This is an ancient meditation that can open our hearts and change our lives. It uses repetition to plant the idea of Loving Kindness in our deepest mind – our higher selves.
Loving Kindness Meditation is taught as an antidote for such maladies as anxiety, anger, and confusion. It opens up the doors and windows of a closed heart and mind.
It is traditional to recite the benefits of this kind of meditation before beginning:
- Your dreams will be made sweeter.
- Sleep will come more easily.
- You will waken with contentment.
- Your thoughts will become more pleasant.
- Men and Women will be more attracted to you.
- As your heart grows in Loving Kindness, your babies will be happier.
- The world will become more beautiful.
- At the end of your life you can answer that most important of questions: “Did I love well?
Another thing about Loving Kindness is that we should direct it toward ourselves first. I is true that on cannot love another until one loves him/herself. In fact, it may sound selfish but it is best if we direct all of our meditations to ourselves first. We are, after all, the source of most of our own problems.
What exactly is Loving Kindness? The image that comes to my mind is that of a loving mother embracing her own favorite child.
Once we have addressed our meditation to ourselves then we will extend Loving Kindness to our benefactors, our loved ones, our friends and even to the ends of the universe.
You can work with this practice for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. At first, this meditation will feel mechanical or may even bring up anger. If this happens it is important to handle these thoughts themselves with Loving Kindness. Let the practices and planting of seeds become part of your regular activity.
Let us begin the Meditation:
Sit on a comfortable straight chair, on the floor with crossed legged, or flat on your bed. Put your body at ease, relax with a quiet and feel yourself setting between the skies and the earth. Pay attention to your breath. Try to sense your breathing as if it were coming from the area of your heart. Take 30 seconds to do this.
Feel free to change the words of these phrases so that they are their most meaningful to you. Feel your breath around your heart as you practice these phrases. You might even make up a tune and sing it:
- May I be filled with Loving Kindness.
- May I be well in body and mind,
- May I be safe from inner and outer dangers,
- May I be happy, truly happy and free.
Think of yourself as a child – as young as you remember and repeat the phrases:
- May I be filled with Loving Kindness,
- May I be well in body and mind,
- May I be safe from inner and outer dangers,
- May I be happy, truly happy and free.
Think of yourself at a variety of ages and situations and repeat the phrases:
- May I be filled with Loving Kindness,
- May I be well in body and mind,
- May I be safe from inner and outer dangers,
- May I be happy, truly happy and free.
Repeat the chorus over and over gently until it saturates your body and mind. Start with 3 minutes a day and work up to 10 minutes just for yourself. That should be a good start.
When you are ready to move on, picture an advocate. See them helping you. Picture your advocate helping you and repeat again and again the refrain:
- May [name] be filled with Loving Kindness,
- May [name] be well in body and mind,
- May [name] be safe from inner and outer dangers,
- May [name] be happy, truly happy and free.
Now picture someone you love a lot:
- May [name] be filled with Loving Kindness,
- May [name] be well in body and mind,
- May [name] be safe from inner and outer dangers,
- May [name] be happy, truly happy and free.
Again repeat this several times. Include friends, imagine them and repeat the same phrases.
Feel all of those around you and repeat the phrases.
In time you will be able to imagine those difficult people in your life and chant the lines for them also. No to do so would be to live with a closed heart and mind.
In your imagination, stretch out in all directions to touch and hold all beings in Loving Kindness.
- May I be filled with Loving Kindness,
- May I be well in body and mind,
- May I be safe from inner and outer dangers,
- May I be happy, truly happy and free.
Spread Loving Kindness in your mind and when you’re ready – open your eyes and move out into the world with Loving Kindness. Wish all beings well as you go about your day and be connected with beings all around. This will open your heart and mind.
Click for a printable PDF copy of The Loving Kindness Meditation.
The final aspect of Ritual Humanism is Mastery. We start by teaching you about Mastering One Small Thing a Day.