Some folks write me from time to time asking about the meaning of all this "Metta" ("loving kindness") wishing. It is good to explain from time to time. We have a recommended daily "Metta Recitation" practice here at Treeleaf ...
RECOMMENDED DAILY Metta PRACTICE
... and sometimes when our friends and loved ones are sick or otherwise suffering, we ask folks here to offer "Metta" much like a prayer for their recovery.
Here is my take.
Some folks might think that there are hidden forces or energies that somehow travel to help other folks, or ears in the sky that hear our entreaties, not unlike prayer. Personally, I am rather skeptical of that, although I leave it in the "anything is possible" category. May it be so.
However, I know that if I do a violent or angry act or say an angry word on the internet (or even if I just have a hateful attitude inside, which leaks out in my attitude to things), it has direct and indirect hurtful effects on those around me, my family and community, and (in this interconnected age of airplanes and media, as shown by that virus) even upon friends and strangers around the world. So, would not having a kind, loving, tolerant and peaceful attitude and behavior have like effects near and far?
The practice actually is training our own heart to feel kind, loving, tolerant and peaceful by the practice, aside from the effects on anyone our attitude, words and actions might impact outside. As we wish well toward others we help cure ourselves of our inner anger and disquiet.
If we offer Metta to a friend whose father or mother is sick, hoping for that person's healing, we certainly communicate the message that our friend can rely on us, express their fear to us, borrow our strength a little. Perhaps such comfort can truly prevent disease, at least the "dis-Ease" of feeling lonely, afraid and isolated, and the very real physical diseases that can result to someone who is too swept up in sadness and fear. I do not know if our feelings or words will have much effect on mom or dad directly, but it certainly will strengthen our friend. As well, when our friend is him/herself the one who is sick, the good feeling we transmit helps their peace of mind, which certainly is helpful in their battles. Yes, things like prayer and "Metta" do have scientifically measurable prophylactic and curative powers at least in those ways.
The hard one for most folks is hoping for health and peace for people who do ugly actions in our life or world, e.g., an abusive parent, a dictator or a serial killer in the news. That takes some explaining. Basically, we wish them to be well with the attitude that, if they were truly peaceful and healthy in mind, they would not be abusive or violent (and we wish that we could travel back in time to wish them so before they became who they are now, or at least, we wish that others like them will not be so today and in the future). As well, we Buddhists tend to think that there are no "bad people," only people who do horrid acts because they are diseased inside by excess desire, anger and division. So, even the abusive parent or killer is a victim of the real culprit of inner poisons. That does not mean that we ignore their actions or our pain that they cause, and they need to be stopped or punished for the damage they do in society. It is just that we are also aware of some deeper causes, and in Metta, wish that those causes would be removed in them.
So, that is why we offer hopes in "Metta," and how those words and feelings do have effects out in the world.
Gassho, Jundo
STLah
RECOMMENDED DAILY Metta PRACTICE
... and sometimes when our friends and loved ones are sick or otherwise suffering, we ask folks here to offer "Metta" much like a prayer for their recovery.
Here is my take.
Some folks might think that there are hidden forces or energies that somehow travel to help other folks, or ears in the sky that hear our entreaties, not unlike prayer. Personally, I am rather skeptical of that, although I leave it in the "anything is possible" category. May it be so.
However, I know that if I do a violent or angry act or say an angry word on the internet (or even if I just have a hateful attitude inside, which leaks out in my attitude to things), it has direct and indirect hurtful effects on those around me, my family and community, and (in this interconnected age of airplanes and media, as shown by that virus) even upon friends and strangers around the world. So, would not having a kind, loving, tolerant and peaceful attitude and behavior have like effects near and far?
The practice actually is training our own heart to feel kind, loving, tolerant and peaceful by the practice, aside from the effects on anyone our attitude, words and actions might impact outside. As we wish well toward others we help cure ourselves of our inner anger and disquiet.
If we offer Metta to a friend whose father or mother is sick, hoping for that person's healing, we certainly communicate the message that our friend can rely on us, express their fear to us, borrow our strength a little. Perhaps such comfort can truly prevent disease, at least the "dis-Ease" of feeling lonely, afraid and isolated, and the very real physical diseases that can result to someone who is too swept up in sadness and fear. I do not know if our feelings or words will have much effect on mom or dad directly, but it certainly will strengthen our friend. As well, when our friend is him/herself the one who is sick, the good feeling we transmit helps their peace of mind, which certainly is helpful in their battles. Yes, things like prayer and "Metta" do have scientifically measurable prophylactic and curative powers at least in those ways.
The hard one for most folks is hoping for health and peace for people who do ugly actions in our life or world, e.g., an abusive parent, a dictator or a serial killer in the news. That takes some explaining. Basically, we wish them to be well with the attitude that, if they were truly peaceful and healthy in mind, they would not be abusive or violent (and we wish that we could travel back in time to wish them so before they became who they are now, or at least, we wish that others like them will not be so today and in the future). As well, we Buddhists tend to think that there are no "bad people," only people who do horrid acts because they are diseased inside by excess desire, anger and division. So, even the abusive parent or killer is a victim of the real culprit of inner poisons. That does not mean that we ignore their actions or our pain that they cause, and they need to be stopped or punished for the damage they do in society. It is just that we are also aware of some deeper causes, and in Metta, wish that those causes would be removed in them.
So, that is why we offer hopes in "Metta," and how those words and feelings do have effects out in the world.
Gassho, Jundo
STLah
, Chris stlah
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