Lovingkindness/Metta Retreat as Ceremony

The Buddha taught practices for the cultivation of metta (lovingkindness). The word metta is derived from another ancient Pali word, mitta, which means friend and also sun. Once again, in Buddhism, we return to the natural world, to the sun’s warmth, strength, and health. Metta practice can genuinely transform our hearts/minds, improving and bringing ease into our lives. As Bhante Gunaratana says, “Metta is not ordinary love. It is the quality of love we experience in our whole being, a love that has no ulterior motive — and no opposite. It can never become hatred; the love-hate dichotomy does not apply”.