Path to Nibbana - part 12:

Meditation technique of Metta

Battaramulla
Siri Sudassanarama
sadaham senasuna
Ven. Dr. Mirisse Dhammika thero

There are various ways of practicing metta meditation based on the Vissuddhimagga, Vimuttimagga and Patisambhidamagga’. One of the well-known principle methods will be explained below.

There are four postures which meditators can choose from: sitting down, standing, walking and lying down. Most people prefer the sitting posture. Whichever posture is selected, one should be comfortable, in a quite place, such as a quiet room, a park, or any other similar peaceful place. Keeping the eyes closed lightly, repeat the word “metta” or an English translation such as loving-kindness or universal friendliness a few times, while absorbing its meaning and characteristics which I have described above.

Next, you visualize your own “happy mood picture”. Imagine looking at you face in the mirror, and seeing yourself in a happy mood. Maintain this positive image and mood in your mind during meditation. A person in a happy mood cannot become angry or harbor negative thoughts and feelings. One should remember that this is a mental cultivation program of wholesome thoughts; when one gets used to the practice both mentally and physically, positive images and feelings will naturally occur in one’s daily activities, such as during work, studies and even resting. Soon they will occur without any conscious effort.

Having feely visualized yourself being in a happy frame of mind, now focus on the following thoughts:

May I be well, happy, peaceful, and prosperous. May no harm come to me; may no difficulties come to me; may no problems come to me. May I always meet with success. May I also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life’.

Next, concentrate your happy thoughts on your parents; next, family members; next teachers, friends, neutral people, unfriendly people, and all living beings, following the same format as above. The standard and traditional order is: one should concentrate one’s positive thoughts first on himself, then on those closest to himself, and then towards those increasingly distant from him. One directs happy thoughts towards oneself first because it is easier to arouse metta towards oneself. Once metta is aroused, one can then direct it outwardly towards others. Its very difficult to feel positively towards others. Its very difficult to feel positively towards others when one feels negative about oneself. The meditator directs happy thoughts in this progressive order simply because it is easier to feel positive towards those close to himself. Over time, one will more easily be able to feel positive thoughts towards neutral or unfriendly people. The meditator should create each person’s image in her mind. For example, you should visualize your parents’ face while they are in a happy mood. Following this pattern, you should concentrate on each of the people listed above, and you can expand this list to include any individual you wish. If you have difficulties with directing loving-kindness towards somebody, who is unfriendly to your or with whom you have a temporary misunderstanding, you should wait directing metta towards him until your mind is well established on metta by practicing loving-kindness towards other people. When one has a misunderstanding or dispute, metta has no opportunity to arise because negative thoughts are occupying the mind. Having generated thoughts of metta for himself first, one should now concentrate on one’s loved-ones, beginning with the members of one’s family, suffusing each one with pure thoughts of loving-kindness. While spreading metta towards one’s own family members, care should be taken to think of a very dear one, like one’s parents, brothers and sisters, or any other close family member.