Activity: Loving-kindness Meditation

Last time, I wrote on my impression of Jack Kornfield’s introduction to the practice of loving-kindness meditation, in his audio book (Beginner’s guide to Buddhism, Louisville, USA: Sounds True 2002), which I hoped might provide a method for me to obtain some kind of relief from the chronic pain of the Fibroymalgia from which I suffer. What follows is a partial transcription of the guided meditation on this practice.

“. . . be aware that every being is given a certain measure of sorrows in this life and . . . wish that their sorrows and struggles be held with the tenderness of compassion.”

Kornfield then instructs his listeners to sit comfortably, close their eyes, focus on the breath in the area of the heart, breathing in and out of that area. Then the practice starts with an exercise in forgiveness.

“The first direction of forgiveness” is asking for it. “There are many ways in which I have hurt or harmed others knowingly and unknowingly. I remember these now. Let yourself feel and remember the sorrows you carry from having brought harm to other beings. In the ways that I have harmed them out of my own confusion, fear, out of my pain and ignorance, in this moment, I ask their forgiveness. May I be forgiven, may I be forgiven.”

The process is then repeated towards oneself and towards others who have harmed one, with the caveat on the last one to forgive others “to the extent that I am ready,” acknowledging that forgiveness to others may take some time.

The next part involves well wishing directed towards our selves, then loved ones/benefactors, followed by neutral persons (those we see regularly but don’t know), “difficult people,” and finally everyone.

Examples of suggested phrases include, “may I/you be filled with loving-kindness, be safe from inner and outer dangers, be well, be peaceful and truly happy.”

He closes with, “may we live with the great heart of loving-kindness. May we carry the spirit of compassion from this meditation into our thoughts and our deeds. May it be so.”

Kornfield then suggests, “take these practices and work with them in your own way, with your own phrases.”

Next time: where this took me.