Lovingkindness and the other brahma viharas show us the possibility of an appropriate response to the joys and sorrows of life. The practice of mudita for oneself leads to the beautiful state of gratitude.
In order for metta to flow unobstructed, we need to be able to forgive—ourselves for ways we don't measure up to our high standards or unskillful actions, others for past hurts and life for the disappointments we experience. This talk explores these different levels of forgiveness.
What supports lovingkindness is the sincere caring we give in each moment as we say a metta phrase. What obstructs metta are its near and far enemies; affection with attachment and aversion such as sadness, fear, anger, or judgement.
Wise concentration is cultivated both in our life and formal meditation. At its heart lies the commitment to be undissuaded from our Path of Awakening.
The Dhamma is something ordering, but we constantly over-look it and get stuck in the world of ideas and rational thought. Developing awareness of feelings and welcoming the totality of experience grounds us in the Deathless.
Recommend first listening to the talk, "The Middle Way - Keeping the Mind in the Middle". In "Teachings for the Fire Worshipers", Ajahn Jumnien displays a picture of a father, mother and child with a band of light surrounding them. Teaching given in Thai with English translation by Amdee Vongthongsri and Joseph Kappel.
The five aggregates together create a sense of self. To separate from this sense of identity, use Pure Awareness. Teaching given in Thai with English translation by Amdee Vongthongsri and Joseph Kappel.
NO CD: This talk discusses how forgiveness emerges out of understanding of our own and others suffering and how the suffering in this world is balanced by the third Brahma Vihara of sympathetic joy.
The problem with delusion is that it's always threatened by reality. If you learn to admit reality, act in-line with the way things actually are, then there's nothing threatening.
