Hello,
This is davidji,
And welcome to today's meditation.
Let's settle in as I share this powerful teaching with you.
More than 2,
000 years ago,
A large group of Buddhist monks went into the forest at the foothills of the Himalayas to meditate during the rainy season.
The spirit gods and goddesses that were living in the forest felt displaced by the monks and attempted to drive them away by manifesting terrifying sights,
Dreadful noises,
And unpleasant odors.
So frightened and unable to meditate,
The monks returned to the Buddha to ask for a new location.
The Buddha told them there was no better place and instead gave them a special prayer known as the Metta Sutra as their true weapon of protection.
The next day,
The monks returned to the forest and practiced the prayer,
Radiating loving kindness toward all beings,
Transforming fear and ill will into kindness,
Compassion,
Forgiveness,
And love.
The once hostile spirits were so moved by this goodwill that they began to protect and serve the monks,
And so the monks continued to practice the prayer every day for 56 days throughout the rainy season,
And after a few months,
When the rains had ended,
All the monks had attained enlightenment,
Demonstrating the power of metta,
Loving kindness,
To transform any negative situation.
Since then,
This beautiful prayer has been used by millions every day to help them overcome fear,
Anger,
And ill will,
And to counter oppression with love,
And those who practice it for 56 days experience deep and powerful transformation in their hearts,
In their relationships,
And in their lives.
So allow me to share it with you so that you can also experience the power of this healing practice as you go through challenging times.
You can repeat each line of the prayer with me,
Or simply let the words wash over you as you allow peace,
Protection,
And healing to embed into every fiber of your being.
So let's settle in.
Remember comfort is queen,
And feel free to rest your hands on your heart,
Gently feather your nest,
And together,
Let's take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Allow your eyelids to gently float closed,
And release that breath.
And let's do that one more time,
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath into your heart.
And let that go.
And so let's begin receiving the power of the Metta Prayer.
My heart fills with loving kindness.
I love myself.
May I be happy.
May I be well.
May I be peaceful.
May I be free.
May all beings in my vicinity be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings in my city be happy.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings in my state or province be happy.
May they be well.
May they be free.
May all beings in my country be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings on my continent be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings in my hemisphere be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings on planet Earth be happy.
May they be peaceful.
May they be happy.
May all the children on sweet mother earth be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May my loved ones be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all the animals in my life be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all my friends be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
May all beings in the universe be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
If I have hurt anyone,
Knowingly or unknowingly,
In thought,
Word,
Or deed,
I ask for their forgiveness.
May they be happy.
May they be safe.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
To all those who have hurt me,
Knowingly or unknowingly,
In thought,
Word,
Or action,
I send them healing energy,
And I release them from my grip.
I release myself of my attachment to them.
May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful.
May I be free of them for all eternity.
And may all beings everywhere,
Whether near or far,
Whether known to me or unknown,
Be happy.
May they be well.
May they be peaceful.
May they be free.
And now take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And gently let that go.
Let's do that again.
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in of metta,
Sweet metta,
Right into your heart.
Feel it fill.
And send it out to someone you know who's suffering,
Struggling,
Or in pain.
Just send them this healing light.
Time,
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Feel your heart filling and expanding and opening.
And as you exhale,
Send it out to all those people in your life suffering,
Struggling,
Or in pain.
And now just stay in this space with me.
Breathing in metta into your heart,
Flowing it out to your loved ones,
Your friends,
Your acquaintances,
Those with whom you have a grievance,
All the animals,
Every aspect of this sweet life.
Breathe it in,
Your heart fills,
And flow it out.
Just keep breathing,
Filling your heart with unconditional loving kindness,
And letting it release back out into the world.
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And gently release that breath out.
And now give your heart a gentle massage.
And notice the shift that has taken place inside you.
And when it feels comfortable,
Ever so gently open your eyes and feel the love.
Just feel the love.
Accept the love.
Receive the love.
And I invite you to return to this practice every day for the next 55 days and feel the transformation that has awakened in your heart,
In your soul,
And in your life.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free.
May you be free.
From the sweet spot of the universe,
This is davidji,
Sending you love.
Keep meditating,
And I'll see you tomorrow.
