This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers.

Guided Meditation: Radiating Loving-Kindness

So, good morning. The topic for the little Dharma talks this week is loving-kindness, is metta^[1]. And I thought I would offer you a guided meditation on metta that maybe brought you into one way to do it, to practice. It's meant to be a very simple practice. It's meant to be what I want to offer. And it's best not to try too hard, to relax, and to just kind of feel the tenderness inside.

So, take a meditation posture and gently close your eyes. And perhaps there's a way that you can gentle your insides, gentle yourself into your body. If you're agitated, if you have a lot of energy or concerns, no worry. Perhaps take a moment to feel your body against whatever surface it's resting on: your cushion, your chair, your bed, on the floor. And feel the solidity of that contact.

And taking a few long, slow, deep breaths, and as you exhale, see if you can release yourself to the pull of gravity in those places where the body is touching a surface. If you're sitting upright, stay upright, but settle firmly into the place where you are in contact with the surface. So there's a kind of definitiveness to being here, and this place. You are recognizing that you are here.

And then letting your breathing return to normal. And on the inhale, recognize that you're here now at this time, that an inhale only happens in the present moment, establishing yourself here at this time where this valuable, important function of breathing is occurring. Rather than having the mind there and then, begin to settle the mind here and now.

Now, as you breathe in here, as you exhale in here, as you exhale to relax your body, to go through the body and relax the face, the shoulders, the chest, and the belly. And as you continue to feel the energy of your mind—any agitation, pressure, tension, pulling, or tightening associated with the mind—as you exhale, perhaps you can relax and soften the mind. Maybe imagining it's like a wave that smooths out, so the mind becomes a wide, flat surface of a peaceful lake. The waves of thinking become quieter.

And then to search inside yourself for some place where you feel an inner warmth or an inner tenderness. It may be associated with a heart area, a place where things are gentle and peaceful. Maybe it's also a place that feels a bit vulnerable. Maybe it's a place that you associate with love, or compassion, kindness—not as an idea, but when it's strong for you, the place in your body that it vibrates or is activated. In feeling that place that might be tender or warm, as you breathe, breathe through it, breathe with it. Breathing in now with this warm, tender place, breathing out through it or with it, here and in this place.

And if you feel no warmth or tenderness now, that's fine. But you might see if you can remember a time in your life where you did feel that, or think about a person or a being that's easy for you to feel great appreciation, or delight, love. And then, is there a place in your body that somehow is associated with how you feel in this way? And perhaps from this tender place or soft, warm place, you can appreciate yourself and how it might be possible to have this warmth, love, or kindness spread through your body. Even if it doesn't do that, just the idea that it could, that it's a potential, can be inspiring. And inspiring for you to stay close, intimate with this place of warmth and tenderness inside.

And maybe you can feel some inner capacity, however simple and slight it might be, for kindness, for maybe a gentle kindness or a warm kindness, or a sense of goodwill. A willingness for a few moments to suspend other attitudes, ideas, and for these moments to connect to what's inside that has a quality of goodwill or kindness. Breathe with it.

And as you exhale, imagine that goodwill radiates outwards like a light bulb shining in all directions. And as it shines and radiates, it passes outwards through your whole body, like a light is turned on or a wonderful warmth is turned on, spreads through your body. And perhaps as you exhale, imagine that this radiance spreads out from you out into the world. Almost as if your breathing begins in the place of warmth or kindness, expands as you breathe in, and spreads outwards as you exhale. Allowing the thinking mind to become quieter and stiller so you can better feel and sense and imagine your goodwill, your kindness, encompassing more and more of the world, radiating outwards in all directions. Radiating, spreading, being transmitted out on the gentle waves of exhale.

You might think of having a small half-smile, turning up the corners of your mouth just a teeny bit. And if there's any slight delight or joy that comes with doing that, or slight pleasure, maybe let that mingle with your kindness, your goodwill, your metta that radiates out from you in all directions. Imagining that your warmth, your kindness, as it spreads, brings a sense of peace and warmth and love to every being it touches. Like the morning sun that, when it shines, begins to warm up the creatures that feel its rays.

And if it helps the thinking mind be quieter, and if it helps you to stay more in this meditation, on the exhale you can very gently, softly say a word like love, or metta, or kindness. With a word being kind of a pointer or fuel for the sense of goodwill that radiates from you, from the tenderness within. As you breathe in, to open and expand the place of warmth within, and as you exhale, to let that open warmth spread and radiate outwards through your body into the world. An abundance of love spilling out in all directions.

Breathing in and breathing out, radiating whatever sense of care, appreciation you have for this world of beings, for others. Putting aside for now any other more complicated relationships to people, just for the simplicity of now. Your own goodwill, your own love is so precious, so valuable. Give yourself a chance to feel it and be with it, breathe with it.

Reflections

And then as we come to the end of the sitting, take a few moments to reflect on how this meditation has been for you. And how it might suggest or inspire a way to enter the world with greater kindness, greater love, or goodwill. And how, as you get up and go about your day, you might enact, in small ways, in big ways, greater expressions of kindness and goodwill, care, metta, for the people around you, for the world around you.

Not just leaving it to chance that you'll be a kind person today, but to think about small or big ways that you might actually do this today, and then to wish that this be so. And may we live in such a way that we contribute to the welfare and happiness of all beings. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe and healthy. May all beings everywhere be free.