Intro to Loving Kindness Meditation Metta | Buddhist Guided Meditation | Ajahn Dhammasiha | Dhammagiri

Ajahn Dhammasiha leads an introduction to Mettā Meditation, 'Loving Kindness'.

Mettā is the intention of unconditional good will to all beings, without distinction, without expectations, without conditions, same to absolutely everyone.

To start off, we choose one being that we like a lot, where we find it really easy to wish them well. That could even be an animal (in case we feel grumpy to all humans 😉)

We then repeat a simple formula in our mind, like a Mantra:

• "In gladness and in safety, may you be at ease"

We mentally repeat these words without stopping, continuously. If we get distracted by thoughts, worries, emotions, phantasies, we mindfully notice and bring our attention back to our little mantra.

However, what Loving Kindness is really about is not the words we're saying, but the intention, feeling and emotion connected with these words. Repeating the words is simply a tool, a technique, to get the feeling of mettā going. That beautiful, uplifting and joyful emotion is the real aim of our meditation.

Once we can actually feel mettā while reciting the mantra, we already have made our first major breakthrough in our loving kindness meditation 😊
Once we really experience the emotion, it's not so difficult to now include more beings.

Ajahn Dhammasiha recommends to widen our mettā now to all humans in the Dhammahall.

Once we can feel the same emotion for everyone in the hall, we have to make sure to actually include ourselves. Counterintuitively, that can be one of the hardest for many people, fully wishing thenselves well.

When we can sustain the emotion of unconditional good will including to ourselves, we can now expand our mettā in two ways:

1. Including more and more beings, like animals, spirits, angels/devas. Including those we like and those who we don't like, even those who have harmed us. Including all nationalities, all races, all religious backgrounds, all social classes - simply everyone whether saint or sinner, stupid or smart, deluded or enlightened
   
2. Expanding in space: Up and down, front and back, all around. Including the neighbours, the whole city, the country, the whole earth and into space, Mars and Venus, until the furthest Galaxies. We imagine radiating our loving kindness throughout the expanse of the whole universe

Finally, we sustain the emotion of unconditional good will by including all beings without distinction, whoever they are, anywhere in the universe, embracing them all with our mettā.

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