11 Benefits of Metta Meditation
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
, Posted by Unknown at 1:09 PM
Metta or loving kindness meditation is a process that encompasses all the salient characteristics of Buddhism. This is a practice that I have been doing consistently and has gradually replaced the Vippasana (or breath) type meditation that is the mainstay of Theravada Buddhism. The benefits (both internal and external) are beyond reproach and i encourage anyone, beginner or novice to take a shot at metta meditation. As always please share your experiences in the comments section below.
The following is from the book "The Buddha and His Teachings." You can download the free copy from the link below. Since its a free publication please pass it along to all your friends.
The Buddha and his Teachings
Benefits of Metta Meditation according to Lord Buddha
1. He/She who practices mettā sleeps happily. As he goes to sleep with a light heart free from hatred he naturally falls asleep at once. This fact is clearly demonstrated by those who are full of loving-kindness. They are fast asleep immediately on closing their eyes.
2. As he/she goes to sleep with a loving heart he awakes with an equally loving heart. Benevolent and compassionate persons often rise from bed with smiling faces.
3. Even in sleep loving persons are not perturbed by bad dreams. As they are full of love during their waking hours, they are peaceful in their sleeping hours too. Either they fall into deep sleep or have pleasant dreams.
4. He/She becomes dear to human beings. As he loves others, so do others love him.
5. He/She who practices mettā is dear to non-humans as well. Animals are also attracted to him. Radiating their loving-kindness,ascetics live in wild forests amidst ferocious beasts without being harmed by them.
6. Owing to his power of mettā he becomes immune from poison and so forth unless he/she is subject to some inexorable Kamma.
7. Invisible deities protect him because of the power of his or her mettā.
8. Mettā leads to quick mental concentration. As the mind is not perturbed by hostile vibrations one-pointedness can be gained with ease. With mind at peace he will live in a heaven of his own creation. Even those who come in contact with him will also experience that bliss.
9. Mettā tends to beautify one’s facial expression. The face as a rule reflects the state of the mind. When one gets angry, the heart pumps blood twice or three times faster than the normal rate. Heated blood rushes up to the face, which then turns red or black. At times the face becomes repulsive to sight. Loving thoughts on the contrary, gladden the heart and clarify the blood. The face then presents a lovable appearance.
It is stated that when the Buddha, after Enlightenment, reflected on the Causal Relations (Patthāna), His heart was so pacified and His blood so clarified that rays of different hue such as blue, yellow, red, white, orange, and a mixture of these emanated from His body.
10. A person imbued with mettā dies peacefully as he harbours no thoughts of hatred towards any. Even after death his serene face reflects his peaceful death.
11. Since a person with mettā dies happily, he will subsequently be born in a blissful state. If he has gained the Jhānas (ecstasies),he will be born in a Brahma realm.
How to Practice Metta Meditation
Be still and peaceful.
Think thus:
My mind is temporarily pure, free from all impurities; free from lust, hatred and ignorance; free from all evil thoughts.
My mind is pure and clean. Like a polished mirror is my stainless mind.
As a clean and empty vessel is filled with pure water I now fill my clean heart and pure mind with peaceful and sublime thoughts of boundless loving-kindness over-flowing compassion, sympathetic joy and perfect equanimity.
I have now washed my mind and heart of anger, ill will, cruelty, violence, jealousy, envy, passion and aversion.
Think ten times:
May I be well and happy!
May I be free from suffering, disease, grief, worry and anger!
May I be strong, self-confident, healthy and peaceful!
Think thus:
Now I charge every particle of my system, from head to foot, with thoughts of boundless loving-kindness and compassion. I am the embodiment of loving-kindness and compassion. My whole body is saturated with loving-kindness and compassion. I am a stronghold, a fortress of loving-kindness and compassion. I am nothing but loving-kindness and compassion. I have sublimated myself, elevated myself, ennobled myself.
Think ten times:
May I be well and happy!
May I be free from suffering, disease, grief, worry and anger!
May I be strong, self-confident, healthy and peaceful!
Think:
Mentally I create an aura of loving-kindness around me. By means of this aura, I cut off all negative thoughts, hostile vibrations. I am not affected by the evil vibrations of others. I return good for evil, loving-kindness for anger, compassion for cruelty, sympathetic joy for jealousy. I am peaceful and well-balanced in mind. Now I am a fortress of loving- kindness, a stronghold of morality.
What I have gained I now give unto others.
Think of all your near and dear ones at home, individually or collectively, and fill them with thoughts of loving-kindness and wish them peace and happiness, repeating May all beings be well and happy!... Then think of all seen and unseen beings, living near and far, men, women, animals and all living beings, in the East, West, North, South, above and below, and radiate boundless loving-kindness, without any enmity or obstruction, towards all, irrespective of class, creed, color or sex.
Think that all are your brothers and sisters, fellow-beings in the ocean of life. You identify with all. You are one with all.
Repeat ten times, "May all beings be well and happy," and wish them all peace and happiness.
In the course of your daily life try to translate your thoughts into action as occasion demands.
Namo Amitabha.
