Coogee Buddhist Group

The Power of Metta

On Tue, 28 January, 2014 - 01:14
Dhammalata's picture
Dhammalata
Some Affirmation from Terry

Following last week’s email I was sent a couple of current articles about compassion training by Terry, a regular meditator with our group. I’ve included an excerpt from one of them below. I’ve been meditating for over twenty years now and from time to time I get to read articles such as these that affirm what I have learnt as a result of the practices. My response is generally ‘yeah, that’s right – that accords directly with my own experience.’

It’s great because it both affirms the practices and encourages me as I think it will be helpful in giving more people the confidence and inspiration to explore them.

To take responsibility for one’s own life is the most potent thing we can do.

“The findings support Davidson and Lutz’s working assumption that through training, people can develop skills that promote happiness and compassion.

“People are not just stuck at their respective set points,” he says. “We can take advantage of our brain’s plasticity and train it to enhance these qualities.”

The capacity to cultivate compassion, which involves regulating thoughts and emotions, may also be useful for preventing depression in people who are susceptible to it, Lutz adds.

“Thinking about other people’s suffering and not just your own helps to put everything in perspective,” he says, adding that learning compassion for oneself is a critical first step in compassion meditation.

The researchers are interested in teaching compassion meditation to youngsters, particularly as they approach adolescence, as a way to prevent bullying, aggression and violence.

“I think this can be one of the tools we use to teach emotional regulation to kids who are at an age where they’re vulnerable to going seriously off track,” Davidson says.

Compassion meditation can be beneficial in promoting more harmonious relationships of all kinds, Davidson adds.

“The world certainly could use a little more kindness and compassion,” he says. “Starting at a local level, the consequences of changing in this way can be directly experienced.”

Hope you will join us for meditation this week – Thursday 7 – 8.30 pm

We will be doing the Metta Practice and Padmadakini will be leading. I will be absent as Gina and I will be performing our play as part of the Short and Sweet Play Festival – I’ll see you the following week

Also just advance notice that we have all been invited to go to the 2014 season launch of The Coogee Croquet club on Saturday February 15th at 3.30 pm. Unfortunately I cannot go as I will be in Adelaide for a mate’s wedding but if you’d like to go along, play some croquet and meet members of the Croquet Club please RSVP Robin Senn on 041 278 291 or rsen39 [at] bigpond.com

It’s a great opportunity to build some connection and rapport with the club so if you feel inclined please go along

Biggest Metta

Dharmalata and Padmadakini

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