Cultivating a Heart of Compassion

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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” 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…] Related Posts Nurturing Practices Joy is Great for Your Happiness Practice Kindness Share this: Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Like this: Like Loading... Related Connect with Meditation Practices Connect with Or enter your name and email address below. Full Name: Email: Join Our Community Enter your name and email address below. To subscribe, enter your name and email address below. Full Name: Email: Learn More! Facebook Pinterest Twitter YouTube RSS Feed LinkedIn Tags Buddha Buddhism Buddhist ccare compassion Dalai Lama deep listening enneagram equanimity Father Eli five mindfulness trainings forgiveness generosity Gratitude guided meditation happiness impermanence interbeing Jon Kabat-Zinn joy Lama Surya Das Lissa Rankin loving kindness Martin Luther King meditation meditation practices mindful consumption mindfulness in healing Mindfulness Training Mindvalley Order of Interbeing Pema Chodron Plum Village present moment Richie Davidson Roshi Joan Halifax sangha stress sympathetic joy Thich Nhat Hanh Tricycle vipassana Words of Wisdom yoga zen Important Links Login Register RSS Feed Mindfulness in Healing 9 Minute Meditation Know Your Type Enneagram Instrument Original Site Privacy Policy Terms of Use Join Our Meditation Group Mindfulness in Healing Meditation Group Where: Pine Street Clinic 124 Pine Street San Anselmo, CA 94960 When: Every Wednesday Evening, 7:00-8:30 PM All are welcome! For more information click here. Calendar May 2022 M T W T F S S   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Return to top of page Copyright © 2022 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Cancel Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.   Loading Comments...   You must be logged in to post a comment. %d bloggers like this: