Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm shares his personal approach to loving-kindness meditation, also known as metta.

Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm shares his personal approach to loving-kindness meditation, also known as metta.

Stage One

A Warm Fire in Your Heart

Metta can accurately be compared with a warm and radiant fire burning in your heart. You cannot expect to light the fire of loving-kindness by starting with a difficult object, no more than you can expect to light a campfire by striking a match under a thick log. So do not begin metta meditation by trying to spread metta to yourself or to an enemy. Instead begin by spreading loving-kindness to something that is easy to ignite with loving-kindness, or what I like to call kindfulness. Kindfulness enables you to embrace other beings—as well as yourself—just as they and you are.

In metta meditation you focus your attention on the feeling of loving-kindness, developing that delightful emotion until it fills the whole mind. 

The way this is achieved can be compared to the way you light a campfire. You start kindfulness with paper or anything else that is easy to light. 

Then you add kindling, small twigs, or strips of wood. When the kindling is on fire you add thicker pieces of wood, and after a time the thick logs. 

Once the fire is roaring and very hot, you can even put on wet and sappy logs and they are soon alight.

Start with What’s Easy to Love

I prepare myself for metta meditation by imagining a little kitten. I like cats, especially kittens, so my imaginary kitten is to loving-kindness as gas is to a flame. I only need to think of my little kitten and my heart lights up with metta.

I continue to visualize my imaginary friend, picturing it as abandoned, hungry, and very afraid. 

In its short span of life it has only known rejection, violence, and loneliness. I imagine its bones sticking out from its emaciated body, its fur soiled with grime and some blood, and its body rigid with terror. I consider that if I don’t care for this vulnerable little being then no one will, and it will die such a horrible, lonely, terrified death. I feel that kitten’s pain fully, in all its forms, and my heart opens up releasing a flood of compassion. I will care for that little kitten. I will protect it and feed it.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, my heart will always welcome you. I give you my limitless loving-kindness always.

I imagine myself looking deeply into its anxious eyes, trying to melt its apprehension with the metta flowing through my own eyes. I reach out to it slowly, reassuringly, never losing eye contact. Gently, I pick up that little kitten and bring it to my chest. I remove the kitten’s cold with the warmth from my own body, I take away its fear with the softness of my embrace, and I feel the kitten’s trust grow. I speak to the kitten on my chest:

Little being, never feel alone again. Never feel so afraid. I will always look after you, be your protector and friend. I love you, little kitten. 

Wherever you go, whatever you do, my heart will always welcome you. I give you my limitless loving-kindness always.

16 February 2023