a few questions about practing Metta

[Hoseki]

Hi folks,

Lately, I've been finding myself having a lot of angry feelings and thoughts towards other people. I decided to start practicing metta again to see if I can help turn that energy into something more positive. For those people who've have/had an ongoing metta practice, how long do you practice for and how often?

Thanks!

Gassho,

Hoseki
sattoday/lah

[Kaitan]

I practice Metta once everyday after zazen, it takes roughly five minutes. Also on the go, when I remember, I say one line to people walking around me.


stlah, Kaitan

[Onsho]

Monday night I host Metta Mondays for us. I practice it once a week at that time but also when I find new victims in the wild.

Metta practice was my first step in actualizing Buddhism for myself, its very dear to me and I would love to offer unsolicited advice to anyone that happens on this post. Love and sincerity. Do it will everything you have, every time. Take a minute to conjure the feelings of love. Something cute you saw between people in public, something funny a pet did, the love for children in your life. Start the verses when you are smiling all the way up to your eyes. Hold that feeling for everyone you chant for. Hold it when you rise from your cushion afterwards too.

I had a big realization once that every person in the world that has ever done Metta for all sentient beings, were doing it for me. With a heart full of love. I felt so honored and cared for.

I still do.

Gassho
Onsho
SatLah

[Huichan]

My personal advice would be to take some time to really concentrate on building up the skill of practicing metta. Like maybe do it a bit more intensely for a couple of weeks at least to really get the feel for it before making it more of auxillary practice. I‘ve just come away from having this as my main practice and would be sitting for at least half an hour almost every day doing this. There are some other groups who specialise in this type of practice but mainly in the Theravada tradition. It might be advisable to look into some techniques from those. But I would echo what Onsho said in that you need to spend a minute to conjure the feeling of loving kindness or gratitude, so it's like a warm sensation coming from your chest. You can do it by focussing on something wholesome and also something I found useful is always start the practicing genuinely smiling, not just from your mouth but with your eyes, mind and heart.

Sorry for running long.


慧禅
stlah

[Washin]

Hi Hoseki,

For me, Metta is a powerful practice that helps to open my heart and cultivate loving kindness towards all living beings without divisions. I find it particularly helpful these days here, in an environment full of extreme suffering, pain and hate. There are days I sit for 20-25 minutes doing the 5-stage Metta starting with myself. Other times I do a kind of insta-metta wherever I find myself and feel the need. Anytime, anywhere, it works well.

Gassho,
Washin
St/Lah

[Hoseki]

Thank you everyone! Before I practiced yesterday I spent a few minutes look at pictures of my family on my phone. I found that helpful for arousing those positive feelings.

Onsho, I never thought about people doing it for me as well. That was very touching and encouraging! Thank you!



Gassho,
Hoseki
sattoday/lah

[Kokuu]

I had a big realization once that every person in the world that has ever done Metta for all sentient beings, were doing it for me. With a heart full of love. I felt so honored and cared for.

That is a beautiful realisation, Onsho. I love that you do Metta Mondays also.

Metta bhavana (cultivation of loving kindness) was one of the first practices I learned from the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (now Triratna). I talk about the practice a little on my website (https://andykokuumclellan.wordpress.com/metta-practice/) and plan on producing a guided metta meditation very soon.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Seiko]

Daily.

Gasshō, Seiko, stlah

[Shoshin]

That is a beautiful realisation, Onsho. I love that you do Metta Mondays also.

Metta bhavana (cultivation of loving kindness) was one of the first practices I learned from the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (now Triratna). I talk about the practice a little on my website (https://andykokuumclellan.wordpress.com/metta-practice/) and plan on producing a guided metta meditation very soon.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

"When mettā meets suffering, it becomes karunā.
When mettā meets happiness, it becomes muditā.
When mettā meets with all experience, it manifests as upekkhā, responding to everything that arises with the same open heart."

Wow, thanks for sharing this. It makes so much sense to me.

When practiced "5 minutes in each stage" are we supposed to repeat the four verses for 5 minutes as many times as we have time in 5 minutes or we are supposed to say each verse veeeery slowly like letting it sink?

Thanks!
Gassho,
Satlah

[Kokuu]

When practiced "5 minutes in each stage" are we supposed to repeat the four verses for 5 minutes as many times as we have time in 5 minutes or we are supposed to say each verse veeeery slowly like letting it sink?

As many times as you need to in order to keep the feeling of metta flowing although I tend to use a shortened version of just 'May you be well, may you be happy, may you be free of suffering.' If you use all four Treeleaf verses, you can probably leave gaps between each line. See what works for you!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Shoshin]

As many times as you need to in order to keep the feeling of metta flowing although I tend to use a shortened version of just 'May you be well, may you be happy, may you be free of suffering.' If you use all four Treeleaf verses, you can probably leave gaps between each line. See what works for you!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

Thanks!
Gassho
Satlah

[Chikyou]

I’ve been practicing metta daily for a while now, but this discussion now has me thinking that I can and should deepen my practice even further, because it often feels a little ‘surface level’. I practice it after sitting zazen.

Gassho,
SatLah
Chikyō