In loving-kindness practice, we learn to gradually extend goodwill to those we don't organically like. Insight (vipassana) practice follows a parallel progression, as we learn to include more of our "stuff" as meditation objects.

- How metta is a practice of intention and concentration - How to work with metta difficulties and cycles of purification - How to develop authentic metta phrases - Introduction of the metta muses (categories)

Focusing on the goodness in oneself, others and life as support for loving kindness and compassion

After a brief review of the last two talks - on the general theme of "not-self" and two ways of practicing (opening to the flow of experience, examining the "thick" self) we look at further ways of practicing including being aware of the particular constituents without adding "my" and "mine"; cultivating heart practices such as lovingkindness, compassion, forgiveness and empathy and opening to a "pure awareness" what has been called in the Thai Forest tradition, the "primal" or "radiant" mind.

Series talks: 1. Metta (Loving Kindness) 2. *** Karuna (Compassion 3. Mudita (Joy with others) 4. Upekkha (Equanimity)

Series talks: 1. *** Metta (Loving Kindness) 2. Karuna (Compassion 3. Mudita (Joy with others) 4. Upekkha (Equanimity)

In our practice, we aspire toward a kind of wholeness, with no part of our life left out. In this talk, we explore two ways of developing more of such wholeness - (1) through connecting metta with mindfulness and wisdom, here examined especially in connecting metta and equanimity; and (2) through connecting formal metta retreat practice to everyday life practice.

On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, we explore how to extend the awakened heart of Metta when there is pain or distress or difficulty. In particular, we examine the practices of compassion and forgiveness, with Dr. King's work and life as a reference point.

Sati - the quality that allows remembering; different types of bodies we can experience inwardly through mindfulness of our physical senses and the mind; cultivating feelings from honesty, calm, patience and metta/ loving kindness - cultivating the citta/ heart; four places to live in a complete practice; wise attention; what do I feel/ feel like? Sankharas or energies / vitalities in the body; feeing oneself from the trap of the senses using the body of the breathing ; what knows how to breathe? Cultivating the experience of anapanasati - purifying through breathing. Discovering and working with tensions in the body - widen and soften. Breathing calm and patience into the body, nursing the body.

We explore ways to bring the formal practice and spirit of metta(loving kindness) into our individual, relational and collective practice in the world; with some suggestions, poems and stories.