I want to learn Loving-Kindness Meditation(metta)

[Lukks]

Hello

 

Can someone give me a good source for learning Loving-Kindness Meditation(metta)?

 

I accept books, masters, paid courses, free courses, just give the best you have, let's make this post useful for others who also want to learn it and share love with the world 

[Shadow_self]

Start with this one  Its a great starting point

 

 

 

[thelerner]

I love Ajahn Brahm's work.  He's wonderful at explaining the traditional in a modern way with a sense of humor.  I was going to send a whole bunch of links but googling 'Ajahn Brahms metta meditation' give you a long list- writing from Lion's Roar magazine, Guided Metta Meditation from various Buddhist societies and Youtube.  

 

He's been writing about metta meditations for decades.  He acknowledges that its hard and has beginners work on sending love and kindness to things that are easy, that they already like or love.  Then you build up to harder subjects like the people you can't stand.  He teaches with experience, depth and humor.  

 

 

add-on confession> One thing I've had against metta meditation is that I don't think sending good thoughts and love to another at a distance does much for them.  Maybe that's not the point, perhaps its for the sitter, a chance to calm down, get perspective and rid of the garbage thoughts. 

Edited September 11 by thelerner

[forestofclarity]

I don't know any good sources in book or course form personally, but I applaud the effort. I need more metta. I think we all need more metta. From my POV, this is exactly what the board is often missing. The most striking thing about advanced practitioners I've met is the natural radiance of metta. 

 

One thing I would suggest is that whatever the source, an important tip is to feel the metta, it whatever form it arises, usually in the heart area. Some people repeat phrases or visualize it, which is fine but I think and have been taught it is more important to cultivate the feeling. It may sometimes be barely felt, but like tending to a little a fire it will expand. 

[doc benway]

One caution I want to mention is to be aware of the possibility that this sort of practice may become an abstraction, a spiritual bypass.

It is easy to think we feel unconditional love and compassion for "all sentient beings" at an intellectual, conceptual level.

Far more challenging to actually feel that way in the heart, in the gut, especially with people with whom we have emotional history. There are too many practitioners who love all sentient beings with all of their heart but won't talk to an estranged sibling, or get very emotionally reactive to a parent or child or an ex.

 

One suggestion I have is to focus this sort of loving-kindness practice on those closest to us first, then it tends to be more genuine and it leads to more meaningful and tangible positive change in our lives. Start with people we really love unconditionally, or at least with fewer conditions. As we get better at it and it feels more natural, we can then extend the practice to those who challenge us, even to those we despise. The key for me is empathy. Once we can release the reactivity and feel open and warm with our family and friends, especially those who set us off, and with ourselves; it's relatively easy to love strangers, all sentient beings, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way around. 

 

 

[johndoe2012]

https://www.dhammasukha.org/beginner-lovingkindness

[Thrice Daily]

See if you can go and sit for 10 days at a Vippasana centre. Then give back by volunteering for the next 10 days. 

 

When you sit you have so much time for Metta, although that's not the main focus, you will certainly be able to generate it very well.

 

When you work, you will have access to many books there, mostly written by Monks from the Burmese lineage (Dhamma Dipa in the UK have a great little library, hopefully all centres do)

 

When you work you will also have many many hours opportunity to generate Metta while being in service to the others sitting.

You will still get to meditate for a few hours per day too, in silence and stillness formally with the rest of the group. 

 

I highly reccomend... 

 

They have centres all over the world, here is the UK portal...

uk.dhamma.org

 

Be happy, be peaceful, be liberated...

[forestofclarity]

A few more tips occurred to me. Regarding using the easier sentient beings first, some of the easiest include animals, especially if you have a pet. 

 

An interesting thing for me is that by studying oneself, an insight begins to open for other beings. Seeing how our delusions form into hindrances and cause suffering, we get first hand experience of how suffering arises for us, and how we want happiness. At some point, we begin to see these same patterns in others--- but we know that others, like us, are struggling to be happy and free and are only acting out of ignorance. This makes it easier to extend compassion to more difficult people. 

 

 

[Giles]

On 10/09/2024 at 9:49 PM, Lukks said:

Hello

 

Can someone give me a good source for learning Loving-Kindness Meditation(metta)?

 

I accept books, masters, paid courses, free courses, just give the best you have, let's make this post useful for others who also want to learn it and share love with the world 

 

 

One of the benefits of this practice, according to Sharon Salzberg, is that it would easy to evaluate your progress because the Buddha apparently listed the "siddhis" that you'd develop as side-effects if you're practicing it correctly.

 

Quote

 

1. You will sleep easily.

2. You will wake easily.

3. You will have pleasant dreams.

4. People will love you.

5. Devas [celestial beings] and animals will love you.

6. Devas will protect you.

7. External dangers [poisons, weapons, and fire] will not harm you.

8. Your face will be radiant.

9. Your mind will be serene.

10. You will die unconfused.

11. You will be reborn in happy realms.

 

Source: Salzberg, S. (1995). Loving-Kindness. Shambhalla Publications Inc. p. 51.