Metta meditation is the practice of extending goodwill to all living beings. At its heart, this practice is rooted in the philosophy of ahimsa (non-harming), which envisions a world where every being is free fr om aggression or ill will, both internally and externally. It's a state of a harmonious society where, at the level of thought, word, and deed, everyone treats others as they would themselves.
The practice of Metta meditation is a focused concentration on the qualities of peace and well-being.
Metta meditation is one part of the ancient practice of the Four Immeasurable States:
- Loving-kindness (Metta)
- Compassion (Karuna)
- Sympathetic Joy (Mudita)
- Equanimity (Upekkha)
These personal qualities are the hallmarks of a spiritually developed person. They can be consciously cultivated through meditation or can manifest naturally in one's character as a result of living a spiritual life.
Together, these four qualities are known as the Brahma Viharas—the "Abodes of Brahma."
In the West, this practice came to be known as "loving-kindness meditation" or sometimes "unconditional love meditation." The perception of each culture adds its own nuances to the understanding of Eastern terminology.
The word "Metta" is related to the words "Maitri" and "Mitra."
The word "Mitra" translates as ‘friend’ or ‘sun.’
Mitra is an Indo-Iranian deity associated with friendship, justice, harmony, and sunlight.
Imagine the sun. When we draw the sun, we often depict a circle with countless rays extending in all directions. This image symbolically conveys the quality of radiating light.
Metta Bhavana meditation is the conscious "radiation of light."
When you are in a state of Metta, you become like the sun, where your thoughts are the rays you direct to every corner of the world. The sun shines equally in all directions, never choosing whose path to illuminate. In the same way, the practitioner of Metta meditation radiates thoughts of goodwill to all beings with an equal measure of benevolence for everything that exists.
The practice of Metta meditation is described in foundational texts such as:
- The Metta Sutta: Good Will
- The Karaniya Metta Sutta
A legend fr om the treatise Visuddhimagga by Buddhaghosa tells of how the Buddha taught Metta meditation.
Once, a group of monks, on the Buddha’s advice, went to a remote forest to practice meditation.
It was the rainy season, so huts were built for the monks to take shelter. This forest was also home to unseen beings—spirits of the forest—who saw that the newcomers did not intend to leave. Feeling their home had been invaded, the spirits began to make frightening sounds, create unsettling visions, and otherwise disturb the monks' concentration. Their actions were effective; the monks grew anxious and suffered from ailments of both body and mind. They felt a strong urge to flee the forest.
The monks returned to the Buddha and told him what had happened. The Buddha replied, "Ascetics! You went into that forest without a proper means of protection. I will teach you that protection now."
The Buddha then taught the monks Metta meditation—a practice that calms the beings around you.
Though still fearful of the forest dwellers, the monks held great respect for the Buddha. They returned to their huts and began the practice. As they did, the forest spirits' anger and resentment began to dissolve.
They began to feel the monks' Metta.
Gradually, these beings started to feel reverence for the monks and felt a need to create a safe space for their practice. They began to protect the monks and their dwelling place.
The monks, experiencing the deep calm brought by the practice of Metta, continued their concentration and attained the state of Arhats during that very rainy season.
From the story of how the Buddha taught this practice, we can see that Metta meditation calms the minds of practitioners and all beings, both seen and unseen.
The Metta Sutta describes the benefits of the practice.
One who has cultivated loving-kindness possesses virtues such as:
- You sleep and wake with ease, and have pleasant dreams.
- You are cherished by humans and other beings, and protected by divine forces.
- Fire, poison, and weapons cannot harm you.
- Your mind concentrates quickly.
- Your appearance becomes serene and pleasing.
- You are assured a favorable rebirth; if you do not attain higher states, you will be reborn in the realms of Brahma.
This passage mentions that one who practices the Four Immeasurables will experience a fortunate rebirth, a theme also explored in the Mahasudassana Sutta.
Metta is a mental orientation toward harmony.
When you practice Metta meditation, you cultivate qualities such as:
- Mano-kamma-metta — Unconditional goodwill at the level of the mind. The mind is free from the desire to harm others.
- Vaci-kamma-metta — Unconditional goodwill at the level of speech.
- Kaya-kamma-metta — Unconditional goodwill at the level of action.
Metta meditation is the antidote to hostility. It is a vital practice whenever there is a need to promote peace.
A society wh ere people have sufficiently developed genuine goodwill—one that springs fr om the spiritual essence of a living being—is more humane and harmonious.
It's beneficial to do a short warm-up and some hip-opening stretches right before you meditate. This helps ensure that physical sensations don't distract you from your concentration. For your posture, choose any comfortable meditation asana.
Before you begin, it's helpful to express gratitude to all teachers and to the Divine, in whatever form you understand it. Then, you may start your practice.
