 |
| Statue of Buddha (Photo by Purshi) |
Because there's (at least) a little bit of good in the (so-called) worst of us, it behooves us to encourage that good rather than criticize the bad. It seems that what we pay most attention to is what eventually prevails.
The Buddhist practice of Metta is a way of directing attention to the good within us all. Wikipedia explains that Metta means “amity, friendship, good will, kindness, close mental union… and active interest in others.”
It is a straightforward practice that can be done under practically any circumstances. Metta
entails “six successive stages of meditation” during which the practitioner “cultivates benevolence” towards the following:
himself or herself, “a good friend, a ‘neutral’ person, a difficult person,” all of these first four equally, and “then gradually the entire universe.”
How can this actually be done? The Cunda Kammaraputta
Sutta offers this Metta-type language: May these beings be
free from animosity, free from
oppression, free from trouble, and
may they look after themselves
with ease!
The gist of this sacred intention can be used as a meditation mantra by tweaking the grammar to fit the recipient (e.g., May I
be free… May he or she be free… May they be free…).
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett%C4%81
Copyright January 27, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment