The practice of lovingkindness (metta) brings many benefits. It makes the heart more responsive, brings about purification of mind, develops concentration, connects us to all beings, and brings happiness.

Our practice is aimed at developing in three ways: brightening the mind, finding deep inner peace, and understanding the nature of things. The talk explores the role of wholesome qualities in this development: giving, conduct, lovingkindness, concentration, and right view.

Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This course includes exploration of the intention behind practice, an introduction to insight (vipassana) meditation techniques, instructions for working with common obstacles, an overview of the practices of lovingkindness, and a discussion on how mindfulness can be part of one’s daily life.

Should eyes be open or closed? When? Can you assist with overcoming dullness? What can I do when I lose the breath? How to cultivate loving kindness? When investigating emotion, how deep should we dig?

metta (good will/ loving kindness –the experience of the lovability of beings), karuna (compassion – sees the vulnerability of beings), mudita (sympathetic joy - experience of the enjoyment of one’s own and others’ good states)and upekkha (equaminity – the ability to be present with the ups and downs of phenomena); the citta has 2 inputs – feelings(from body or mental perception) and associations/ images/ impressions; skillful intention and the associated joy; volition and sustaining volition as a characteristic of the citta; to others as to myself; the citta adopts various clothes, one of which is “me”; the citta is abundant, rich, calm, exhaulted, measureless/ suffusing, free from hostility and ill will; the significance of the metaphors of language; the measureless empathy of the Buddha; “just like me”, we are all like this as a source of the volition; it’s not so much object oriented as cultivating states of mind and freeing the citta from any state of ill will; identifying the signs that lead to the bonding with / settling of the citta and unification of the mind; find one that works for you; the object one chooses to facilitate this is not important; pitfalls and sidetracks to be avoided in the cultivation – the story of other particular people and of the self, thinking of the past and the future ; finding satisfaction and comfort; the wisdom faculty sees it has been identified and sustained and not owned personally

It’s said that it is better to live with a moment of loving-kindness than 100 years without it. We might feel contracted or armored but just one tender moment where the heart softens even a little can be an opportunity to open us.

Introduction to the practice and working with oneself and a benefactor

An opening night talk of a metta retreat combining Loving-Kindness practice and Qi Gong.