Lovingkindness (Metta) meditation begins with a smile meditation, then proceeds with calling on loving presence with someone easy to love, then self, others and extending out to the world.
Last week we spoke of practice as a process of purification, refining impurities of mind like a goldsmith refines and purifies gold.
This week we’ll explore how the mind is refined by understanding how to balance three qualities that all need to work together.
With Metta,
James
The flavor of Metta is kindness, which is such a beautiful and powerful attitude, but the other Brahma Viharas of compassion, joy and equanimity allow us to meet all of life with openess and connection.
The talk opens with a story about Ajahn Pasanno and an introduction to the metaphor of the 5 Spiritual Faculties as a team of 5 Horses pulling "The Cart of Self". The rest of the talk explores the relationship between the 5 Faculties and the 4 Divine Abodes (metta, compassion, joy, equanimity)
