Copy and paste into worship material
Now a meditation called the Metta bhavana or practice of loving kindness in which I suggest you find a comfortable posture and you may like to close your eyes with then a sense of focus and open awareness so that the clutter of the mind can pass by. There are five stages to the Metta Bhavana. First there is giving love to oneself, then to a known friend who we would normally wish well, then to a neutral person, then offer good wishes to someone we may not like and finally wish well to all human beings. The purpose of this is to improve our loving kindness. At each stage I shall say a few words followed by a short period of quiet.
Let us develop first love for oneself. The Buddha in the Udana said:
I visited all quarters with my mind,
Nor found I any dearer than myself,
Self is likewise to every other dear;
Who loves themself will never harm another.
May I be well, may I be happy. Let us contemplate the phrase: "May I be well, may I be happy."
Pause for a short period.
We think of a good friend, someone we know well, someone we rely upon. They have given us love: him or her gets love. Think of one friend, just one: that person who teaches us what reliability is, what is the nature of spiritual friendship.
May he, or she, be well, may he, or she, be happy. Let us contemplate the, phrase: "May he, or she, be well, may he, or she, be happy."
Pause for a short period.
We see people who have no real feeling either way, say at work or in societies and clubs, or in everyday acquaintances. We know of them but do not really know them and they may not really know us. All around, in impersonal society, we avoid giving feeling one way or the other. They are neutral people. But you may know of one such person. Think of that person and develop loving kindness to them too.
May he, or she, be well, may he, or she, be happy. Let us contemplate the, phrase: "May he, or she, be well, may he, or she, be happy."
Pause for a short period.
We should be honest. Each of us knows of at least someone we do not like, and they probably do not like us. We can become lost in ill will. But think of their lives, their sufferings, their agonies that made our ill will. Think of one such person. Someone may spring to mind. Offer him or her good thoughts. Let metta transform our nature by offering that person positive feeling.
May he, or she, be well, may he, or she, be happy. Let us contemplate the, phrase: "May he, or she, be well, may he, or she, be happy."
Pause for a short period.
Finally we open positive feeling towards all beings everywhere. The Buddha in the Karaniya Metta Sutta says:
Now may all living things weak or strong,
Omitting none, tall, medium sized or short,
Subtle or gross of form, seen or unseen,
Those dwelling near or far away,
Born or unborn - may every living thing
Abound in bliss. Let none deceive or think
Scorn of another, in whatever way.
But as a mother watches o'er her child,
Her only child, so long as she doth breathe,
So let them practise unto all that live
An all-embracing mind. And let a person
Practice unbounded love for the world,
Above, below, across, in every way,
Love unobstructed, void of emnity.
(trans. Sangharakshita (non-sexist) (1949) in (1980) The Enchanted Heart, Ola Leaves)
May all beings gain unbounded love. Let us contemplate the phrase: "May all beings gain unbounded love."
Pause for a short period and then move slowly to the next activity.