When Metta meets suffering it naturally transforms into compassion

Cultivating goodwill.

Playing with metta (2) and proceeding into one's base practice (builds on previous meditations from this retreat)

Pointers and signposts of deepening, and a few words about metta practice for cultivating samadhi. Guided meditation: Playing with metta (1)

Includes Guided Meditation and Instructions for Inquiry Practice

Metta - Kindness to Self, Benefactor, and Neutral Person

Compassion as the second of the four brahmavihāra practices, building on a foundation of mettā or good will then extending that kindness to meet all forms of pain, stress, distress and suffering

This Dharma Talk reflects on the 5 subjects for frequent recollections (also called the 5 remembrances): (1) I am of the nature to age, I have not gone beyond aging, (2) I am of the nature to sicken, I have not gone beyond sickness, (3) I am of the nature to die, I have not gone beyond dying (4) All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, Will become separated from me (4) I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir. This is offered as a chant as a way to connect the teaching to the heart and the body. The talk then explores the liberative idea of Kamma (Karma) where we have more and more agency through the practice to seed our intentions so that our acts of body, speech and mind are more wholesome, skillful, and leading to the alleviation of suffering for ourselves and others. The talk then explores various strategies for the cultivation of mettā in daily life.

Orienting to the energy of mettā / kindness as a support for more openness and ease in the body, heart and mind

Continuing with the exploration of clinging and release, noticing what gets in the way and what supports more openness and ease, with an invitation to orient to mettā

We first explore several important themes in metta practice: (1) how metta practice can be seen as a training in learning to “lead” with the heart; (2) ways of working with difficult experiences, such as anger, fear, and the presence of the judgmental mind, that can arise in the “purification” process connected with metta practice; (3) how metta practice opens us to our radiant depths; and (4) the nature of metta practice with the “difficult person” and its connection with forgiveness practice. Then we explore the nature of forgiveness—clarifying what it is and isn’t; distinguishing between forgiveness as an outer, interpersonal and social process, giving several examples, including from the Heiltsuk indigenous tradition and South Africa, and forgiveness as an inner practice; and identifying some of dynamics of inner forgiveness practice.

Reflections on how the cultivation of Metta is a cornerstone of building equanimity in which the mind is impartial. When we cultivate a mind that can radiate metta to the Stranger and the Enemy with the same wholeheartedness as to the Benefactor and Friend that same quality of mind can meet any experience with ease of heart and balance of mind.

We begin with metta as heart training, a practice of awakening and growing our heart and explore how our practice of metta can also support and help to transform others. Then we move into obstacles to metta meditation and how to practice with them, covering when metta feels mechanical, distractions, grief, doubt, anger, and struggling to offer metta to ourselves. We close looking at how metta can be a protection and also how the Earth can be a source and inspiration for metta.

Metta practice is one version of the ancient vocation to live from kindness and love, that is found across spiritual traditions. In Buddhist tradition, it is in the family of “heart practices” that are called the brahmavihara: Lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. In this context, we explore how metta practice both opens us up to this deep kindness and warmth and to what is the way of metta. We also examine some of the challenges of metta practice.

Beginning with metta for a benefactor, then oneself, mostly using the reciting phrases practice method

Brief instructions for cultivating metta or kindness for a benefactor

Teja guides the process of connecting with Integrating Embodied Mindfulness as essential to Dharma and meditation practice.

Guided metta practice for working with the self, including ways to work with difficulty with oneself as the object.