Loving Friendliness of Metta

Metta is a Pali word and when translated has the most beneficial meaning.  Metta is defined as friendly, happy, peaceful, well, calm, good willingness, benevolent, and other forms of compassionate states of mind. Pali was first written down in Sri Landka in the first century BC. It was the language of many of the earliest Buddhist scriptures (parahita-parasukha-kamana).

 

When I practice Metta I transform myself.  I unite my mind to become at peace when I deeply pay attention to my heart.  I spend countless hours practicing Metta.  In return I have enjoyed an immeasurable benefit that has transformed every facet of my life. Metta is gift that keeps on giving!

Metta is a mind-set of altruistic love and friendliness based on benefiting the greater good exceeding just being amiable. Metta is about selfless being one refusing to be angry, hating, jealous, bitter, and resentful.  I  lessen my suffering when I seek the well-being and happiness of others and all things. Metta is about the greater common interest with a warm-hearted feeling of fellowship, empathy and compassion.  When I overcome my many social, religious, racial, political and economic hindering attitudes of greed, hatred and delusion. Metta liberates me with a universal, selfishness and all-embracing friendliness of unconditional love for all things.

One symbol for Metta is the mother caring for her baby. Treating other beings with such sacred attention returns this act of virtuous reverence to my greater and highest self.  Bringing attention to this intention of Metta I find benefits all.  Such loving kindness enhances my greater welfare since we are all interconnected to all things bringing us abundant, deep and intense peace and happiness.

When I go beyond concepts or common conventional truths I find more profound truths beyond my material world perspective.  My shift in consciousness frees me from my perspectives, and ideas, with a brilliant insight. Meditation allows us to develop this new lens of seeing all facets of suffering. 

For example, Vipassana  (Insight) meditation is one avenues to help assist me to see how to lessen my samsara (cycle of birth and death).  2600 years ago the Buddha answered questions posed to him as to the reasons for long life and so forth (the discourse to Subha). From his answer, I find that I can  prosper with good health, and well being thanks to  loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

Metta acts to skillfully lessen destructive states such as anger and hatred.  As I increase my concentration I can benefit many situation since a greater loving wisdom emerges. Such wholesome exercise fosters more healthy relationships. Simply lessening my self-seeking, I  befriend greater well-being in the best possible manner.

Metta is a transforming attitude of greeting things as part of my greater self with universal love.  Cultivating this inner power stimulates, protects and heals both me and others. Today peace can overcome the constant challenges of anger and fear.  Metta is the tenor of the times.  Increasing destructive emotions necessitate such loving mutual understanding. Metta is an imperative skillful means to promote greater friendly, joyful well-being.

The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)*

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

http://dharma.ncf.ca/introduction/sutras/metta-sutra.html