BV-Metta & Mind Grounded in Wisdom re Jack Kornfield
Tonight, I’ll speak about how the brahma vihara or divine abode of metta helps to ground the heart and mind in wisdom. I am drawing on a passage from Jack Kornfield’s book, A Lamp in the Darkness.
Years ago, after a crew of Russian cosmonauts ran into trouble in their space station, they struggled to find a way to return safely to Earth. When they finally emerged from the space capsule, their first act was to kneel and kiss the ground.
The Earth that they kissed is our true home. It is from the elements of the Earth that we are born, and the fruits of the Earth nurture us so that we can thrive. The Earth is the foundation for our homes, for our communities, and for our civilizations. The surface of Earth supports us as we walk, and we trust its solidity when we lie down to sleep. Eventually, at the time of dying, we return to the Earth, in one way or another.
On the night when the Buddha vowed to remain in meditation until he became enlightened, he took his seat on the Earth. As he sat under the bodhi tree, he faced Mara, the Indian personification of fear, doubt, temptation, and desire. Mara challenged Buddha’s worthiness, asking him, “Who do you think you are to sit on this spot and seek enlightenment?” Reconnecting with his dedication and compassion, Buddha placed his hand upon the Earth and replied, “The Earth is my witness.” In his extremity, Buddha called upon Earth to be the true witness to his value as a human being and his right to awaken upon that seat, supported by the Earth itself.
When our inherent value and dignity as human beings is witnessed, whether by the Earth or by those around us, it can transform our life. Jack tells the story of a math teacher in Indiana who had a class filled with raucous and difficult students. On an especially trying day right before vacation, she realized that no one was learning much math. She stopped the lesson and wrote on the board the names of the thirty-one students, asking each person to list the names, one below the other, on a sheet of paper.
Then, the teacher gave the students fifteen minutes to write next to each name something that they admired about that classmate. She collected the pages and dismissed the class. Some months later when the students were struggling once again to pay attention, the teacher stopped the class and announced, “I have gifts for everyone here.” She had cut their pages into strips and pasted under each student’s name all the admiring comments written by their classmates.
Several years afterwards, the teacher received a phone call from the mother of one of her favorite students. After graduating from high school, he had enlisted in the army and was killed in the Middle East. His mother invited the math teacher to attend his funeral. At the end of the graveside ceremony to honor the young man’s life, his mother approached the teacher to say, “My son had very few possessions when they found his body, but this was in his pocket.”
She displayed her son’s piece of paper that listed the thirty-one attributes described by his former classmates. It was obvious that the page had been folded and unfolded many times. Standing nearby at the gravesite was a young woman who had been a student in the same high school class. She commented, “I carry my list with me too to read when life feels hard,” and pulled a well-worn page from her wallet. Another former classmate chimed in: “My list of admirable qualities was part of my wedding vows.”
Being reminded of our dignity and value becomes a foundation for our true wisdom and compassion to arise. With that recognition, we summon courage to touch our pain, losses, fears, and wounds. We realize that it’s possible to bring awareness and nobility to feelings of unworthiness, frustration, and sorrow. This realization liberates the heart amidst life’s challenges, reminding us that in our essence we are loving awareness itself.
As Jack says, “Trust love. Trust the heart.” Let’s practice his version of Metta or lovingkindness:
Close your eyes and sit in a comfortable position. Focus on sensations of warmth and pulsation in the heart. Visualize or sense the presence of someone beloved. Connect with how much you love this person (or pet) and how deeply they love you.
Imagine this dear one sending you the classic phrases of loving kindness:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm, may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
Gently soften your heart to receive these Metta phrases. (REPEAT)
Sometimes Metta meditation practice may feel mechanical or awkward. In the process of purifying the heart, it can also bring up feelings contrary to lovingkindness, feelings of irritation or anger.
If difficult feelings emerge, be patient and tender towards yourself, receiving whatever arises in a spirit of friendliness and kind attention. With an exhalation, return to sense warmth and pulsation in the heart.
Now visualize or sense the presence of another beloved one. Connect with how much you love this person (or pet) and how deeply they love you.
Imagine this other dear one sending you the classic phrases of Metta.
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm, may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
Gently soften your heart to receive these Metta phrases. (REPEAT)
With an exhalation, return to sense warmth and pulsation in the heart.
Now, with gratitude for their presence in your life, send Metta to both loved ones:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm, may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
With an exhalation, return to sense warmth and pulsation in the heart.
Seeing yourself through the eyes of those who love you, direct Metta prayers towards yourself:
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm, may I be safe.
May I be happy and at ease.
Connect with your innate goodness, which you share with all living beings….
When you have established a sense of lovingkindness for yourself, expand the meditation to include a benefactor or teacher, someone who has loved or truly cared for you. Expressing gratitude to our benefactors is a natural form of love. Picture or have a felt sense of this person as you repeat the following phrases:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
Gradually extend the practice to include a neutral person, whom you do not know well. Remember that all beings are worthy of love. You may have passed this person on the street or waited in a line together. Someone you don’t know well may be seated in our sangha’s circle tonight. Connecting with a felt sense or a visual image, repeat the phrases and direct them to this neutral person.
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
As your heart expands, consider if you are inclined to include a difficult person, someone with whom you have unfinished business or conflicts. As you picture or have a felt sense of this difficult one, recall that Metta practice is for your own benefit and freedom, so that you release the burden of carrying hatred or resentment. If you feel ready, direct the phrases towards the difficult person:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy in body and mind.
From inner and outer harm may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
Now let your heart open to include everyone in this circle, all who live in Houston, in Texas, in the USA, in the hemisphere, all people everywhere, all animals, all beings, the whole earth.
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be healthy.
From inner and outer harm may you be safe.
May you be happy and at ease.
With an exhalation, return to sense warmth and pulsation in the heart. Slowly, at your own rhythm, open your eyes and connect with the circle of kindred spirits in our sangha.