Lovingkindness To The Directions With Delson Armstrong

Delson Armstrong leads a lovingkindness guided meditation where you start with yourself and expand into the 6 directions and then all around. This was done at the DO Symposium in LA in 2023. He is using the Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation technique utilizing Metta and Lovingkindness.

Transcript

So I want you all to find a comfortable sitting position,

If it's in a chair or on a cushion,

Whatever works for you.

Keep your body straight,

Don't slouch.

Close your eyes,

Put a little smile on your face,

A little smile in your mind and in your eyes and in your heart.

Pay attention to your breath as you inhale and exhale and relax.

We're going to do a little body scan.

Just pay attention to parts of your body.

Notice any tension anywhere throughout your body and just let it go.

Soften it,

Relax.

Notice any tightness in the shoulders,

In the back and just let it go.

Now we're going to bring up the feeling of loving kindness.

You can say in your mind,

May I be happy,

May I be well,

May I be filled with loving kindness,

May I be free of suffering.

And just notice,

Just imagine a little baby in your arms.

Just smiling at you,

Giggling,

Laughing.

Just looking at you with innocent eyes and feel the warmth that comes in your heart.

Let the mind just stay there.

If you notice any tension,

Just relax,

Let it go.

Soften.

Feel the warmth in your heart,

Throughout your heart,

Just bask in that.

Just pay attention to that feeling.

If you notice the mind wandering,

Just recognize that.

Let it go.

Come back to your body,

Soften,

Relax.

Come back to your smile and bring up that warmth again,

Bring up that feeling.

Stay with the feeling.

If you find your mind starting to tighten or push,

Trying too hard,

Just relax.

Let the mind and heart expand.

Come back to the feeling and just rest in it.

Allow it to pervade your heart center,

Like a candle flame,

Just glowing.

If your mind drifts,

That's okay,

It's fine.

That's the nature of the mind.

Just recognize that.

Let it go.

Relax.

Come back to your smile.

Come back to the feeling and let the feeling grow.

Let the energy pervade your entire heart and let it glow outward,

Throughout your torso.

Feel the warmth throughout the torso.

If you find yourself drifting,

If you find yourself nodding off,

That's okay.

That's the truth of the moment.

Just recognize that.

Let it go.

Relax.

Let the mind expand.

Let the feeling expand.

If you're feeling joy come up,

That's okay too.

Let the joy pervade you.

Let the joy come up.

Don't do anything with it.

Let it be.

Just come back to the feeling of loving kindness.

The good wishes to yourself.

The desire to be happy and to be well.

Just stay with that warmth,

With that loving and kind energy.

Let the mind settle into it.

Don't do anything.

Just watch.

Just watch the mind sink into that feeling.

There's nowhere to go,

Nothing to do,

No one to be.

All is well.

Now,

We're going to share this loving kindness.

We're going to send it to all beings.

Just in your mind,

Look ahead of you.

Look to the front of you,

In your mind.

And just say,

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings be free of suffering.

And share your loving kindness.

Let it pervade the forward direction.

Let it expand.

Don't push it.

Just share it.

Allow it to be there.

Allow it to go in the forward direction.

And just feel that.

Just observe it.

That's it.

And as the loving kindness spreads ahead of you,

Feel the expansion.

Now,

We are no longer in our bodies.

Now,

We are in a conscious space,

Beyond the body.

Just let the feeling continue.

Don't do anything.

You are a source of loving kindness.

You are a light,

A lamp of loving kindness.

If your mind is wandering or pushing too hard,

Just recognize it.

It's okay.

Let it go.

Soften.

Come back to your smile.

And just let the loving kindness flow again.

That's it.

Just feel the expansion.

Now,

Bring your attention behind you.

And let the feeling of loving kindness spread backwards,

Behind your head.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings be free of suffering.

May all beings be filled with loving kindness.

Don't push.

Just let it flow in the backward direction.

If you feel sloth and torpor,

If you feel like the mind is wandering around,

It's okay.

Recognize it.

Let it go.

Soften.

Let the mind expand.

Relax.

Let the energy flow.

Now,

We're going to bring our attention to our right.

Let the feeling of loving kindness flow out of you towards the right direction.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings be free of suffering.

May all beings be filled with loving kindness.

Feel that warm,

Loving,

And kind energy just flow out.

Allow it to spread.

Don't push it.

Let it pervade all through the right.

If you notice the mind pushing,

If you notice any tightness,

Just soften.

Just relax.

Let go.

Come back to the feeling.

Just keep your attention there.

That's it.

Just let the mind settle into it.

Now,

Bring your attention to your left.

Let your loving kindness flow out to the left.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings be free of loving kindness.

May all beings be free of suffering.

Just let it flow.

No pushing.

Let it shine out of you in the left direction.

If you notice the mind sliding,

It's okay.

Let it go.

Relax.

Come back to the feeling.

Don't push.