Before diving in, it's important to understand the technique. The practice involves sending well-wishes to all beings in every direction.
The Buddhist scripture Patisambhidamagga contains a section called "Mettakatha," which is dedicated to Metta meditation. This section provides a universal formula for well-wishing.
While translations may vary slightly, the essence is as follows:
May all beings be at peace (free from enmity).
May all beings be calm (free from suffering and anxiety).
May all beings be happy (living in well-being).
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The practitioner focuses on one direction, for example, the space above their head, and sends this thought there.
Then, they send the same thought downward, to the right, to the left, and so on—in all directions. After completing one full circle, the cycle is repeated.
From the Vatthupama Sutta:
He dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will.
The "Mettakatha" also provides categories of beings to whom goodwill is sent.
This classification illustrates that well-wishes are directed toward all forms of life, such as:
- All beings,
- All people,
- All who possess an identity,
- All women,
- All men,
- All the Noble Ones,
- All who are not noble,
- All deities,
- All those born in lower realms.
When you send a thought of goodwill, simply repeating "May all beings be..." is sufficient, as this phrase inherently includes all categories.
There is also a method wh ere this wish is directed toward a specific place: your home, city, country, planet, or galaxy.
Sending Goodwill to People
Another form of Metta meditation involves visualizing people toward whom your mind holds varying degrees of goodwill: those you like, dislike, and feel neutral about. You mentally wish spiritual well-being for these specific individuals and then extend it to all beings.
There are two primary mental obstacles to the practice of Metta: attachment and anger. True Metta is free fr om possessiveness over the world in any form and is devoid of negatively charged emotions.
Here, we can recall the yogic model of the subtle body, wh ere anger is a quality of the pingala channel (the solar, active channel) and attachment is a manifestation of the ida channel (the lunar, receptive channel). Thus, the ability to remain centered between these two polarities of perception is yoga itself—the foundation for meditation.
The Visuddhimagga lists categories of people with whom you should not begin your practice:
- Someone you dislike—an enemy.
- Someone very close to you.
- Someone you are romantically attracted to.
- Someone you feel neutral about.
For a detailed explanation of why these categories are not ideal starting points, you can refer to the book "Metta" by Sayadaw U Indaka, a monk of the Burmese Buddhist tradition.
The practice of extending goodwill to others should begin with yourself.
Then, you proceed through four categories:
- Someone you respect and revere.
- Someone who is dear to you.
- Someone you feel neutral toward.
- Someone you dislike or consider an enemy.
It's worth considering that prolonged mental concentration on any person can create a kind of energetic exchange. Therefore, it's wise to maintain a certain level of your own inner state before focusing on someone in this way. Using images of specific people is a method to bring your mind into a suitable state for the practice. If you can enter this calm, luminous state without needing specific people as objects of meditation, you can simply use the "May all beings..." method described earlier. The focus on individuals is primarily a tool to help you learn and develop an equanimous perception toward everyone.
The duration of Metta meditation can vary, from a few minutes to half an hour or more. This practice is often combined with Anapanasati—mindfulness of breathing.
Here are a few ways to combine them:
- Begin with a short period of Metta meditation, perhaps a few minutes, and then transition into a longer session of Anapanasati (e.g., 30 minutes). The durations can be adjusted.
- Start with Anapanasati as a preparatory practice to steady the mind, and then move into a longer Metta meditation.
- Begin with Metta, make Anapanasati the main part of your practice, and conclude with another short round of Metta meditation.
Different methods and sequences may be more suitable for different personalities.
In any case, for a meditation method to truly take root, it needs to be practiced consistently over time—for several months, a year, or even longer.
According to the Visuddhimagga, one who purifies the mind with Metta meditation can enter deep states of meditative concentration. This is because the practice eliminates emotional hindrances and brings about a profound tranquility, which serves as a foundation for entering higher states of consciousness known as the jhanas.
One of the key concepts on any spiritual path is the intention with which an action is performed.
In Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of a virtuous intention holds special significance. The path implies that a person engages in spiritual practice with a specific altruistic intention: to realize their spiritual potential so that this action may contribute to the realization of all other beings. In this context, meditation, yoga, or any other discipline becomes a form of "service." Such a foundation is extremely beneficial and stable, as any egocentric motivations are subject to impermanence; a person's desires can change depending on many factors. A path not oriented around personal gain is more resilient because it endures regardless of changing circumstances. Therefore, cultivating a motivation to act for the benefit of others is the cornerstone of the spiritual path, and of meditation as a part of that path.
Just as different artists depict the same sun in different ways, the practice of Metta meditation is carried out differently in various schools of self-development. These schools are like branches of the same tree. So, whatever methodology of Metta you encounter, if the practice resonates with you, you can draw from your inner world the form of practice that will work best for you.
Wishing you a luminous practice!