Come into a comfortable posture,
Seated or lying down.
Pay special attention to your comfort,
And as you begin to notice your breathing,
Allow the breathing to assist in making this a comfortable,
Nourishing space.
Each breath is an opportunity to encourage comfort and well-being,
And release restriction.
Begin thinking thoughts of goodwill.
Goodwill is the foundational practice of the Brahma-Viharas,
The divine abodes,
Or heavenly attitudes.
You might say that metta,
Or goodwill,
Is intimately connected to the foundational intention of meditation and spiritual practice in general,
The wish for well-being.
We may seek truth,
Connection to God,
An awakened mind.
At some level,
All of these are connected with a deep wish for well-being.
So,
Think thoughts of goodwill,
And really feel into the very most deep and basic wish shared by all beings.
Because the divine abodes are considered heavenly and limitless attitudes,
Consider that your wish for well-being isn't at the expense of another being's well-being.
Instead,
When this attitude encounters another being,
That being is included in the wish.
Let your awareness be full in the body and breath.
Like when we started,
Let comfort,
Nourishment,
And ease pervade the breath and body as an act of goodwill for yourself.
As you become settled into this feeling,
Abiding in goodwill for yourself,
You can open to the idea of other being.
When you encounter the thought of another being,
A person,
An animal,
Include them in your intention for well-being,
Fullness,
Nourishment,
Independent of other beings insofar as this well-being is never dependent on the suffering of others.
When we include other beings,
The next two brahmaviharas begin to be more noticeable and useful.
When we encounter a being who is suffering,
The natural response is for metta to become compassion,
The wish for their suffering to end.
When we encounter a being who is happy,
Metta's response is to become sympathetic joy,
The wish for their happiness to continue.
Continue to let your own being be bathed in your intention for well-being,
Fully aware of the breath and the body in this moment,
Aware of the mind adorned by this noble wish,
Aware of the feelings of refreshment from abiding here,
And continue to allow this intention to be for all beings.
You may encounter a person who is difficult in your life.
See where compassion can be applied here for yourself,
And likely,
If that person is difficult,
There is some pain that causes this.
If that pain was removed and they were able to see how goodness is possible,
They would cease to be a harmful being.
This is not wishing for a reward for their bad behavior,
But for an end of suffering that would benefit everyone around them.
This is ultimately about your heart,
Your mind in relationship to the world.
What in the world could you encounter that could destroy your goodwill?
Let the compassion for those who suffer flow naturally from your goodwill.
Let the joy for the joy of the world be a reflex.
Naturally,
Despite our intentions,
Suffering will remain,
And joy will be elusive to some people,
At least some of the time.
This is where the last Brahma-vihara comes in,
Equanimity.
Equanimity keeps our heart safe so that it can go on despite the hardships of the world.
It is the abode of stability,
The friend who remains strong for us and won't resort to abandoning goodwill in the face of adversity.
Let your continued connection with your breath and your whole body represent this stability and consistency.
The concentrated mind is equanimous,
Each breath keeping you refreshed,
Unshakable goodwill,
Vast,
Encompassing all,
Unshakable compassion and joy,
Encompassing the entire cosmos.
This quality extends as far as the mind can consider,
And also through time,
Into the past,
Compassionately healing the harm,
Joyfully edifying the generosity and virtue,
And into the future.
As we approach the end of the sitting,
Extend your intention forward as well.
The first moment you open your eyes,
The day and week ahead,
The vast,
Unknowable expanse of time,
Let this simple abiding in the breath and body and mind be large to the limits of your reckoning.
Thank you,
And may you and all beings abide in happiness and well-being.
