Metta

A meditation for focusing on love, in the abstract

• Think of someone who's company you enjoy very much

• A simple, uncomplicated relationship

• What is it you appreciate about them?

• Enumerate the things about them you are grateful for

• Think of the impact they have on your life, the good times

• What are their best qualities? Their most amusing idiosyncrasies?

• Feel the warmth welling up inside of you

• Turn your attention to it, focus on the physical sensations

• This is the feeling of love, it is just as important as the idea

• Reflect on how you want the best for this person

  • You hope all their dreams come true

  • You wish that they are free of suffering, and when suffering does come that they have the resilience and support to face it

  • Imagine their smiling face and feel how happy it makes you

• Repeat this process, cycling through those you care about

  • You can repeat people, circle back to them or focus on just one

• Let yourself smile!

• Now ask yourself, what is it that makes this person or these people so special?

• It is that we know them so deeply, that we appreciate the details of what lies beneath the surface of them

• We can extend this love to anyone, if we understand them sufficiently

• Think of someone you have a neutral relationship with, someone who works at your local supermarket, your friendly neighbour

  • Realise that you want the best for this person too

  • Picture them smiling, let yourself wish that their work-day is stress free

• Now, finally, think of someone you find difficult to be around

  • We may never find it within ourselves to truly enjoy this persons company

  • But even for this highly irritating human being, we can wish the best

    • We wish no harm or suffering upon those we dislike

    • I hope they are smiling, surrounded by loved ones somewhere far away from me

• Return to the feeling of warmth in the body, if you've lost focus on it, circle back to someone you care deeply about and find it again

• Imagine the warmth and love inside you slowly expanding and intensifying

• Eventually, it moves beyond the surface of the skin, into the air

• Like a layer of love insulating you, perhaps slightly glowing

• Imagining it growing, and growing

• Include the air, all of us around you, this house, this street, our city... Even the whole planet, or the whole of reality

• Stretch the limits of how far you can push this, imagine how beautiful it would be for everyone on earth to earnestly smile and feel content

• Meditate on this for as long as you can, be aware of the sensations

• Enumerate the people out there who are deserving of our compassion

• The poor, the sick, the oppressed

• Feel how much you care for them, despite your paths never crossing

• And now think of the strangers you dislike

• The close minded, selfish, stubborn, bigoted and hateful

• They too deserve our compassion

• They are humans, with just as much depth of experience as ourselves and our loved ones

• And they are hurting, they act out their suffering on others

• But we love them regardless

• Finally, think of yourself

• You are no different to any of these people, you wish yourself the best in life too

• In your head, think the words "I love myself" and let the idea sink in

• Loving ourselves and loving others, there is no difference

  • Two sides of the same coin

• Promise you will be gentler and kinder to yourself

• Now, drop your focus, sit with how you feel

• Freely explore the sensations and thoughts of love that arise without any judgement

• Feel free to explore any of the concepts we've been through, while maintaining awareness of the sensations of love

• Or just sit there and bask

• Keep a gentle smile on your face throughout