Welcome.
Today I would like to invite you to mettameditation,
Also called loving-kindness.
In this practice,
Even though we are wishing well to others,
We greatly benefit ourselves.
Through the cultivation of love,
Kindness and positive thoughts toward others,
We plant in our mind a seed of a very powerful and invasive plant called love.
With time and practice,
We'll start seeing others as not separate from us,
And it'll be easier for the mind to feel peaceful,
Clear,
More open and expansive.
As humans we are social beings and we live in a world of relationships.
Sometimes it's not easy to comprehend that we are all connected,
That we are all one,
Especially when those whom we see as others act in such a way that causes us or others suffering.
How not to hold a grudge?
How to be peaceful about that?
Why?
Why should I not wish them ill?
Why shouldn't I be angry at them?
The answer is simple.
We are hurting ourselves.
When we are mad at someone and can't stop thinking about their wrongdoings,
Who suffers?
Whose mind is restless?
Who can't focus?
Who is feeling stressed,
Anxious and angry?
And how does it affect our body,
Our mind?
How does it affect other relationships?
These thoughts are like poison that we are drinking expecting others to get hurt.
So what to do?
How to break that spell?
Love-Inkindness Meditation is a practice to help us overcome negative emotions and cultivate more love-based thinking.
Like every practice it takes time.
That's why we call it a practice.
And before we start,
If you don't have too much experience with metta meditation,
Don't go straight to the most challenging person or a person that traumatizes you.
With time you will know when you are ready.
Maybe you will be able to get to them as well.
But today start easy.
Start with someone that you know you will be able to handle.
So let's start.
I will start chanting AUM 3 times.
Please feel free to join me.
AUM.
Let's find a comfortable seat.
There are back straight but not stiff.
If you need to lean against a wall or a back of a chair,
Please feel free to do it.
Make sure your mind is not too relaxed so you don't fall asleep.
You can close your eyes or you can keep them open allowing a bit of light to come through.
And let's remember,
We are all one.
As human beings we have more in common than differences.
We were all born.
We all need some kind of validation.
We all have feelings and emotions.
We all suffered at some point.
We were all hurt at some point.
We all have hopes and expectations.
And we all want to be happy.
Bring your awareness to your heart center.
It's a space in the middle of your chest.
It can be either inside of your chest or a little bit in front of it.
Whatever feels more natural for you.
And you can visualize it as white or golden light or whatever your mind creates for you.
For a few moments,
Breathe in and out that space.
Maybe expanding and contracting it with every breath.
Then bring to that space an image of someone about whom it's very easy to have positive emotions.
A beloved spiritual teacher,
A child,
A friend,
A pet.
And aloud or in your mind say to them,
May you be happy,
May you be loved,
May you be free from suffering.
May you be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
Happy,
Loved,
Free from suffering.
And notice how you feel.
Try to remember that.
If you feel that you are losing that expansive,
Loving feeling at any point during this practice or in life,
Come back to this person and wish them well until you bring about this feeling,
These emotions.
Now allow the image of that person to go and bring to your heart a person that you neither like or dislike.
Someone towards whom you don't have strong emotions.
First office clerk,
Maybe a waiter in a restaurant you frequent,
A person that you sometimes see when you walk your dog.
And aloud or in your mind say to them,
May you be happy,
May you be loved,
May you be free from suffering.
May you be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
Happy,
Loved,
Free from suffering.
And notice how you feel.
Now let that image go and bring to your heart a person with whom you disagree or argue.
And again allow or in your mind say to them,
May you be happy,
May you be loved,
May you be free from suffering.
May you be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
Happy,
Loved,
Free from suffering.
Notice how that feels.
Letting that image go,
Bring to your heart a person that you have strong negative feelings.
If you know that you are not ready,
Don't go for the most difficult one.
It's like weight lifting.
It would be best if you build your strength gradually.
Also instead of saying,
May you be happy,
Loved and free from suffering,
You may say to my best ability,
I wish you to be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
So you may bring the person to your heart about whom you have strong negative feelings but whom you can handle and say to them,
May you be happy,
May you be loved,
May you be free from suffering.
May you be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
Happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
And letting that image go,
Bring to your mind's eye a picture of yourself and say to yourself,
May I be happy,
May I be loved,
May I be free from suffering.
May I be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
Happy,
Loved,
Free from suffering.
And notice how it feels.
And let the image of yourself go,
Bring your awareness back to your heart space in whatever form,
Whatever way you visualize it.
Notice what is present there.
And then for a few moments,
We'll practice bringing different people from your life,
From your present and past that you may want to wish to be happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
So let's practice that for a few minutes.
I invite you to bring different people from your life those easy,
More difficult to love,
People with whom you have arguments or people whom you maybe not know really well.
Practice on all of them how it is to send the wishes of happiness,
Love and ease.
And we'll let that go,
Bringing our awareness back to the heart center.
Again,
Noticing what's present there,
Any sensations,
Any emotions,
Thoughts.
And with every breath,
Try to expand this space,
This light that feels the heart center,
Filling our entire body with every breath,
This beautiful light stretching,
Expanding beyond the skin,
Expanding with every breath,
Filling the room that you are in,
Growing beyond the walls,
Expanding and brightening more and more space around and growing to embrace the entire earth with all living beings.
Notice how it feels.
You can say now,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be loved,
May all beings be free from suffering,
May all beings be happy,
Loved and free from suffering,
Happy,
Loved and free from suffering.
This meditation is coming to an end.
Notice how you feel and the sensations,
Emotions that are present.
If your eyes are closed,
Please wait until the gongs third sound fades away before opening them.
