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Metta, or loving-kindness, is a beautiful practice in Buddhism that calls on the heart to soften, to expand, to reach out with the wish for others\u2019s happiness and well-being. It\u2019s about nurturing love, not just for those who easily come to mind, but for everyone\u2014the stranger, the difficult ones, and even ourselves.\xa0 Metta practice, at its core, is deeply intertwined with non-violence because it cultivates the kind of love that makes harm unthinkable. In a world that so often pushes us towards division, Metta reminds us to see the shared humanity in each person.

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When you practice Metta, you are not just sending love out into the world, but you are transforming yourself. This practice dissolves the walls of anger, fear, and separation that lead to violence. It teaches us to see others not as enemies or obstacles, but as beings deserving of love, just like us. Non-violence isn't just the absence of harm; it\u2019s the presence of compassion. Through Metta, we learn that the peace we long to see in our world begins within\u2014through the quiet revolution of our hearts.

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A Practice Metta

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May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.

May all beings be free.

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1. To practice the Metta Prayer begin by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and taking a deep breath. As you breathe, let the world fall away and center yourself in stillness.\xa0

2. Start Metta with yourself\u2014because, yes, you, too, deserve your own love and kindness. Silently repeat: May I be peaceful. May I be happy. May I be safe. May I awaken to the light of my true nature. May I be free. Let those words settle into your soul. Feel their warmth, their truth.

3. Then think of someone you love dearly, someone who brings you joy. Offer the same blessing to them: May you be peaceful. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free.

4. Next, turn to someone you feel neutral about, maybe a person you pass by daily but hardly notice. Offer the prayer to them, with sincerity: May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free.

5. Then, in a brave act of compassion, think of someone who has hurt you, someone difficult. Send them these same loving-kind words. This is where true healing begins. May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free.

6. Finally, let your love expand to include all beings everywhere, those you know and those you will never meet. Visualize the world bathed in the light of this blessing: May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature. May all beings be free.

You may not change the world in this moment, but you will have changed yourself\u2014and in doing so, you sow the seeds of peace that ripple far beyond what you imagine.

Whoever is not mixed up with\xa0

Householders or renunciants,\xa0

Who has no abode and few desires, I call a brahmin. (404)*\xa0

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Having given up violence\xa0

Toward beings both timid and strong,\xa0

Whoever neither kills nor causes others to kill, I call a brahmin. (405)*

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Whoever is unopposing among those who oppose,\xa0

Peaceful among the violent,\xa0

Not clinging among those who cling, I call a brahmin. (406)*

\u2014Buddha, The Dhammapada

References and Links

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Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011, pp. 78 (Link)

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Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1. Pages 222-223. Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor.

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Ruiz, Don Miguel. The Four Agreements. Amer-Ellen Publishing, 2011. pp.\xa0 34-38.

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