As we practice loving-kindness,
We also want to bring mindfulness to the experience of loving-kindness.
Beginning by settling the body,
Softening,
And breathing into the heart center,
The center of the chest.
Having a sense of opening,
Of allowing,
Of dropping any armor,
Any walls,
Letting the heart be open.
And to connect with that feeling of metta.
To bring to mind someone who is very dear to you,
Someone who it's easy to love.
And seeing if you can feel that caring,
That love in your body.
Feel it embodied,
That feeling of warmth,
Softness.
And then having a sense of filling your body with that warmth,
With that caring.
The Buddha says we radiate kindness.
Let's see if you can radiate from the heart,
Outwards to the limbs,
Through the back,
Through the head,
The neck,
The face.
Feeling of uplift,
Radiance,
Holding this beloved one,
Merging with them,
Surrendering to this love,
Being immersed in love.
And as you feel the fullness of this love in your own body,
To recognize that in that moment you are loving yourself as well.
You are filling yourself with love,
With the feeling of warmth,
Surrender.
That this is loving yourself.
Not a thought,
Not an idea,
But a felt experience.
Experience of safety,
Of ease,
Being held by love.
And now radiating love to the others in this room.
We are different in body,
But one in mind.
Embracing each of these fellow travelers on this path.
Radiating loving kindness.
Filling each of these people with love until this whole space is radiant with love.
And now bringing in your dear ones,
Dear family,
Friends.
Those people are most precious to you.
Bringing them into this room and filling them as well with the light of loving kindness.
Radiant.
See these beloved people,
One by one,
Being filled with loving kindness.
Keeping the heart open as we bring in others.
People who are neutral to you can work with a single person for this.
Someone you encounter or that you've seen,
That you can think of and just offer love.
It's a matter of course,
Because they are human.
And noticing the quality of the heart as you radiate love to a neutral person.
Does the heart close or dry up?
Can you keep it open,
Full,
Radiant?
What does it mean to love or radiate love to someone you don't really know,
That you don't have any emotional feelings towards?
This is pointing us towards the real meaning of unconditional love,
Of metta.
Not something reserved for a few,
But shared openly with all beings.
And inviting in a difficult person.
Either someone you know,
To whom you've had a struggle,
Or someone you know of,
Like a public figure,
Who triggers you.
And here again,
We engage mindfulness to see where there's a conflict between our heart and our mind.
Our wish to be generous and open to all beings.
Meeting up with our preference,
Our judgments.
Can we keep our heart open for a difficult person?
Finally,
Radiating kindness over the entire world.
Spreading upwards to the skies and downwards to the depths.
Outwards and unbounded.
Free from hatred and ill will.
Loving kindness radiating out from your heart,
Across this city,
Touching all beings,
Humans,
Animals,
Insects,
Birds,
Out into the waters,
The sea,
The rivers.
Loving kindness spreading across the earth,
Touching the earth itself,
The mountains and plains,
The forests,
The cities.
Loving kindness radiating around the planet,
Touching all beings on earth.
The heart growing vast,
Limitless,
Unbounded.
And love radiating into space in all directions,
And deep into the earth.
And now coming back,
Back into this room,
Back into this body,
This heart,
This breath.
Understanding your capacity for this radiant loving kindness,
Whatever it is right now.
Making an intention for that to be wholehearted,
Limitless.
Noticing where there are limitations to your capacity to love.
Forgiving and accepting yourself for any limits.
We are only human.
