Welcome to Monday Mettā

What is Mettā?

Mettā: Loving friendliness, goodwill, and kindness directed both inward and outward.

The Pali word Mettā (in Sanskrit, Maitrī), means “loving friendliness” (a term made popular by Bhante Gunaratana) or “loving kindness.” 

Mettā is one of the four sublime states defined by the Buddha. The other three are compassion (Sanskrit: karunā), appreciative joy, and equanimity. In Buddhism, all four states develop together. 

Mettā is both very simple to begin practicing and can, at the same time, be a complex mind-bend. Let’s start simply:

May I be happy.

May I be healthy.

May I exist with ease. 

That is a mettā meditation that I repeat each morning as I meditate. Please take it for yourself. Say it in the car on the way to work or as you wake up in the morning. Say it before you go to bed, or in the shower. You don’t need to set aside special time to sit (although you can!). Make it a daily practice. And turn it towards others. 

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