A time to practise metta for oneself and the whole world
Ven. Bellanwila Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera
It is with a tinge of melancholy that we await Vesak this year.
But on the plus side, the COVID-19 crisis that has clouded our world will make it easier to focus on the flame within- the mind-which is the quintessential first step to finding happiness the Buddhist way.
One of the most useful things to do this season with a pandemic rampant is to practise metta, says the Ven. Bellanwila Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Bellanwila temple and Sanghanayake of Singapore. “Metta- or benevolence-not only for ourselves, but for the whole disturbed, diseased world.”
Metta is one of the easiest meditations- yet the rewards include a glowing happiness and is even- modern psychology attests- an antidote to schizophrenia. (See box for easy Metta meditation).
The Sanskrit and Pali term for meditation is Bhavana, and means ‘development’ or ‘cultivation’, says Ven. Dhammaratana. The Metta-Bhavana or the development of benevolence is a way of healing others- but is also a cooling poultice for the meditator’s own soul.
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana lists eleven benefits of metta meditation:
1. You sleep well.
2. You wake up feeling well.
3. You’re not likely to have nightmares.
4. Your body relaxes and your face is joyful.
5. Even animals and celestial beings feel drawn to you.
6. Spirits protect you.
7. Fire, poisons, and weapons will not harm you.
8. Your mind immediately becomes calm.
9. Your complexion brightens.
10. You’ll die with a clear mind (ensuring a good reincarnation).
11. You’ll die in peace.
Meditation of any kind is the best way to control the mind. It brings tranquility- and also acts as your alarm call for ‘the defilements of the mind’.
In day to day life, negative thoughts- like greed, anger, jealousy and fear- are but waves in an ocean- and the mind makes no distinction between them and good thoughts- suffering much as a result. A mind strengthened by meditation however, can detect when a defiled thought gets in over the threshold.
The key problem then becomes “what should one do when a defiled thought beeps its presence?”
The Ven. Bellanwila Dhamma-ratana explains that there are three ways to react to any negative thought or, simply put, any problem.
“The first is to express- which could be harmful to oneself and others”- the violence directed towards the outside world wreaking much havoc.
“The second would be to suppress- which could be just as bad or indeed much worse”. The pent-up negative thoughts could accumulate and explode or implode with increased violence.
The third way to react- and this is the right way- is to “respond- or attend to the situation mindfully”.
Just run the whole problem- or negative emotion- under your mental x-ray- with your whole person attending- mindfully, calmly. A simple but timeless technique- and one that will blend well with the metta meditation.
Above all, don’t let your other religious beliefs stand in the way of meditating.
| Metta: The art of loving without cleaving | |
| Cracking the term maitri or metta can be a linguistic conundrum. “Love without attachment” sounds an oxymoron- but that is exactly the serene kind of emotion we are dealing with here. The first step is to sit comfortably and in a relaxed way. Close your eyes and breathe deeply- in slow, long, complete exhalations. Let go of all concerns and preoccupations, and feel the breath moving around your heart. The first step is to practise metta towards oneself. This may seem the easiest thing, says the Ven. Bellanwila Dhammaratana, but often it so happens that we have a lot of rancour aimed at ourselves- misgivings about inadequacy and even raw molten anger. You must mentally repeat the following or similar phrases slowly and steadily. “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.” Concentrate on the meaning of these words and feel love, warmth and friendliness welling from deep within you. It will help to imagine yourself as you continue to repeat the words and connect with the positive, warm feelings. The second stage is to turn your thoughts towards your friends. This may be the easiest. Slowly repeat the phrases: “May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and at ease.” It is important to feel the love and benevolence- but just as important is that you should not be selective, says the Ven. Dhammaratana. You should extend the feelings to the medahath or those are neither friends nor foes- basically strangers- and finally ‘those you may not like’- which may be difficult at first. Psychology asserts that metta meditation can increase positive emotions while decreasing negative ones, and decrease chronic pain, PTSD and migraines. It increases grey matter volume, slows biological aging, enhances social connection and curbs self-criticism. It is also known to have great mellowing effects on schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, and helps you have more compassion, empathy and less bias towards others.
|