Loving Kindness Meditation

I'm saying it for you first - slowly, peacefully....
May you be happy, peaceful, and free of suffering.
May no harm come to you.
May no difficulties come to you.
May no problems come to you.
May you always find success.
May you also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination, to meet and overcome, the inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life.
Now you can say it. First, for yourself. Then for me or anyone else. You can say it again and again, moving from the most personal (family members, friends) to those you do not know, to those toward whom you feel neutral, even for enemies or those with whom you are in conflict, and finally for all beings.
This Loving Kindness Meditation comes to me via Kusala Bikshu, a Buddhist monk, whom I met at a conference a few years back. Different versions of this meditation are used by many Buddhists to cultivate compassion and to transform suffering. (I hope you took time to click his name and watch the video of Kusala. Once you meet this man, you never forget him!)
I have found it particularly helpful to say this meditation for someone with whom I am having a conflict. Somehow, if you repeat this - again and again - for such a person, you will find yourself feeling differently toward them. And your meditation, your compassion and beneficence toward them, may allow the conflict to loosen up and dissolve.
Namaste.
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First published at Nothingness.
You can comment at either place. (I've tried to make the comment process smoother over there. Please give it a try so I can get feedback. Thanks! Feedback here is fine too.)
Peace be with you.
July 4, 2009 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh I will try this. See ya at Nothingness tomorrow. ha!!!
July 5, 2009 12:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's great, dd! So good to see you. So good to see the quiet here too. :)
July 5, 2009 12:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good to see you, Thera...I've copied the words. I've said them to myself. I'll start saying them to others tomorrow. I hope it works, there are a couple I want to strangle.
July 5, 2009 3:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, you don't need to say it aloud to the other people, stilli. And yes, if you memorize it, which isn't hard, it's very helpful...
Good to see you too. :-)
July 5, 2009 7:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, Thera...didn't mean ACTUALLY to them, but with them in mind as I say them...
July 5, 2009 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
My turn to apologize - for not understanding.
I love you, stilli!
Yes.... make good use of it! :)
July 5, 2009 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Commenting there not working for me? Seemed to go through, but not ...
If I could remember my words, I'd just repeat them here - ;)
July 5, 2009 3:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your comment did go through there! No need to recall anything. It was touching and very beautiful! :-)
July 5, 2009 7:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh Therapy - what a useful saying - I will write it down and make a practice of saying it when someone or something shatters my peace. I will also share it with my AA buddies - it fits in well with the serenity prayer.
Thanks for sharing it.......
July 5, 2009 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maggie, you're a genius! Linking this to the serenity prayer is just perfect!
Glad you'll find it useful. :-)
July 5, 2009 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
As usual, you pull through with just what the Buddha ordered! Thanks, TheraP. :-)
July 5, 2009 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Many streams flow into the river... :-)
July 5, 2009 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I absolutely love this! Thank you for sharing it with us all. I shall save it and say it as often as I can. Namaste.
July 5, 2009 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bless you, Jan! :-)
July 5, 2009 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink