Reconciliation by Thich Nhat Hanh

Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Parallax Press
Published: 2011-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

Metta Meditation

Metta means loving kindness. Its root is the word mitra, which means friend. Metta meditation helps us become a friend to ourselves and to others. We begin with an aspiration: “May I be ...” Then we transcend the level of aspiration and look deeply at all the positive and negative characteristics of the object of our meditation, in this case, ourselves. The willingness to love is not yet love. We look deeply, with all our being, in order to understand. We don’t just repeat the words; it’s not autosuggestion. We look deeply at our body, our feelings, our perceptions, our mental formations, and our consciousness, and in just a few weeks our aspiration to love will become a deep intention. Love will enter our thoughts, our words, and our actions, and we will notice that we have become peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.

This love meditation is adapted from the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa, a fifth-century C.E. systematization of the Buddha’s teachings. We begin practicing this love meditation on ourselves (“May I”). Until we are able to love and take care of ourselves, we cannot be of much help to others. After that, we practice on others (“May he/she,” “May they”)—first on someone we like, then on someone neutral to us, then on someone we love, and finally on someone who makes us suffer.May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.

May I be safe and free from injury.

May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.

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