Loving Kindness

One of the things I've found most useful in my inquiries into meditation and buddhist principles is the concept of loving kindness (or metta). It is a way of opening your heart and including all people in your wish for happiness, health and peace. I like it because it extends being kinder and gentler to myself as well as to others.

I've had a couple of reasons to think of this today, and thought I'd share the loving kindness meditation. It's explained much more fully in Susan Piver's book "How Not to be Afraid of Your Own Life" (and in many other places - try googling "loving kindness")

The beginning of the meditation is for you.

May I be happy
May I be healthy
May I be peaceful
May I live with ease

Then you repeat the meditation for a loved one, a good friend, a stranger (say someone at the grocery store, or someone you noticed on the street), then an enemy ( I don't really have enemies, so I often think of people who make me uncomfortable, who I just don't gel with, or who just generally annoy me, and of course, I don't mean you!), and lastly, all people in the world. This, of course, isn't set in stone, and you can include anyone you want to share positive thoughts with (someone who is sick, or having a hard time), or any groups of people you want to pray for.

Health and happiness are pretty straightforward. I think of peace both in the societal way, and also as being at peace with ourselves, and living with ease as dealing with things as they come (I've heard it described as "riding the waves").

I have found that doing this helps me stay balanced and not go over the edge when I'm really angry or hurt. If you can try to wish happiness for someone who is really pissing you off, or hurting you, then you can keep from becoming maniacal in your dealings with him or her. If you know that everyone wants the same things you do in life, it helps us deal with everyone on the same level.

Anyway, give it a try, and let me know what you think.