Put 2/3
by John Coleman
Four aspects relate to Metta: Deep Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Equanimity. Explanation: Do not expect or demand anything in return, no loyalty, etc. Giving, free from all ambition, demands, expectations, hopes, desires, attachments, greed, envy, jealousy, free from desire and attainment. Give, give, give. Without asking and expecting anything in return. Without attachment or concern for ourselves, it results in tremendous personal benefits that become quite marginal. They just happen. But we don't give it importance. (…)
Love for all beings, friends and enemies alike. Everyone. May we all be free from all ignorance, all desires, all suffering, all sorrow, all conflicts. May we all be free from all anger, animosity, jealousy, defilements, hatred, greed, all ill will, all negativity, all impurities. May we all gain freedom and infinite wisdom, compassion, deep love, patience, tolerance, insight, vigor, energy, awareness, attention, understanding, balance, freedom. May we all achieve clarity, detachment, happiness, peace, harmony, remission. May we all gain these qualities to live with love, peace and happiness with ourselves and all others. May we all share merits and feelings of understanding that we have gained from practice with all our friends and loved ones. With everyone, with all beings. Pure love for all beings. Compassion for all beings. May the forces of Dhamma arise, the forces of truth. We share our peace, harmony, purity – Dhamma.
To share this peace and understanding, we must feel peacefully. We cannot share it if we feel miserable and hateful. We don't want to be presumptuous, hypocritical. First we need to start by being kind to ourselves. We must come to terms and accept ourselves as we are. With all our weaknesses and defects. We must recognize our good qualities and give credit where credit is given. Anyone who would make the effort to come to one of these courses must have a good and strong character, a realistic sense of responsibility for the circumstances created by ourselves. Making sacrifices to find the time and money to get here. To leave the comfort of our homes, the company of our friends and loved ones. Going into a strange diet. Subjecting ourselves to climate change. Getting up every morning at 4:30 and sitting here, hour after hour, sometimes in extreme agony. All in the name of love and understanding. In truth we are beautiful people, good people.
Sharing of merit
We all have merit, even those who cannot be at peace and happy. Thanking the Buddha, the Sangha, the Teachers. Goenka, Hover, Mrs. Denison. Thoughts… May I be free from all ignorance, full of wisdom, peaceful and happy, so that I may share this peace and happiness and others may also be at peace and happy. May he be free from anger, greed, impurity, etc. May he grow in the Dhamma so that he can share this Dhamma and others can grow too. May he be at peace and happy, etc. May the Teacher, the Sangha, the family members, the organizers, Goenka, Eve, Charlie, Mark, friends, relatives, all beings (be happy). May all who suffer be free. The sick in body and mind. The hospitals, the prisons, the wars, the victims, the politicians, the generals. Ireland, the Middle East, Africa, Vietnam.
May all people (may) live in peace and harmony. A few deep breaths, etc. Joy to all who have good fortune, friends, enemies, etc. Heart. Sensations. Sensations of energy flow through the entire body, then the heart: to those nearby in the room, friends, relatives, others. Outward in all directions, beyond thoughts, concepts, imagination. Beyond time and space, out into infinity, into nothingness. There is nothing that can stop or block this outward flow. May we share this peace, truth, understanding, wisdom, harmony, purity, Dhamma. That all beings…
...
