Loving Kindness Meditation

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Our feelings, emotions and relationships are fundamental to our lives, and the metta bhavana meditation, which develops a sense of loving kindness, or metta, towards ourselves and others, is a basic practice within Triratna. Metta is an almost untranslatable word in Sanskrit that means something like 'an appreciative kindness or love extending without any limits and including all beings'.

Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, so should one cultivate boundless love towards all beings.
The Buddha, The Metta Sutta

Introduction to Metta Bhavana

Watch Garavavati’s introduction to the practice and her explanation of its five stages.

Metta Bhavana Practice

Try the metta bhavana for yourself in this 25 minute practice led by Kshantikara.

Compassionate Breathing Anchor Meditation

Here’s another approach to loving kindness, led by Vidyamala, that focuses on the experience of kindness, especially directed towards ourselves. This approach grows from Vidyamala’s experience of living with chronic pain and helping others do the same through Breathworks.


Resources

Talk

Jvalamalini: 'A Personal Take on Metta Practice’ (20 mins)

Books

next page: exploring positive emotion

meditation