Let's start by taking a few nice deep,
Refreshing breaths,
Just exploring the full range of our potential for breathing.
And now allowing the breath to come to a state that just feels perfect for right now.
Sometimes the very deep breathing is perfect.
You can pull back a little bit.
Sometimes the breath wants to be very soft.
So we're looking to the breath for its most nourishing,
Soothing,
Relaxing traits.
The breath is there to refresh,
To exchange the gases in the body.
And really begin sensing the breath in the body,
Really looking to that easy pleasure,
The soothing nature,
The inner massage that is the breath.
We are applying our metta,
Our goodwill,
Right from the outset.
In fact,
We were applying it before we started meditating,
When we had the idea of coming here to sit,
In a way it was a goodwill for ourselves,
Looking after our well-being.
And sometimes it's difficult to look after ourselves well.
We for whatever reason feel that our energy is best spent elsewhere.
There's too much to do,
Too many people to take care of,
Obligations,
Commitments,
Contracts.
So we have to consider that all those must be placed on the foundation of a well-kept self.
But even that can sometimes be difficult.
So this can be a good time to bring up an image of a benefactor.
I like to think of the image of someone who you can imagine looking at you with kind and loving eyes,
Someone that you know without a doubt has goodwill for you.
Just look around for that person or being,
Can be a caregiver,
A child,
A pet.
Just finding those eyes and allowing them to fall upon you with kindness,
Goodwill,
They wish the best for you.
We know without a doubt when those eyes are looking at you that you are worthy of goodwill.
So if you can feel that feeling even a little bit,
That's the feeling you want to stay with.
You can use your breath as a guide,
As you can imagine breathing into that feeling,
Like fanning a flame.
Feelings are a little like that.
We can give rise to them and we can extinguish them depending on the way we use our awareness.
So now we're staying with the feeling of goodwill.
And you can think of it as an interchange as well,
That person that you can imagine looking upon you with kind eyes and you can look back at them and feel the same.
And feeling the easy,
Pleasant,
Quiet time that we're having now in meditation.
Let these things come together.
Let your well-being flourish.
Breathe into the goodwill.
Grow the awareness throughout your body,
Throughout your mind.
And just looking into that feeling and understanding it as something that has the potential to be limitless.
It never runs out.
There's no limitation of time.
There's no limitation of space.
There's no being that you can't feel this for.
Human beings who are difficult,
You wish that they could see.
You wish that they could be well so that they could also share in this limitless,
This capacity for limitless goodwill.
And just continuing to stay with the breath and try to just lightly stay with this feeling as I move through the reading of the sutta.
And just be in your own space.
You can zone out.
You don't have to pay attention to every word.
Just this is for the cultivation of your own goodwill for yourself and for everybody.
One who is skillful in the cultivation of well-being,
Who wishes to break through to the state of peace,
Should be capable,
Upright,
And straightforward,
Open,
Gentle,
And without conceit,
Content and easily supported,
Living lightly with few duties,
Wise with faculties all at peace,
Modest without greed for supporters,
And should not do the least thing that the wise would criticize.
One should reflect happy and secure.
May all beings be happy at heart,
Whatever beings there may be,
Weak or strong,
Without exception,
Long,
Large,
Middling,
Short,
Subtle,
Blatant,
Near or far,
Seen or unseen.
Born or seeking birth,
May all beings be happy at heart.
One should not deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere,
Nor through anger or aversion wish for another to suffer.
Just as a mother would risk her own life to protect her child,
Her only child,
So one should cultivate a limitless heart in regard to all beings.
With goodwill for the entire cosmos,
One should cultivate a limitless heart,
Above,
Below,
And all around,
Whether walking,
Standing,
Sitting,
Or lying down,
Without obstruction,
Ill will,
Or hate.
Whoever one is alert,
One should be resolved in this mindfulness.
This is called a divine abiding,
Here and now.
One who is virtuous,
Consummate in vision,
Not taken by views,
And having overcome clinging to sensual pleasure,
Shall never be born again in this world.
