The Benefactor Metta (from Santikaro)
- Think of a benefactor – an important one in your life who did something for you – showed kindness, generosity, love… Bow to them in any manner you choose.
- Think of another benefactor – someone who did something important for you. Bow to them also.
- Think of another benefactor – someone who did something important for you. Bow to them also.
- Think of the many benefactors in your life and bow to them.
- Think of people who are benefactors to all of us – the people who maintain our roads, our infrastructure, who make our lives more comfortable – and bow to them.
- Think of other species that enrich our lives – song birds, fish, insects, mammals – and bow to them.
- Think of ecosystems and our planet that sustain us – and bow to them.
- Think of someone who may not be a benefactor – and bow to them none-the-less.
- Think of someone who is difficult for you and see if you can think of some small way that they have done something to benefit you. Please be genuine – and bow to them.
- And lastly – maybe hardest one – think of ways you have benefitted others and yourself by engaging in the spiritual path – and bow to yourself.
- May all beings be happy; may all beings be healthy; may all beings be free from harm and danger; may all beings live with ease.
The Slight Metta (from Santikaro)
- Think of a person close to you who has given you some slight, some unkindness, some offense. What is more important – the offense or your friendship, love? Forgive that person.
- Think of another person close to you who has given you some slight, some unkindness, some offense. What is more important – the offense or your friendship, love? Forgive that person.
- Think of a person in this room who has given you some small slight. What is more important – holding a grudge or being free? Forgive that person.
- Think of someone in today’s activities who has given you some offense. What is more important – holding a grudge or being free? Forgive that person.
- Think of someone you find difficult and who has given you some offense. What is more important – holding a grudge or being free? Forgive that person.
- Think of someone you might have given offense to, been unkind to, reacted in anger to. What is more important – nurturing anger or being free? Forgive yourself.
- May all beings be happy; may all beings be healthy; may all beings be free from harm and danger; may all beings live with ease.
The Light Metta (from Santikaro)
- Imagine you are sitting in nature or with Mother Buddha and she gives you a jewel that shines with a radiant light. You place it in your heart and its glow permeates your whole body until light shines out all around you.
- Take some of this light and give it to someone you love. They place it in their heart and light shines out all around them.
- Take some more of this light and give it to another person. They place it in their heart and light shines out all around them also.
- Take some more of this light and give it to all the people in this room. They place it in their hearts and light shines out all around them also.
- Take some more of this light and give it to all the people in Carson City. They place it in their hearts and light shines out all around them also.
- Imagine all the people you have given light to place it in the hearts of others, and those people do the same until it spreads throughout the state, the country, the continent, the whole world – until all creatures everywhere glow with warmth, peace, and contentment.
- May all beings be happy; may all beings be healthy; may all beings be free from harm and danger; may all beings live with ease.
The Gut Metta (from Santikaro)
- Bring your attention to the center of the body about two fingers below the navel in the middle.
- Feel the breathing here if you can – or feel the life energy.
- Near the back of the abdomen are the kidneys, doing their job, smiling, jiggling softly. Smile with them.
- Up and on the right side is the liver, doing its job with a grin and a chuckle. Grin with it.
- On the left is the stomach, which digests our food. It does it happily. Be happy with it.
- We have yards and yards of intestines – joyfully alive as they transport the leftovers to the outside world. Be joyful and alive with them.
- What would we do without the bladder, smiling as it stores its fluid. Smile with it.
- We have other organs too – pancreas, spleen, prostate, or ovaries and uterus. They gladly perform their functions with a smile. Be glad and smile with them.
- On the inside, all these organs joyfully doing their jobs, keeping us alive. Be joyful with them.
- On the outside, the belly jiggling joyfully – with all the other bellies in the room. With all the other bellies on the planet. May all bellies be joyful and happy – everywhere.