Cultivating a Heart of Compassion

These words of wisdom from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh are about cultivating a heart of compassion. This is done by the practice of metta (loving kindness) meditation. We have seen many articles the speak to metta meditation. The approach in this Tricycle.com article by Thay (as Thich Nhat Hanh is known to his followers) is slightly different than the others.

The loving kindness blessings used in this article are:

May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.
May she be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.
May he be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.
May they be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.

May I be safe and free from injury.
May she be safe and free from injury.
May he be safe and free from injury.
May they be safe and free from injury.

May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.
May she be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.
May he be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.
May they be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.

Thay says,

Begin practicing this love meditation on yourself (“I”). Until you are able to love and take care of yourself, you cannot be of much help to others. After that, practice on others (“he/she,” “they”)—first on someone you like, then on someone neutral to you, then on someone you love, and finally on someone the mere thought of whom makes you suffer. [Read More…]

The Value of Loving Ourselves | March 30, 2015 When we practice, we observe how much peace, happiness, and lightness we already have. We notice whether we are anxious about accidents or misfortunes, and how much anger, irritation, fear, anxiety, or worry are already in us. As we become aware of the feelings in us, our self-understanding will deepen. We will see how our fears and lack of peace contribute to our unhappiness, and we will see the value of loving ourselves and cultivating a heart of compassion. – Thich Nhat Hanh, “Cultivating Compassion” Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village, 2000. Photo Jerome Freedman

Loving kindness meditation or metta practice is one of the cornerstones of my daily practice. After showering four or five different loving kindness blessings on myself from one to three times, I follow this with loving kindness blessings for my immediate family. Next, I shower loving kindness blessings on people I know who are suffering, such as Thay, and friends and family that I want to focus on.

This practice, along with gratitude practice has imbued me with a lot of happiness and joy. I am a much better person for it.

Are you willing to try taking on a loving kindness meditation practice? Please add your questions to the comments below.

Books by Thich nhat hanh

How to Love (Mindful Essentials) by Thich Nhat Hanh The third title in Parallax’s Mindfulness Essentials Series of how-to titles by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Love introduces beginners and reminds seasoned practitioners of the essentials of mindfulness practice. This time Nhat Hanh brings his signature clarity, compassion… [Read More…]