Build: Metta Results

Pain! Pain!
My back went out again.
I struggled all day
With the discomfort and rage.

But then I noticed a change:
For in between angry outbursts
And misery,
There were metta thoughts
Arising unbidden to my rescue.

So I see, even when circumstances
Are at their worst,
If we practice regularly
With these simple phrases:
May I be well,
May I be peaceful,
May I be happy (and so on),
The benefits are many.

I had little peace,
But every now and then,
Because of the metta
The anguish would decrease,
And I felt some relief
From my extreme discomfort
And agony.

And so,
Every thought counts
It seems.
Every kindly repetition
Gets us a bit closer to
Reducing suffering to zero.

Loving-kindness potential increases
With every phrase we repeat;
We need not be defeated
By difficulty or distress,
As regular metta recitation brings rest.