Can we create a metta practice using phrases, the energetic felt-sense of friendliness/warmth and our imagination/visualization to live courageously and creatively?
An exploration of the importance, personally and socially, of practicing with fear. We work especially with these tools: (1) mindfulness and the study of fear (What is fear? How does it manifest in the body, emotions, and thinking); (2) heart practices like metta and compassion; and (3) developing wise and skillful responses.
A brief exploration arising out of the Buddha's instructions:
"It is in this way that we must train ourselves, by liberation of the self through love. We will develop love. We will practice it. We will make it both a way and a basis, take our stand upon it, store it up and thoroughly set it going." Samutta Nikaya
This talk explores a few of the difficult or afflictive states of mind that arise in our human experience and some effective way to work with them through the powerful tools in our practice of concentration, mindfulness, metta and compassion.
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.
