Lesson for mindfulness - part 21

Chapter Four: Metta (Loving-Kindness)

Metta protects oneself from negative emotions

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

When one practices metta with pure thoughts, selfish desire is overcome by sympathy. First of all one creates the opportunity to extend positive feelings towards others by detaching oneself from one’s selfish desires and aversions.

Metta meditation creates the energy to go beyond ego-self, which is the tendency to be self-centred, or to consider only oneself and one’s own interests. For

instance, when the meditator practices metta, he is able to generate empathy and appreciate better the feelings of sorrow and pain, joy and happiness in others.

The metta-meditator awakens his thoughts of well-being and safety for others by realizing that: “All individual beings fear being harmed; life is dear to all; comparing others with oneself, one should neither hurt nor kill nor cause to hurt or kill anyone” (Dhammapada).

In this way, when the metta meditator generates pure thoughts of loving-kindness, she will be able to transform thoughts, undisturbed by such impediments as anger, jealousy and hatred, into the wish for the happiness and welfare of others.

Thus, metta mediation aims to generate within oneself a war-hearted feeling of friendliness, empathy, sympathetic joy and love, which would enhance the ability to overcome such social barriers as race, religion, gender, age and social status. It also helps one to avoid feelings of resentment, frustration, insecurity and hopelessness as mentioned earlier. The latter emotions are known as direct causative factors of mental disharmony.

In addition to the metta mediation technique described in the Visuddhimagga and Vimuttimagga, there is another explanation of the metta technique in the Metta-Sutta, which is an ancient Buddhist chanting and meditation scripture.

TwoMetta-Sutta explains how to follow metta, and what should be done by the meditator in order to prepare for meditation practice. Before discussing the Metta-Sutta and its pratices, I shall relate the story of how the Metta-Sutta originated because the story reveals in important insight into the power of metta in protecting oneself from negative emotions.

It so happened that one time five hundred monks received meditation instructions from the Buddha, and went to the forest to meditate. These monks couldn’t concentrate because, so they claimed, they saw terrifying visions and heard dreadful noises made by invisible deities.

The monks returned to the Buddha with distressed minds and bodies, and they explained to him the disturbing events in the forest. After listening to the monks, the Buddha taught them the Metta-Sutta and asked them to go back to the forest.

The monks returned to the same place where they mediated before, recited the Metta-Sutta and set their minds on metta.

Eventually, the monks were no longer disrobed y the terrifying visions and dreadful noises, and they could continue their meditation practice. What the story demonstrates in that true metta or loving-kindness has the power to overcome one’s own mental disturbances and to change the negative attitude towards others.