Peace Though Loving-kindness Meditation

     We all can feel helpless in times of strife, and struggle to find ways where we can make a difference. Here is a means putting positive energy into those things in your world that need attention. Peace begins within. Peace begins with you.

     The word metta means loving-kindness. Metta, or loving-kindness meditation is about finding and cultivating a sense of connection within yourself and with all others. It can also mean giving selflessly to others. In visualizing, feeling and cultivating this connection, we can become more selfless, more compassionate and more understanding to the people that we share the world with and more compassionate to ourselves. This meditation helps one find the compassion within themselves and gives them a means of sharing it with the world. It is also non-denominational. Anyone can do it. It is not contrary to any religious belief and is supported by many. Jesus and Mohamed were known to meditate as well as most other inspired teachers such as Buddha. To me it is not taking away power from God. It is sending Gods love and compassion into the world and feeling it within ourselves. Most who believe in God, believe that the essence of God is love. We are merely sending this love with our intention to our brothers and sisters around the world. If you believe that God is doing all the work, that’s ok. If you believe that it is an energy source in the universe, that’s ok too. The important thing is in the recognition of the connectedness that we have with our fellow man and the unveiling of the true desires within ourselves.

Loving-Kindness Links:
Sharon Salzberg   |  Insight Meditation Society  |  Google Search  |  Yahoo Search

     I learned loving-kindness meditation while attending the Stress Reduction Program at the Center for Mindfulness at UMass to overcome anxiety and depression. It has become a driving force in my life, giving me the means to use my compassion for something other than depression and stress. I highly recommend the program for everyone. It is enlightening, refreshing and empowering.

     There are many variations of loving-kindness meditation, but below is a very simple version that can easily fit into a daily routine. One typically starts this meditation by bringing loving-kindness to themselves. We all must be the change that we wish to see in the world, as we learned from Gandhi, so it’s a good idea to go within and be kind to ourselves, so that we can better appreciate the energy and love we wish to send to others.

     This can be done in any comfortable meditation position, sitting, lying down, on the subway, at a stop-light, coffee break, any time we feel the desire for a better world, or feel compassion for a certain person or situation. Many of us are saddened and moved by tragic news we hear every day, and we feel helpless. Instead of dwelling on the negative, use your new tool to send loving kindness to yourself and to the world.

May I be safe from harm

May I be full of peace

May I be healthy in mind and in body

May I be kind to myself and to others

We can then expand our awareness to loved ones, acquaintances, strangers and even (especially) enemies. We just merely change the wording a bit to accommodate the outward projection of loving-kindness, fitting in a person’s name, the word ‘they’ when talking about more than one person, or even substituting a town, organization, county etc. (my government, my country, Iraq, all the people of the world)

May _____ be safe from harm

May _____ be full of peace

May _____ be healthy in mind and in body

May _____ be kind to themselves(s) and to others

     It is helpful to visualize in your mind the person or group of people you are thinking of. When you start to reach out with your awareness, feel the compassion emerging from your body and flowing through the world to touch these souls. My personal experience is quite powerful. As I start “sending” loving-kindness out into the world, I get a continuous rush running through my body. It starts with a chill half way up my spine and then continues up my back, through my next, getting tingly, and then shoots through the back of my head and out the top. It can be a truly moving experience. Many people experience a similar chill when they hear a particularly moving song or movie, or have experience of ellation. The experience can be different for everyone, so don't create expectations.

     In making the loving kindness connection with other people, we can break down the walls that divide us and, even just for a moment, see ourselves in others, even if the experience is only happening within us. But our loving kindness may actually be reaching outside of us too. Scientists have been doing research on the affects of prayer on healing and so far have seen some pretty inspiring results. They are finding out that people who have an illness tend to regain health sooner when a large group of people are praying or focusing their compassion and intention on that individual. Imagine the possibilities of sending waves of peace and kindness to people who need it. And it takes only five minutes a day.

     As you practice this, the feeling you get when sending out loving kindness may become more and more familiar. I have found that sometimes simply thinking about others in the world brings about this feeling of peace that radiates out of me and I take the time and experience the moment. The intention of meditation may be to evolve to the point where we actually become that which we desire to be. This may take moments or lifetimes, but so long as we maintain a desire for peace, and make an effort within ourselves to grow towards peace, peace will remain a possibility.

     Below are some books and cds that explore and expand the possibilities of loving-kindness meditation.

Your brother in peace,
Jason Gianfriddo
peace@beginwithme.org

Lovingkindness Meditation CD by Sharon Salzberg

Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg

Loving-Kindness Links: Sharon Salzberg Insight Meditation Society Google Search Yahoo Search