Loving Kindness Meditation or how to practice Metta meditation.

Many people struggle with the idea of meditation, maybe even more than meditation itself, presupposing that they can’t do it or will be distracted. Not every form of meditation works for everyone. We’re all unique. What is universal about meditation is that it is a very effective way to connect with the energy that allows us to cultivate the qualities of patience, kindness, benevolence, unconditional love and integrity. That is simply because, in the end, meditation connects us with the cosmic consciousness, the vast ineffable.

It also creates the space necessary to maintain the distance between reaction and response, giving us the ability to practice living life with awareness.

Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss, or tranquillity, nor is it attempting to be a better person. It is simply the creation of a space in which we are able to expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deceptions, our hidden fears and hopes. - Chogyam Trungpa

Whilst meditation can be a spiritual discipline, it does not belong to any organized religion, nor is it used to recruit you to join one. Some people might equate it to a prayer or a form of worship, but it doesn’t ask you to pray to or worship any particular person, god, faith or religion. In fact, as a practice, meditation is present in all the religious traditions throughout the world. It simply takes numerous forms.

There are several forms of Buddhism and several forms of meditation within the varying Buddhist traditions. The meditation practice that we’re focusing on today is known as the Metta Bhavana.

Metta is the first of four sublime states which are described in Buddhism as ideal ways of conduct towards all living beings. 

This method includes the four Brahma-viharas: benevolence (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), empathetic joy (muditā), equanimity; Which is used to counteract sentimental attachment or hatred. This method, loving-kindness meditation, aims to develop loving-kindness in a person. It is an easy one to follow as a guided practice. You can follow the audio to learn it and then if you prefer do it on your own.

This form of meditation can help free you from attachment or even hatred. Regular meditation practice will allow you to connect with and understand yourself leading you to connect with others more authentically. When we expand our capacity for compassion, we recognize our shared humanity and are more sensitive to strangers.

Four primary objectives of the loving-kindness meditation:

Focusing the mind and relaxing
Extending love to yourself
Extending love to others
Finding loving ways to help others.

Your inner peace, your presence will drop into the oceanic pool of existence and spread out into the world each and every day as you give and receive love with all beings.

Listen and follow along with the audio meditation below or download the MP3 by clicking on the upper right corner download icon on the SoundCloud embed.