The Fine Arts of Relaxation, Concentration, and Meditation by Joel Levey

Author:Joel Levey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wisdom Publications

26 LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION ▾▾▾

Some day, after we have mastered the winds,

the waves, the tides, and gravity,

we shall harness the energies of love.

Then, for the second time in the history of the world,

man will have discovered fire.

Teilhard de Chardin

In this heart-centered meditation practice we focus initially upon cultivating the quality of loving-kindness for ourselves, and then gradually develop our capacity to expand the radiance of love to encompass all living beings without exception.

Begin now by affirming and recognizing that at the very core of your being dwells an essential purity of being whose radiant presence is of the nature of loving-kindness and compassion. No matter how disturbed or confused your ordinary mind may be, at this dimension of your being you touch a state of purity, infinite clarity, and compassion. There is a potential here that is fathomless, a potential for wisdom and compassion, and our very wish for well-being and happiness, our very wish to be free of suffering, may be regarded as an expression of that true nature. Let this deep, pure, and true nature of your self be unveiled, and allow it to manifest its full potential.

From this quality of sacred self-regard, allow any of your shortcomings that come to mind to awaken a natural feeling of spontaneous compassion toward yourself. With this compassion and loving-kindness, acknowledge and embrace those shortcomings and self-sabotaging attitudes or habits, and cultivate this prayer, aspiration, or wish:

▾▾ May I be free of these distortions, free of anger, free of grasping, free of confusion, free of arrogance.

May I be free from any negative attitudes and confusions that distort my pure and clear mind.

May I recognize and cultivate the qualities of mindful presence, of loving-kindness and compassion, of wisdom and patience.

May I awaken and bring forth within myself all the most wholesome and noble qualities of being that are latent within me.

For my own well-being, and for the well-being of others, may all these qualities flourish in my life, and may they inspire others.

May I come to live in a way that nurtures a profound sense of aliveness and well-being in my life.

May I feel comfortable and at ease in my body and in my mind, and with those I live and work with.

May I find peace, joy, and happiness within me and may I radiate those qualities in a compassionate way, and walk on the earth with a deeper wisdom and kindness than I have ever known.

May my anxieties, fears, and sorrows melt away and leave my heart open, clear, radiant, and happy.

May I come to live and walk in this world in a truly balanced way, and know the centeredness, joy, and wisdom that come from being truly present within myself and in whatever circumstances I may find myself.

Mentally or physically reach up and touch your heart and affirm the awakening of these wishes in your life right now.

Now, bring to mind a loved one, a person whom you admire, respect, or feel tenderly toward. Let this be someone toward whom it is easy and natural to feel appreciation and affection, someone whom you are always happy to see.

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