Metta Bhavna: Loving with an Open and Sweet Mind

The article in today's TOI is today's need for life to be. If each human being lives by the Metta principle, we could see the world change in front of our eyes.

Thanks to TOI and Marguerite. May all beings be Happy!

Metta Bhavna: Loving with an Open and Sweet Mind

By Marguerite Theophil

Loving kindness is a meditation practice that was taught by the Buddha to help us develop the habit of selfless or altruistic love. It is a truly universal practice which need not be associated with any particular religious concept.

What makes this so effective is that by arousing within ourselves feelings of goodwill towards ourselves, those near to us, and all beings, we make it more likely that it is these feelings that will arise rather than other less desirable, unwholesome feelings. Anger cannot coexist with loving kindness. We end up supplanting thoughts rooted in anger with thoughts rooted in love, which, as my teacher so beautifully put it, “...can help keep the mind open and sweet”.

A pattern you can follow is: start with yourself; then do the meditation for a respected, beloved person such as a spiritual teacher; a personal loved one like a close family member or friend; a ‘neutral’ person, somebody you know but have no special or strong feelings for; someone you are currently having difficulty with, and towards who you may have negative feelings.

Eventually we can include all people, animals and birds, and nature around us, as well as the entire universe. We must, however, start with ourselves. If we cannot love and accept ourselves exactly as we are, how can we expect to love others?

For some people, it is easier to send Metta to others and harder to feel it for themselves; while some others experience resistance when asked to send Metta to others. You can simply be aware of what is true for you, but without judging, and just being aware that are all connected. So when you experience loving kindness for yourself, all beings are included; when you experience it for others, you are included.

There are many forms of Metta practice, but here is a very simple one that’s easy to remember. You need to be aware of this — it’s less significant to get the words or the order of recitation right; more important is your awareness and connection to the loving and compassionate feelings that arise as you do this mindfully: May i be safe from harm. May i be happy and peaceful. May i be strong and healthy. May i take care of myself with joy. May all be safe from harm... May all be safe from harm...

Sometimes, commuters can send waves of loving kindness to people on the bus, a train compartment, to the entire train, to all other trains or buses criss-crossing the city, to people on all trains or buses all over India. Whenever you do this, the trip is not so bad! Try this on a flight: sending loving kindness to all co-passengers, all airplanes at the airport and those taking off and landing and all planes all over the world. See what it does for your journey. The endless waiting in hospitals is better used by sending Metta to all the patients, their families and all who work there; everyone needs it.

Having taught this to many people from different faiths, different ages and walks of life, i am awed at how doing this seems to free up a side of people that was hidden under layers of habit of thought; a side that facilitates self-healing, as it is so much part of the Higher Self within each and every one of us.

The writer is a Mumbai-based organisational consultant, personal growth coach and workshop leader. E-mail: weave@vsnl.net