Metta: Loving Kindness For First Responders, Loved Ones & Those In Need During COVID-19

This includes a brief opening talk, followed by a guided metta or loving kindness practice with the intention of sending well wishes to loved ones, those in need, our first responders, and all beings - especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modified from Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield meditations, inspired by Sasha's personal experience and studies. Final quote/message by Jack Kornfield.

Let your mind wander as it naturally does, and invite your attention back to the breath.

Thank you for being here.

Transcript

The reason I love this meditation of metta and loving kindness is because it encompasses everyone,

Including ourselves.

And often,

I know that I am included in this,

We can feel a little lost in terms of what to offer each other and how to support one another,

Especially if we can't make a donation or be there in person to support one another.

So metta or loving kindness is a wonderful way just to send loving energy and well wishes,

Not only to ourselves who also might be struggling,

Especially right now,

But to everyone,

The community at large,

And it can expand as wide as you want it to.

It can also stay as small as you want it to.

So we begin.

Tara Brach says that loving kindness is embracing ourselves and all beings with a full and tender loving presence.

We each have the capacity to awaken our hearts.

And metta meditation guides us in how to cultivate a deep quality of friendliness in relating to our inner life and to each other.

This is especially poignant right now while we have the opportunity to be at home with ourselves,

Whether we are alone or quarantined with one another,

Whether we feel very secluded,

Or are in a community or apartment building where people are still around and yet we are confined.

So now if ever is the time to look inward and recognize that we are all in a similar experience,

And we can all relate on a deeper level in terms of the waves of emotions that ebb and flow throughout this global pandemic.

We all long to be heard,

Understood,

And seen.

And metta or loving kindness is a way to acknowledge ourselves and each other exactly as we are and extend a feeling of friendliness or well wishes towards all beings without expectations or conditions.

So let's begin.

Please modify as needed to keep yourself both at ease and safe and alert.

Find a tall and comfortable seat in a position where the spine is both elevated and spacious.

Let yourself move around a bit to find a posture that best suits you.

Perhaps even roll the shoulders or the neck until you find your centralized place.

And let the eyes close from top to bottom or keep them slightly cracked with a gentle yet fixed gaze.

Begin by noticing your breath.

Notice the inhale as it moves in the nostrils and exhale as it moves out of the nostrils.

As the eyes relax into the head,

Allow the attention to flow throughout the body as you scan from the floor upward.

Grounded in the seat,

Ungripped in the hips and legs.

Long and spacious in the spine and collarbone.

Releasing any tension in the shoulders,

Neck,

And jaw.

Softening the skin of the eyebrows and the forehead.

And finally,

Arriving at the top of the head,

Connecting the center line of the body from the bottom up.

Begin to guide the attention back to the breath.

Noticing the inhale and exhale as they move with ease in and out of the nose.

You might even notice where in the body you feel the breath moving in order to continue to land in the present moment in this body and in this breath.

If ever you find yourself anxious or uncomfortable during this meditation or if and when the attention wanders,

Guiding the attention to the breath can be a simple tool to help centralize and return to the present moment.

If at any time you feel awkward or unnatural,

It is important to be patient and kind toward yourself,

Allowing whatever arises to be held in a spirit of friendliness and kind attention.

Envision the space around you that you're currently in.

Or envision a place that makes you feel calm,

Comfortable,

At home,

And at ease.

Think of someone you love a lot,

Where the love is easy and uncomplicated.

Whether this is a family member or teacher or spiritual leader,

Whether they are still with us or have passed on.

Just start where it's really easy to open your heart.

You can even begin with a child or a pet.

You might notice how it feels to be seated across from this person.

Breathe gently and recite inwardly the following traditional phrases directed toward their well-being.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.

May you be well in body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

As you repeat these phrases or something like them,

Hold this loved one in loving kindness.

Adjust the words and images in a way that allows you to most easily open your heart.

As you repeat these phrases and kind intentions,

Allow the feelings to permeate your body and mind.

Allowing each sensation to flow just like the waves of the breath.

Imagine how it might be for this person to experience your blessing.

Love,

Self-acceptance,

Peace,

Joy,

Freedom.

Guide the attention back to the breath.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Now picture someone you know that might be in need right now.

Whether it is in fact someone you know directly or a little bit or even just a general person who might be struggling with the current circumstances.

If you know them,

You might imagine how this person looks.

If not,

You can imagine a general person sitting in front of you.

Someone who might be struggling with the current circumstances,

Whether related to their physical or mental health.

Perhaps their physical location.

And imagine them in front of you at ease.

Extend the same wishes of loving kindness to them.

Whether the image or the feelings are clear,

It doesn't matter.

Simply remind yourself that this person also wants to be happy and doesn't want to suffer.

In this way,

We continue to plant the seeds of loving well wishes by repeating the phrases gently,

No matter what arises.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.

May you be well in body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

Bring the attention back to the breath.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Now,

If you feel comfortable doing so,

Bring to mind one or several first responders,

Firefighters,

Nurses and doctors,

Surgeons,

Etc.

Whether someone in particular,

A small or a large community,

Throughout your state,

Or country,

Or world.

Whatever feels most feasible for you right now to envision.

First,

Take a moment to bring a kind attention to your own feelings as you reflect on this person or this group of people.

