Do you want to be happy?
Ask yourself the following question twice a day for 10 days
Am I presently immersed in thoughts and actions born of loving-kindness
or does bitterness reside within my heart?
It is unlikely you will be filled to the brim with a burning love for all beings
or boiling in a pot of your own hatred.
Such extremes rarely manifest.
More likely you will find yourself mildly irritated with someone,
Passing judgment
or,
On a positive note,
Perhaps wishing well for a loved one in their life path.
Embrace whatever emotions emerge.
If you discover unwholesome thoughts,
Don't let judgment of yourself take over.
Human emotions that lean towards the negative are actually normal.
If they are your current reality,
Tell yourself that noticing them and working with them is a
life-affirming act.
If the phrasing of the question doesn't work well for you,
You can try other words that point to the same thing.
Love or fear would be fitting substitutes.
The question then could be,
Am I guided by love or entangled in fear?
Alternatively,
You could simply place your hand upon your heart and pose the question,
Am I in a state of healing or hurting?
Remember that your state impacts both you and those around
you.
You can't hurt them and heal yourself at the same time.
Emitting hatred,
Even in its
subtler forms,
Such as the judgment of others,
Poisons our own inner well.
Energy must first
stir within you before it extends outward.
Be it loving or unloving,
Its residue will permeate your
life.
If you notice that your heart is swaying towards negativity,
Even mild annoyance counts,
Withdraw briefly and recite in your heart the phrases you use in your loving kindness practice.
If you don't have phrases,
You could start with the ones I use.
May I be happy,
May I be well,
May I be safe and protected,
May my heart and mind awaken and be free.
Even a minute of this will tip the balance in your favor and initiate a transformation of the heart.
Contemplate how nurturing bitterness within your heart inevitably leads to personal suffering,
Hatred prompts us to utter and commit regrettable deeds.
Once words have left our lips,
We inscribe our destiny.
With destructive words,
We set relationships ablaze,
And others forever remember us by those words,
Perhaps for a lifetime.
The words of Shantideva serve as a perpetual reminder for me to exercise mindful speech.
Quote,
Good works gathered in a thousand ages,
Such as deeds of generosity or offerings to the
blissful ones.
A single flash of anger shatters them.
I also encourage you to pose this question within the pages of a journal and record your responses.
Insights flourish when transcribed,
For the hand moves at a pace that grants the mind time to
reflect.
Additionally,
It proves highly beneficial to revisit the occurrences of our day,
Contemplating the state of our heart in each remembered moment.
Don't be overly critical
with yourself,
We all get caught in unwholesome states,
It is natural.
Seeing your own struggles
and your aspirations towards inner beauty.
Reflecting and asking the question is how we
nurture the seeds of love that lie within our heart,
Just waiting to be watered.
Every thought either waters or withers this potential.
Our hearts are our homes.
The state of our hearts is reflected in the world we live in.
What we see and feel in this world
is a result of where we have previously placed our attention.
If our experience of the world is anger,
Jealousy and annoyance,
We know that we are out of touch
with our aspiration for the highest happiness.
Contemplate how the practice of loving-kindness was taught by the Buddha to uproot fear.
Moving into a state of love is a transmutation process.
It washes away fear.
I speak not from book knowledge but lived experience.
Where love thrives,
Fear finds no sanctuary.
Reflect upon loving-kindness being one of the four Brahma-viharas.
These are divine abidings,
Heavenly realms.
This practice introduces heaven into our experience of life.
It is a practice for cultivating profound
spiritual joy.
I ask you to take up this contemplative question as a life-affirming pursuit.
Put it into practice,
Not as a mere reading soon to be forgotten,
But as a guiding
beacon that will light up your world.
What we fail to capture in the moment we forfeit.
Ten days of this practice,
This sincere contemplation,
Combined with,
If time allows,
A guided loving-kindness meditation.
You can search for these,
I have many on my profile
here at Insight Timer.
Hold the potential to bring about transformative change.
Furthermore,
I would advise safeguarding your heart to intensify this healing process.
Avoid
the consumption of news.
Refrain from engaging in gossip and endeavor not to pass judgment on
others.
All of these actions constitute the vigilant protection of the heart.
Lastly,
Consider setting reminders on your phone.
I have this question appear twice daily
as a reminder,
Scheduled for times when I recognize the greatest need for its guidance.
May you,
In this world,
Find true happiness.
