My Metta Practice

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My Metta Practice
METTALoving Kindness MeditationBy Lama Surya Das

• METTA Loving Kindness Meditation By Lama Surya
  Das Metta (maitri) is the practice of
  loving-kindness meditation and friendliness
  taught by the Buddha approximately 2,600 years
  ago. It is an important component of the Buddhist
  wisdom teachings and their daily practice as
  applied in life. I have taken the basic sacred
  phrases from the Metta Sutra (Loving-kindness
  Scripture) and added many of my own over the
  years as they come up for me in my own prayer and
  chant life you are welcome to do the same.

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Repeat them with loving attention at the
conclusion of your daily meditation, or at any
time you wishin your car, walking, washing
dishes, making the bed, or anyplace, anytime. The
essence of loving-kindness is WOW, wishing others
well. This can be applied at every single
encounter, and is the discreet Bodhisattvas way
of blessing and cherishing every single sentient
being, day to day, moment to moment, whoever you
may encounter along the path. Tibetans chant the
Jewel in the Lotus mantra of the Dalai Lama (Om
mani pedmay hung!) along with these joyful
affirmations, or in between chanting each line,
if you like. May I be happy, content and
fulfilled. May all beings be happy! May I
experience the joy of mental happiness and the
ease of well-being. May I be peaceful, centered
and serene. May I be free from suffering and
dissatisfaction. May I be free from harm, danger
and fear. May all beings be free from harm,
danger and fear. May I/we walk the path of wisdom
and compassion. May I be understanding and learn
to listen. May I respect all other people, as
well as myself. May I be patient and loving. May
I be loved and let the love in. May I practice
loving kindness. May I practice equanimity and
non-reactivity.
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May I grow each day in being less judgmental
and/or tolerant and open-minded. May I be happy,
peaceful, and liberated. May my family
flourish. May our lives be filled with joy. May I
be free from suffering and enjoy peace and
ease. May my heart remain open. May I enjoy and
appreciate the holy now. May I awaken to the
light of my own true nature. May I be healed and
whole again May the planet be healed and
restored. May I be the source of healing for all
sentient beings connected to me. May I be
grateful and reverent. May I walk in love, joy,
and peace. May I experience the beauty and
wholeness of my own true nature. May I feel a
connection to all other beings. May I live in the
state of gratitude and grace. May I love deeply,
and with full acceptance, and may I open my heart
to receive love. May I know peace and may I be
peace. May I forgive and be forgiven. May I be
free from harm, danger, and anxiety. May I be
free from suffering. May I be free from the
illusions that keep me bound. May I be fearless
in pursuing truth.
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I live in boundless joy. May I see the light in
all things. May I and all sentient beings, near
and far, known and unknown, walk in beauty,
clarity, truth, courage, and wisdom. I bow to my
true Buddha-nature, innate in one and all. I
dedicate the merit of this Metta practice to the
ones I hold dearly in my heart May they be
edified and awakened! Now Imagine or visualize
the ones you love in front of you, bathed in the
warmth of your love light. Pray for their healthy
happiness and well-being, protection, and
enlightenment. Continue chanting and think of
others you care for. Open your heart and offer
each of them your love. Like the suns spreading
rays, when your love has grown along with the
energy of the chant, begin to extend your
compassionate love to othersto mere
acquaintances, to strangers, to people who get on
your nerves. Let your love reach as far as you
can. As you chant, keep reaching out, by
extending the radiant visualized light rays of
your love and compassion. Imagine that there is a
warm glowing sun whose rays are streaming out of
your heart chakra. Can you continue doing this,
extending your love even to those people whom you
dislike or make you feel threatened? Reach out
with your love. Give it out freely.
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Bless the world! May all beings have happiness
and the cause of happiness, which is virtue. May
all beings remain free from suffering and the
causes of suffering, which are non-virtue and
delusion. May all beings remain un-separated from
the scared joy and happiness that is totally free
from sorrow. May beings come to rest in the
boundless, all-inclusive equanimity beyond
attachment and aversion. May all beings be happy,
content, and fulfilled. May all be peaceful in
harmony and at ease. May all be protected from
harm, fear, and danger. May all have whatever
they want, need, and aspire to. May all be healed
and whole again. May this planet be healed and
whole again. May all beings awaken from their
sleep of illusions and be liberated, enlightened,
and free. May all realize their true spiritual
nature and thus awaken the Buddha within. May all
equally enjoy, actualize, and embody the innate
great perfection. May we all together complete
the spiritual journey, all the way to
enlightenment, nirvana, freedom and bliss. To
more details regarding the Surya Das, visit here
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