And turning back to this person or this group,

Notice their basic goodness.

Remind yourself that this person,

This group,

All humans want to be happy and to avoid suffering,

Both for themselves and especially for one another.

Remember that life matters to this person just as it does to you.

Holding this person or this group in a gentle attention,

Begin offering the phrases of loving kindness that come most easily for you.

May you be filled with loving kindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.

May you be well in body and mind.

May you be at ease and happy.

Bring the attention back to the breath.

Now imagine that you are bringing together all those you have just prayed for.

A loved one.

Someone in need,

Whether you know them or not,

Who might be struggling right now.

One or several of our first responders who are tackling this difficult situation,

Whether locally or globally.

And take a moment to include yourself in this group,

Honoring your goodness and your sincerity that you've brought to this meditation and this time to hold these others in your heart,

To sense your shared humanity,

Your shared vulnerability,

Your shared basic goodness.

Send prayers of loving kindness to all at once,

Including yourself,

Recognizing that we are all in this together.

Envision this group,

Including yourself,

Receiving these intentions gratefully.

May we be filled with loving kindness.

May we be safe from inner and outer dangers.

May we be well in body and mind.

May we be at ease and happy.

Bring the attention back to the breath.

You can simply keep the attention on the breath here or repeat one or several of those practices with a loved one,

Someone in need,

First responders,

Or the entire group.

Or you might extend this meditation to picture and include community members,

People everywhere,

Even animals,

All beings on the entire earth.

Imagining that you can hold this earth,

Our mother,

In your lap and include all life everywhere in your boundless heart.

Aware of the goodness inherent in all living beings,

Even the difficult ones.

Recognize that we all want to be safe and happy and offer your prayers.

May all beings be filled with loving kindness.

May all beings know great and natural peace.

May there be peace on earth,

Peace everywhere.

May all beings awaken.

May all be free.

Bring the attention back to the breath.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Just as we receive the inhale without restraint,

So too can we offer and receive this loving kindness with an open and spacious heart.

And just as we naturally allow the exhale to freely release,

So too can we offer well-being to others without relying on them to return the same sentiment.

But simply because we genuinely wish them well.

Notice the breath.

Jack Kornfield recently wrote,

Epidemics like earthquakes,

Tornadoes,

And floods are part of the cycle of life on planet earth.

How will we respond?

With greed,

Hatred,

Fear,

And ignorance?

This only brings more suffering.

Or with generosity,

Clarity,

Steadiness,

And love?

This is the time for love.

In Buddhist teachings,

The bodhisattva is someone who vows to alleviate suffering and bring blessings in every circumstance.

He writes that a bodhisattva chooses to live with dignity and courage and radiates compassion for all no matter where they find themselves.

He continues saying,

The beautiful thing is,

We can see bodhisattvas all around.

We see them singing from their balcony to those shut inside.

We see them in young neighbors caring for the elders nearby,

In our brave healthcare workers,

And in the unheralded ones who stock the shelves of our grocery store.

In this moment,

We can sit quietly,

Take a deep breath,

And acknowledge our fear and apprehension,

Our uncertainty and helplessness,

And hold all of these feelings with a compassionate heart.

We can say to them,

Thank you for trying to protect me.

I'm okay for now.

We can put our fears in the hearts of the generations of brave physicians and scientists who tended the world in past epidemics.

This is a time of mystery and uncertainty.

Take a breath.

The veils of separation or parting and the reality of interconnection is apparent to everyone on earth.

We have needed this pause,

Perhaps even needed our isolation,

To see how much we need one another.

The bodhisattva deliberately turns toward the suffering around to serve and help those around in whatever way they can.

This is the test we have been waiting for.

We know how to do this.

Sit quietly again and ask yourself,

What is my best intention,

My most noble aspiration for this difficult time?

Your heart will answer.

Let this vow become your North Star.

Whenever you feel lost,

Remember and it will remind you what matters.

It is time to be the medicine,

The uplifting music,

The lamp,

And the darkness.

Burst out with love.

Be a carrier of hope.

If there is a funeral,

Send them off with a song.

Trust your dignity and goodness.

He finishes.

It is time to reimagine a new world,

To envision sharing our common humanity,

To vision how we can live in the deepest,

Most beautiful way possible.

Coming through this difficulty,

What we intend and nurture,

We can do.

In the end,

Remember who you are is timeless awareness,

The consciousness that was born into your body.

You were born a child of the spirit and even now you can turn toward the awareness and become the loving awareness that witnesses yourself reading and feeling and reflecting.

When a baby is born,

Our first response is love.

When a dear one dies,

The hand we hold is a gesture of love.

Timeless love and awareness is who you are.

Trust it.

The world awaits your compassionate heart.

Let's join in this great task together.

Let's take a deep breath in and out.

Guide the attention back to the breath.

If it feels natural to place the hands together at the center of the chest,

Connecting one hand to the other,

Just like we connect our attention to our bodies,

Our minds,

Our breath,

Just like we connect to one another,

Whether in person or virtually or in our minds or hearts.

And thank yourselves for being willing to take this time today to offer loving kindness to ourselves,

Our loved ones,

Our first responders,

Those in need,

And to all beings everywhere.

Namaste.