Just soften.

Relax into it.

Now,

Bring your attention to below you.

Let your loving kindness flow downward to all beings in the ground,

In the water,

To all beings,

To all animals and insects,

To hungry ghosts,

To beings in the hell realms.

May all beings be free of suffering.

May all beings come out of their suffering.

May all beings be happy and safe.

Let your loving kindness pervade all the lower realms below you.

May all beings experience your loving kindness.

Share it with them.

Let them experience it.

If you notice your mind wandering around,

It's okay.

Let it go.

Relax.

Come back to the feeling,

Going out to the lower realms.

May they all be happy.

If the mind starts to slide away,

It's okay.

Let it go.

Soften.

Let the mind remain expansive.

Let the feeling of loving kindness pervade all lower beings.

If you notice any sloth and torpor,

It's okay.

Bring a little focus in your mind.

Straighten up a little.

Relax.

Settle into it.

Let the feeling pervade.

Now,

We're going to turn our attention upwards.

Let the feeling of loving kindness flow out through the top of your head,

Out into the sky,

Out into space.

Just feel it flow.

Don't push it.

Let the feeling go up to the realm of the four great kings,

To the deva realms.

Let the feeling go up to the first Brahmaloka,

Out into space,

Out into infinity,

Beyond space,

Out into the second Brahmaloka,

To the pure abodes,

To the Arupa Brahmas,

Out into infinite space,

Infinite consciousness,

Nothingness,

And neither perception nor non-perception.

May all beings in the higher realms be happy.

May they be safe.

May they be free of suffering.

May all higher beings be filled with loving kindness.

Let that feeling flow upward,

Out into space,

Out into infinity.

If you notice the mind drifting,

Okay,

That's fine.

Let that go.

Relax.

Soften.

Keep the mind expanded,

Clear and light.

Let the mind be spacious.

Let the feeling flow.

If you notice the mind pushing,

Relax.

Soften.

Expand your awareness.

Let it go.

Let the feeling flow out.

Remember,

There's nothing to achieve here.

Nothing you have to be.

Nothing you have to reach.

Just let the mind be settled.

That's it.

Now,

We're going to come to the awareness of loving kindness around us.

Now,

We are surrounded in a radiant sphere of loving kindness,

An aura of loving kindness.

Let that feeling expand in all directions.

May the person in front of you,

Behind you,

To the right of you,

And to the left,

Feel your loving kindness.

May all beings in this room be happy.

May they be safe.

May they be free of suffering.

May they be filled with loving kindness.

May all beings in this room experience Nibbana.

I have a heartfelt wish that all beings in this room experience the cessation of suffering.

And let that aura of loving kindness pervade through you,

Within you,

Outside of you,

Throughout this room.

Feel the loving kindness flow through you.

Feel the other's loving kindness in you.

Now,

You have become one symbiotic aura of loving kindness.

Allow that feeling to expand.

If the mind is trying too hard,

Relax,

Soften.

Feel the expansion of loving kindness.

It's okay.

The mind is drifting.

It's okay.

Let it go.

Just feel the expansion.

Soften.

Relax into it.

Move beyond the body.

Beyond the mind.

Beyond this room.

Let the feeling go outward in all directions at the same time.

Beyond this building.

May all beings in this building feel your loving kindness.

Keep the feeling going.

Don't push.

Feel the expansion.

Now,

There is no border between your body and the space around you.

It's all just loving kindness.

There's nothing else but the feeling.

Let the feeling flow out throughout the city.

Keep expanding.

Let it pervade all around you,

In all directions,

Into the sky,

Throughout the country,

Throughout the world.

May all beings,

All animals,

All peoples,

All nations,

Everyone,

Feel loving kindness.

Pervade the entire globe with a powerful aura of loving kindness.

You are that source of loving kindness.

Expanding outward in all directions.

Out into space.

Out to all the planets in this system.

Let the loving kindness go beyond the solar system,

Outward,

Even further out.

Out into space,

Pervading the entire galaxy.

Just keep it going.

There is no limit.

If you notice your mind drifting,

Relax,

Soften.

Come back to the feeling.

Allow the flow of the loving kindness to soften,

To relax,

To become space itself.

Let it all go.

No expectations.

No goals.

Just the feeling.

Allow the mind to be suffused with it,

To be quenched by it,

To release into it,

To relax into it.

Nothing to do.

Nowhere to go.

No one to become.

Now,

When you are ready,

Just come back to the awareness of your body.

Inhale and exhale.

Pay attention to your breath,

The sensations around you.

And when you are ready,

Slowly,

With pure presence,

Come back to the awareness of all.

And when you are ready,

Open your eyes.

Welcome back.

Reviews

Metta to all beings and thankful to Delson Armstrong for his teaching of true dhamma.

Excellent.

Incredible.

Realize Distraction -> Release Tightness -> Relax -> Resmile -> Return -> Repeat