meditation now.

Before we end,

Let's take time to spread our loving kindness a little bit further.

Starting once again with ourselves.

Connecting to any pleasant sensations in your body,

Perhaps in the area of the heart or chest.

If that's comfortable for you.

Noticing any peace or contentment that has arisen regarding that as a valuable jewel.

However,

Softly maybe.

And once again,

Wishing yourself well.

May I be happy.

Deeply content.

May I be healed.

May all suffering end.

Bring to mind now all the people that may be sitting in the meditation space,

Either Jhana Grove or other dumb halls around the world.

If you're alone,

Imagining all these beings,

Maybe hundreds,

Thousands of people sitting in meditation.

Cultivating the mind in such beautiful ways.

And spread matter to all these people,

Our fellow practitioners,

Kalyana Mittas on the spiritual path.

May we all be happy.

May we all be peaceful.

May we all be fully liberated.

Imagining all these beautiful beings smiling.

And you're part of this.

Now,

Together.

Let's imagine ourselves generating all our loving kindness gratitude,

Reverence and respect towards our teacher Ajahn Brahm on his birthday.

May Ajahn Brahm be happy.

Deeply happy.

Fully content.

Maybe safe from danger.

Be healthy.

May he experience the bliss of Dhamma.

Every moment of his life.

May he continue to serve selflessly.

Inspiring many,

Many beings on this path.

May all beings benefit.

Imagine Brahms life.

And from the goodness of our combined practice.

May all beings find peace.

Be free from suffering.

May all wars end.

May weapons be laid aside.

May all those who are hungry find food nourishment,

Safety and ease.

May there be no more divisions.

No more hatred and enmity.

May all our loving kindness prevail.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So close with a little blessing for everyone.

Please see if you can just receive these blessings.

Allowing them to suffuse your body and mind.

Satsang with Mooji Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this recording may be reproduced without Mooji Media Ltd.

's express consent.

Copyright © 2018 Mooji Media Ltd.

All Rights Reserved.

This is the.

.

I smile really strong and haactive Saaad,

Saaaad,

Saaaaduuuuuuu.

Very good.

So please continue to enjoy your practice in whatever way is good for you.

Reviews

My goodness! This was absolutely lovely. Lots and lots of quiet pauses to sink deeper. Lots of gentle sweet instruction. May you be well may you be happy. Thank you so much. ☮💖🙏

Beautiful, thank you 🙏 🌟🙏

thank-you.