Lovingkindness and the other brahma viharas show us the possibility of an appropriate response to the joys and sorrows of life. The practice of mudita for oneself leads to the beautiful state of gratitude.
What supports lovingkindness is the sincere caring we give in each moment as we say a metta phrase. What obstructs metta are its near and far enemies; affection with attachment and aversion such as sadness, fear, anger, or judgement.
Seeing the honest truth of the mind's delusion can teach us to develop a healthy mind and know true happiness. It is a doorway to freedom, opened through mental cultivation including loving-kindness and compassion for ourselves and all beings.
Bodhinyanarama Monastery, Stokes Valley, New Zealand
This is the second in a series of four talks/guided meditations on the practice of Loving Kindness. This one focuses on the benefactor and includes oneself.
The practice of lovingkindness yields powerful and unexpected results both in formal meditation practice and in our daily life. Getting a thorough understanding of the spirit of metta helps to cultivate a genuine and selfless feeling of lovingkindness.
