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Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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August 1, 2017 By Admin

Loving Kindness Meditation from The Buddha

Loving Kindness Meditation from The Buddha

Loving Kindness Meditation (hereafter LKM) is, perhaps, one of the most popular meditation practices in the world. What many practitioners do not know is that one form of it came directly from The Buddha. Along with LKM wisdom we also are guided by the enlightened words of The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron.  In their  Approaching the Buddhist Path: The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, Vol. 1, they emphasize how we humans are highly emotional by nature. As we experience pleasure, neutrality, or pain we also respond via emotional evaluations, thoughts, and actions. Our basis for emotional experience can either be constructive (caring, kind, and loving) or afflictive (greed, aversion, and anger), and can lead to long-term happiness or misery. What differentiates Buddhist Psychology from Western Psychology (say CBT for example), is that Buddhism maintains a focus on longer-term changes, changes than can transform into true joy and happiness or become habitual suffering and pain. Impermanence does not end. One may become a joyous person living a wholesome life, to one may become hopelessly trapped in samaric misery. By living a life of caring, generosity, compassion, and non-harming humans can attain deeper, true happiness in the long run. One way to achieve such a result is by practicing/living according to LKM and compassion for others.  Beyond meditation alone, however, is the trie land of walking the walk, practicing the practice in your personal life.

In the Metta Sutra (Karaniyametta Sutra of Theravada Buddhism) as noted by The Buddha in The Suttanipata presents as a potentially protective sutra; by following these principles and practices, one lives by wholesome values, virtue, gentleness, inner peace,  humility, conscious self-control, and kindness. Thus not only the person practicing but all who encounter that person live within a deeper protective and tranquil experience. Below I will note certain statements noted by The Buddha. As you practice this form of LKM, ask yourself if you are living the true path of his message.

May all beings be happy and secure; May they be inwardly happy…

[May] no one…deceive another…[May] no one…wish suffering for another…

[May] one…develop loving-kindness – a state of mind without boundaries – …toward the whole world…

Whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying…one…resolve[s] on this mindfulness: they call this a divine dwelling here…

Possessing good behavior, endowed with vision, having removed greed for sensual pleasures,

One never again comes back to…[these]…

If you do not find these statements to be fulfilling, you can always go back to: May I and all beings be safe, healthy, free from suffering, happy and living wth ease.

For more information refer to The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron (2017). Approaching the Buddhist Path: The Library of Wisdom and Compassion,  Vol. 1. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.  See also Bhikkhu Bodhi (2017). Loving Kindness. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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Filed Under: Buddhism, Featured, Loving Kindness, Meditation, Meditation Activities, MIndfulness, Self Care Tagged With: BUDDHA, LOVE AND KINDNESS, MEDITATION, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, MINDFULNESS, PSYCHOLOGY

February 24, 2015 By Admin

Loving Kindness Meditation

Loving Kindness Meditation –

More Thoughts

Some less experienced meditators complain about how easily the mind’s wandering thoughts distract them from paying attention and deepening concentration.  This is a very common problem in meditation practice, and not always just for novices.  Here is a solution for you to try.  In Loving Kindness Meditation, you focus attention on specific thoughts – internal, subvocal, self-statements like “May I be Safe.”  Since the mind is the seat of thinking, and since thought, speech, and action are fundamental aspects of how you live your life – Buddhist or otherwise – MindfulHappiness_WhatisMindfulness-meditating-by-waterloving and kind thoughts may help improve your meditation skills.  In mindfulness traditions, thought is simply another aspect of processing sensory information – in fact one of the sensory processes.  Thinking leads to consciousness; consciousness may improve or distract your meditation practice.  Yes, Loving Kindness Meditation helps to improve the quality of your thoughts, speech and actions.  In this practice we soon learn that wishing the best for others also enhances our own joy; it is soothing and comforting.  When we open our soft hearts and wish safety, health, and happiness for others we engage in a basic bodhisattva action.  More active loving kindness and compassion practices take us a step further into doing things that help other reduce suffering and enhance happiness.  There are many compassion practices.  Here we will focus only on Loving Kindness Meditation.

Loving Kindness Meditation follows a recommended sequence. There are, however, variations.  Begin with yourself. For example:  “May I be safe.” Then move your attention to a significant other: “May … be safe.” We can include a good friend, benefactor, or mentor.  And then we do move to a neutral person, even a total stranger.  You can add a difficult person, and when ready (to forgive) move on to an enemy.  Do not include the enemy until you are ready to forgive that COMPASSION-mindful-happinessperson for their harmful actions.  You will see that once you do forgive them, they no longer hold power over your emotions and your suffering may end.  At this point in the sequence it is helpful to add all beings everywhere.  End your practice sequence by going back to yourself.  Each change in the object of your good wishes includes all statements before moving to another person.  For example: May I be safe. May I be Healthy, May I be happy. May I live with ease. Then you move to the next person.  There are other variations in what you say to yourself.  For example: May I experience safety and the causes of safety.  May I experience good health and the causes of good health.  May I experience happiness and the causes of happiness. May I be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May I rest in great equanimity.  At some point people who do regular loving kindness meditations may make up their own words.

These words would clarify what best meets what your needs are, and what you think other people may need.

I recommend that you use ritual as a norm in this practice.  For example, light some incense, perhaps a candle, and ring a chime to begin and to end your practice.

1) Sit in a comfortable position, and relax yourself with a few deep, calm, slow breaths.

2) Begin with yourself.  Select the phrases you want to say to yourself.

3) To enhance practice effects, as you say the words feel the associated emotions in your body.  What does safety feel like? What does happiness feel like.  Do your best to introject the power of associated emotions and sensations.

4) When you move to another person, as you say the words do your best to project outwardly the associated emotions of the words.  Make an image of the recipient’s face, and send you words and emotions to them.

5) Continue through the sequences noted above.

6) End the sequence by going back to loving kindness for yourself.

I hope you enjoyed this practice.

Do it often – daily if possible. May you be successful in your loving kindness practices.

For more information refer to: Thondup, T. (2009). The Healing Power of Loving Kindness. Boston: Shambhala Publications. [CD].  Se also Chodron, P. (2009). Perfect Just as You Are. New York: Random House Audio. [CD].  And Salzburg, S. (1995). Loving – Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness

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Filed Under: Featured, Meditation, Meditation Activities Tagged With: ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, LOVE AND KINDNESS, LOVING KINDNESS, MEDITATION, MEDITATION PRACTICES, MINDFULNESS

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