Loving Kindness Meditation
Begin by bringing to mind the image of a person or perhaps a pet that you feel unconditional love for. If possible, let your heart be warmed for several minutes by thinking of this being. Then release the image, simply noticing any feeling of warmth that may be there.
Imagine you are sitting in front of yourself.
• Looking into your own eyes, send yourself wishes of loving kindness:
o May I be safe, free of danger and violence. May I be protected, with a sense of refuge.
o May I be happy, in touch with my own loveliness, not fearful but trusting, loving. May I be free of any sadness, anxiety, anger, and depression.
o May I be healthy, free from pain
o May I live with ease, and may I accept all elements of my life – relationships, family matters, livelihood and more –with grace and ease.
Bring to mind someone you know or have known in your life, someone who you had a loving and kind relationship with, such as a parent, spouse, child, other family member, or close friend.
Imagine this loved one sitting in front of you, and look into his or her eyes.
Send this person wishes of loving kindness:
o May you be safe, free of danger and violence. May you be protected, with a sense of refuge.
o May you be happy, in touch with your own loveliness, not fearful but trusting, loving. May you be free of any sadness, anxiety, anger, and depression.
o May you be healthy, free from pain
o May you live with ease, and may all elements of your life – relationships, family matters, livelihood and more – be accepted with grace and ease by you.
Repeat this meditation for someone you don’t know well and who you are neutral or indifferent to. As you bring this person to mind, remember that just like you, they equally want to be happy and not have suffering. You are connected with this person as you are with all beings.
Repeat this meditation for someone you have a difficult relationship with. As you bring this person to mind, remember that they also want to be happy and avoid suffering, and that they have their own causes and conditions that have brought them to this point in life. They have suffered and may see life and situations very difficult as a result of their past experiences. Wish this person genuine loving kindness; may they be free of suffering and not continue to cause suffering for themselves and others.
Finally, extend loving kindness to all beings in the world. You may also want to pick specific groups at different times, such as refugees, abused children, the poor, those in war zones, even extending loving kindness to those who perpetuate crimes against victims. May all beings be happy and have the causes of happiness, and may all beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.