mettā meditation

Textual analysis and comparative discussion on early Buddhist sects and scriptures.
thomaslaw
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by thomaslaw »

Mettā meditation is very similar to ‘right thought’ (sammāsaṅkappa) in the noble eightfold way:
Thought of detachment (nekkhammasaṅkappa), thought of non-malice (abyāpādasaṅkappa), and thought of non-harming (avihiṃsāsaṅkappa).
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mikenz66
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by mikenz66 »

thomaslaw wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:28 am Mettā meditation is very similar to ‘right thought’ (sammāsaṅkappa) in the noble eightfold way:
Thought of detachment (nekkhammasaṅkappa), thought of non-malice (abyāpādasaṅkappa), and thought of non-harming (avihiṃsāsaṅkappa).
Yes, that's an important point. In some cases, the first of the three aspect gets most of the attention, which I guess is the origin of translations like "right motivation" or "right resolve".

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Dhammanando
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by Dhammanando »

salayatananirodha wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:20 am i've read that sutta quite a few times -- not sure if i'm not humble or content enough, but it does not feel particularly fruitful when i try to think 'may all beings be well, etc'. i have had some success but i have also had times where i think i was just on a euphoric rush or having a good day and not really cultivating any mental states.
May I ask, in your effort to generate mettā are you doing anything else besides mentally reciting formulas like "May all beings be well"? Or do you think that these formulas, along with the mere wish for mettā to arise, are all that's needed?
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
coconut
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by coconut »

mikenz66 wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 1:03 am
thomaslaw wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:28 am Mettā meditation is very similar to ‘right thought’ (sammāsaṅkappa) in the noble eightfold way:
Thought of detachment (nekkhammasaṅkappa), thought of non-malice (abyāpādasaṅkappa), and thought of non-harming (avihiṃsāsaṅkappa).
Yes, that's an important point. In some cases, the first of the three aspect gets most of the attention, which I guess is the origin of translations like "right motivation" or "right resolve".

:heart:
Mike
Yes, and before you can have Right thought you need to have right view. You need to know what is right or noble, you need to discern the rule that is unique to the dhamma: unwholesomeness and the root of unwholesomeness.

Once you discern that rule/axiom, from there the training is learning to master your intention (cetana) and attention (manasikara).

If you never learn right view, you will not be able to master your intention and attention sufficiently

So the practice is intention and attention, everything else falls in line from there.
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salayatananirodha
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by salayatananirodha »

Dhammanando wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:46 am
salayatananirodha wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:20 am i've read that sutta quite a few times -- not sure if i'm not humble or content enough, but it does not feel particularly fruitful when i try to think 'may all beings be well, etc'. i have had some success but i have also had times where i think i was just on a euphoric rush or having a good day and not really cultivating any mental states.
May I ask, in your effort to generate mettā are you doing anything else besides mentally reciting formulas like "May all beings be well"? Or do you think that these formulas, along with the mere wish for mettā to arise, are all that's needed?
for some reason, this is a hard question. i'm trying to feel genuine concern or regard for people's wellbeing. i don't want to think ritualistically 'may all beings well & happy' and not be cultivating anything
in reference to this discussion, today i thought of this excerpt from abhaya sutta:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.058.than.html wrote:Now at that time a baby boy was lying face-up on the prince's lap. So the Blessed One said to the prince, "What do you think, prince: If this young boy, through your own negligence or that of the nurse, were to take a stick or a piece of gravel into its mouth, what would you do?"

"I would take it out, lord. If I couldn't get it out right away, then holding its head in my left hand and crooking a finger of my right, I would take it out, even if it meant drawing blood. Why is that? Because I have sympathy for the young boy."
i was at work and only kept the theme a few moments but it felt like it was more effective. as it more captures the sentiment of universal love; i wish for the wellbeing of others like they were my child. and it's not passive, it's active.

but in reference to OP, sometimes i'll gather up a moment of feeling and close my eyes and imagine radiating that outward. my eyes will vibrate. i reckon i can be so irritable or otherwise mentally occupied it doesn't work, but other times it feels genuine. i remember doing this also when i was younger, so it's not something new
i also do lot of things that are motivated by love/good will and it's easier for me to recognize that and be reassured by it, but suttas talk about doing mettā, so it's a meditation in itself. idk why i get confused about this, but the only thing i think about that is that a lot of people think they're doing mettā but are not. however, ven ñāṇananda said this was so simple a child could do it.
bhante, in reference to ur question i'm not sure i provided a good answer; perhaps my mind is too muddled.
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salayatananirodha
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by salayatananirodha »

also thinking about how the householder ghatikara dragged the brahmin jotipala by his hair to see the buddha kassapa. what else could an action such as that have been motivated by but genuine concern for the wellbeing of that brahmin :heart:
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confusedlayman
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Re: mettā meditation

Post by confusedlayman »

Dhammanando wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:46 am
salayatananirodha wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:20 am i've read that sutta quite a few times -- not sure if i'm not humble or content enough, but it does not feel particularly fruitful when i try to think 'may all beings be well, etc'. i have had some success but i have also had times where i think i was just on a euphoric rush or having a good day and not really cultivating any mental states.
May I ask, in your effort to generate mettā are you doing anything else besides mentally reciting formulas like "May all beings be well"? Or do you think that these formulas, along with the mere wish for mettā to arise, are all that's needed?
bhante, I think metta feeling should be generated in middle of chest... if u r in laylife and imagine u have new born baby (1 year old) in ur hand smiling at you, u will have metta feeling in ur heart.now the object should change from metta to you, then you to ur parents or preceptor, then to bhikkus. then to lay people, then to random humans, brahma, animals, hell beings etc... in order to keep the metta feeling generated, u need to think of good and kind things each group has done and radiate towards them (inside mind like visualisation)..

once metta feeling is suffienctly established ur mind is free from anger and sloth and torpor, u keep body still and can do deep meditation.. they say metta can take to upto 3rd jhana...

can you confirm if metta feeling should always be there in meditation? as there are many practice everywhere... I think mere wish alone not enough as body is not established with positive feeling...
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
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