Guided Lovingkindness Meditation
Guided traditional lovingkindness meditation. Recorded live with some background noise.
Transcript
So this morning we will practice a fairly traditional form of loving kindness meditation.
Loving kindness meditation or metta bhavana as it's called in Pali is one of the methods of developing compassion.
Compassion being a virtue that is important no matter what one's religious tradition is.
Stressed by Christ,
Stressed by the Buddha,
Stressed in Buddhism,
In Judaism.
And so I will lead us now in that meditation.
And we start as we always do by just settling into a comfortable but alert position.
A position we can hold easily,
One that allows our breath to flow freely through our body.
Sometimes recommended to imagine,
Almost as though you're a marionette,
That there's a string held up from the sector of your head so that you're sitting.
Not rigid but straight and firm.
And take a moment to simply be aware of any thoughts or feelings you may be experiencing right now.
Just acknowledging how things are for you.
Know what the thoughts are for you when someone can go.
Let go of any plans or preoccupations.
And simply feel your breath wherever in your body you experience it.
We begin with ourselves because without feelings of loving kindness toward oneself it's impossible to spread that love to others.
So as you breathe gently,
Recite inwardly the following traditional phrases directed to our wellbeing.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from in or out of danger.
May I be well with your body and mind.
Now I'm at ease and happy.
Continue to recite these phrases holding your mind in image of yourself.
Either as you are now or if it's easier,
In image of yourself as a young beloved child.
Holding that image,
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from in or out of danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
Repeat the phrases over and over really allowing the feelings to permeate your body and mind sinking into their intention.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from in or out of danger.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
Now bring to mind the image of someone for whom you have great love.
Some of that just calling into mind makes you smile.
A person for whom it's easy for warm feelings to arise.
Holding in your mind a clear image of that person.
Send them a wish.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
And as you recite these phrases really allow yourself to sink into their intention.
Letting the feelings that you have for this person.
Rise,
Fuse your being and support the meditation.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Continue to hold the image of that person in your mind allowing your warm feelings to spill out toward them.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
And remember to mind the image of a person toward whom your feelings are neutral.
Student,
A coworker you don't know well.
Bus driver.
You can't see the face on the street and allow a picture of that person to form in your mind.
The image of that person we wish toward them may be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
And as you recite these phrases,
Really allow yourself to sink into their intention as you wish.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
Send toward that person feelings of warmth and caring.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
Now bring to mind the image of someone who has irritated you recently,
Someone with whom you got mildly annoyed in the last week or so,
Who rubbed you the wrong way,
Didn't react well to something,
Didn't do what you expected of them.
Allow an image of that person to form in your mind.
Holding that image,
Extend to them the wish,
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
And as you continue to recite the phrases,
Allow yourself to sink into their intention,
Their heartfelt meaning.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Continue to hold the image of this person in your mind,
Sending them feelings of warmth and caring as you repeat,
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
Now bring to mind the image of someone who has hurt you in the past.
Allowing a clear image of that person to form in your mind.
Holding that clear image in your mind,
You wish toward them,
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
You're not condoning or approving what they've done to you.
You're simply seeing the person as a human being who needs love the same way you do.
Who has the same need for compassion and peace.
So you wish that they may be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
If feelings of anger or irritation are heard arise,
Simply observe them without judgment and let them go.
Don't judge the feelings,
Don't judge yourself for the fact that they've arisen.
Simply let them go without grasping onto them as you hold in your mind the image of the person and say may you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Just like you,
This person needs love.
Just like you,
They need peace.
And so you continue to hold in your mind their image.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
And as much as you are able,
Send forth to that person feelings of warmth and caring as you repeat may you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
Now broaden your focus and allow yourself mentally to see the entire St.
Thomas community,
The entire community of the Twin Cities,
The entirety of the world.
And recognizing that everyone needs compassion and peace,
Holding that image,
You say,
May they be filled with loving kindness.
May they be safe from in or out of danger.
May they be well in body and mind.
May they be at ease and happy.
May they be able to hold that broad image,
Send forth feelings of warmth and caring.
May they be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May they be well in body and mind.
May they be at ease and happy.
Hold the image,
Continue to send forth feelings of warmth.
You can express the wish,
Or personally,
May you all be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
And finally,
Bring the focus once again on yourself,
Allowing feeling of loving kindness to completely fill your being.
Breathing out peacefully,
And peace with yourself.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be safe from in or out of danger.
May you be at ease and happy.
May you be filled with loving kindness.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be well in body and mind.
4.4 (47)
Recent Reviews
Belinda
November 17, 2018
Overall really great the page turn at the was a bit off
Alex
November 11, 2016
Heard this meditation before and it's lovely. Thank you.
Barbara
November 11, 2016
Beautiful. I will listen to this many times. Thank you.