In this meditation practice,
We're cultivating a beautiful quality of heart,
That which appreciates and rejoices in the happiness of others and ourselves.
It's a quality and a practice that sees the happiness of others and takes delight and wishes for their happiness and their success to continue.
It's a quality that counteracts the habitual negative pattern of the mind and the heart to look at what's wrong,
To be critical,
To see what's lacking.
And as we turn our attention to the good,
To the happiness,
To the well-being of others and ourselves,
It allows the quality of appreciation,
Of gratitude,
Of delighting to emerge,
A very rare and beautiful quality in this world.
So beginning the meditation by finding a posture that's comfortable,
Where you can sit at ease,
Relaxed,
Get upright,
Closing the eyes,
Bringing the attention to the heart center,
Feeling the breath as it moves through the chest.
And first calling to mind someone who's shown you a lot of kindness and care in your life,
Maybe a friend,
Maybe a teacher,
A relative,
A colleague,
And someone also whose life is going well,
Who's experiencing a lot of happiness,
Joy,
Well-being,
Health,
Success.
Calling someone to mind where it's easy to focus on their well-being and their good fortune.
Taking a moment to sense them,
To visualize them,
Imagining them happy,
At ease.
And then we express this quality of appreciative joy through phrases,
I rejoice in your happiness.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
I rejoice in your happiness.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
I'm simply happy for your happiness.
I delight in your happiness.
May your joy and success continue.
Keeping a strong sense of this person in your heart,
In your mind's eye,
As you slowly but meaningfully offer them these gestures of appreciative joy.
Sensing how their joy can be our joy.
Sensing how joy is contagious.
I delight in your happiness.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
I'm simply happy for your happiness.
Staying focused on this person's joy and good fortune.
May your happiness and success continue.
And now calling to mind a good friend,
Someone also whose life currently is going well,
They're experiencing happiness or joy,
Contentment,
Peace,
Or success and good fortune in their career,
Happiness in their family life,
Or whatever brings them happiness.
Establishing a good sense of this person in your heart,
In your mind's eye,
And extending this appreciative joy to them.
I rejoice in your happiness.
May your happiness and success continue to grow.
Being watchful of the tendency to get lost in thinking about this person,
Staying connected simply to their well-being,
Their good fortune,
And to the steady saying of the phrases and express this wish of appreciation.
I delight in your happiness.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
And now turning the attention towards ourselves,
Towards our own happiness,
Our well-being,
The blessings or good fortune that may be in our life.
That's not denying any difficulty or hardship,
But turning the attention to what's going well,
To any joy,
Any success,
Good health,
Friendships,
And extending again this quality of appreciative joy.
May my happiness and good fortune continue.
May my well-being and success continue.
And as we turn our attention to the blessings and the goodness in our life,
It allows gratitude,
The grateful heart to arise.
Staying focused on the blessings,
On the happiness in our life.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
Now extending this quality outwards to ever-widening circles of people,
To friends,
To family,
To colleagues,
To neighbors,
To anybody who comes to mind extending this wish of appreciative joy.
May your happiness and success continue.
Extending wider,
Ultimately to include all life,
All beings everywhere.
My delight in your happiness.
May your happiness and good fortune continue.
You may continue on with this meditation,
Or if you bring the meditation to a close,
To remember to take this quality into your life,
To whomever you meet,
To remember to reflect on their goodness,
Their happiness and good fortune,
And to wish for that happiness,
That success,
That blessing to continue and to grow.
