Meditation for Inner Peace through Loving Kindness
May all beings of all kinds, in all directions, be happy and at peace.
Above and below, near and far, high and low.
All types of beings.
Humans and non-humans. Seen and unseen. May they be happy; may they be at peace.
I open my heart and receive loving kindness of all beings in return. I let that love into my heart.
– from this meditation
This is a deceptively simple meditation. It is an ancient one beloved of the Buddhists, for it begins by cultivating loving kindness towards oneself, and then slowly expands the circle of compassion — first to your loved ones, then to your friends and associates, then to all people everywhere… and beyond!
In Buddhism, it is taught that the world is full of dukkha — a word usually translated as “suffering”, but might better be rendered as “disjointedness”, “ill-fittedness”, “dis-ease”, or “disquiet”. The image of dukkha in ancient Sanskrit is of a potter’s wheel that is ill-fitting, so that it jerks and squeaks as it turns. How can one happily create pots with such a wheel? Similarly, life is full of disquiet, which prevents one from existing in peace. The solution in Buddhism is the Noble Eightfold Path, the core tenet of which is non-attachment — the release of fear, expectation, anticipation, and the like. However, the release of such attachments can, in the beginner, lead to a cold, joyless, Spock-like state. The meditation for loving kindness is essential to counteract this by cultivating compassion alongside non-attachment.
There is no visualization utilized in this meditation, so you can practice it regardless of your skill in that regard. I will lead you into a state of relaxation, and from there, I will simply give you words of peace, joy, and compassion. You will hold these words in your mind, letting them seep into you and become a part of you. As your circle of compassion expands, you will feel peace and love spreading from the center of your being out into the universe.
The meditation features background music composed and performed by myself.
Enjoy! And as always, do please give me feedback on any aspects you think could be improved, or parts you especially enjoyed. I’m eager to work with you to make this meditation, and the others I create for this site, better and better.
The meditation is available for a donation of any amount.
September 14th, 2007 at 11:57 am
[...] which I’m about to give you – on a piece of paper and keep it handy. (Alternatively, you can click here to download an mp3 of me guiding you through the meditation, and listen to that.) Take some deep, calming breaths, and [...]
October 5th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
[...] I did this meditation just after listening to my recording of the meditation for Loving Kindness, so I was at a very “high vibration”. So make of this what you [...]
October 7th, 2007 at 7:59 am
[...] A few weeks ago, I posted the text and instructions for a meditation designed to find purpose and direction through cultivating loving kindness, in the grandest old Buddhist tradition. In my experience, the meditation is a great way to quiet the needy voice of the ego so that Spirit can speak, restoring the connection to your highest goals. I also noted that I’d recorded a guided version of the meditation, useful if you’d rather not memorize the whole thing ahead of time, downloadable here. [...]