Can you feel it when someone sends you metta?

[Maarten]

I have just returned from a visit at Muttodaya in Germany. I have been practicing by myself for about 5 years before this, so it's my first time meeting other buddhists and meditating with them. My main practise is metta and I was sending metta to the people in the hall which was very strong at some times.
Afterwards I got the idea that some of them knew I was sending them metta by their reactions. Could this be possible?

With metta

Maarten

[ryanM]

I have no idea, but that's a beautiful thing nevertheless

[mikenz66]

I find that when I am particularly calm and sensitive (e.g. on retreats) I can "feel" how people are (agitated, calm, and so on). Not in a magical way, just taking the cues from their body language and tone without having to analyse it.

I've heard more than one teacher say that it's not really necessary to interview a student (me, for example). They can just watch how they walk in and tell their state of mind. Again, it's not magic.


Mike

[Goofaholix]

The point of metta practice is not that it has an affect on other people, it's that it has an affect on you.

If other people feel it then it would be because they've noticed your attitude has changed.

[Lucas Oliveira]

Read the minds of others is easy and very natural. We just not doing it accurately.


Metta (Mettanisamsa) Sutta: Good Will
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

Satti Sutta: The Spear
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

Itivuttaka 22 - Metta Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#iti-022

Itivuttaka 27 - Mettabhavana Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#iti-027

[_anicca_]

I'm not sure. Can you be certain that this is not just mind playing games?

However, I will say that Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi says that he has felt waves of metta, sent by others, that have washed over him - just some anecdotal evidence.

[samseva]

There are some stories of Thai forest monks and Tibetan monks and nuns where there was an encounter with a snake or some other dangerous animal. They then sent mettā which kept the animal calm or simply made the animal leave. With a hill of dangerous ants, where the monk accidently stepped on it (I think it was Ajahn Lee), the ants actually went around him rather than attack him.

[Lucas Oliveira]

There are some stories of Thai forest monks and Tibetan monks and nuns where there was an encounter with a snake or some other dangerous animal. They then sent mettā which kept the animal calm or simply made the animal leave. With a hill of dangerous ants, where the monk accidently stepped on it (I think it was Ajahn Lee), the ants actually went around him rather than attack him.

I remembered the Ahina Sutta

Ahina Sutta: By a Snake
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

[Spiny Norman]

Afterwards I got the idea that some of them knew I was sending them metta by their reactions. Could this be possible?

Perhaps they were picking up that you were feeling metta.

[Ben]

I'm not sure. Can you be certain that this is not just mind playing games?

However, I will say that Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi says that he has felt waves of metta, sent by others, that have washed over him - just some anecdotal evidence.

With respect, that is not evidence.

With respect to 'feeling' metta from others - I think it's far more likely that one feels metta but it is generated within oneself but attributed to an external agent.

[mikenz66]

How about the elephant Nālāgiri?

http://www.aimwell.org/DPPN/nalagiri.html

... As the elephant was about to attack the child, the Buddha spoke to him, suffusing him with all the love at his command, and, stretching out his right hand, he stroked the animal’s forehead. Thrilling with joy at the touch, Nāḷāgiri sank on his knees before the Buddha, and the Buddha taught him the Dhamma. ...

See also: https://suttacentral.net/en/ea18.5


Mike

[Ben]

How about the elephant Nālāgiri?

http://www.aimwell.org/DPPN/nalagiri.html

... As the elephant was about to attack the child, the Buddha spoke to him, suffusing him with all the love at his command, and, stretching out his right hand, he stroked the animal’s forehead. Thrilling with joy at the touch, Nāḷāgiri sank on his knees before the Buddha, and the Buddha taught him the Dhamma. ...

See also: https://suttacentral.net/en/ea18.5


Mike

Possibly the animal was a tragic cuddle-junky.

[_anicca_]

I'm not sure. Can you be certain that this is not just mind playing games?

However, I will say that Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi says that he has felt waves of metta, sent by others, that have washed over him - just some anecdotal evidence.

With respect, that is not evidence.

With respect to 'feeling' metta from others - I think it's far more likely that one feels metta but it is generated within oneself but attributed to an external agent.

Perhaps evidence isn't the right word as I am skeptical of this claim myself.

[Maarten]

Afterwards I got the idea that some of them knew I was sending them metta by their reactions. Could this be possible?

Perhaps they were picking up that you were feeling metta.

Yes, this at least must have been the case. After the talk there was this old Lady just standing there smiling at me, almost like she is saying she knew. And as stated before, this Lady must have been very sensitive, and probably a very good meditator to be able to pick this up. As I don't think she had even seen me before.

[Maarten]

I have no idea, but that's a beautiful thing nevertheless

Yes it is a beautiful idea. Maybe it would be wholesome to believe they can feel it, even if this may not be true? It would motivate the practise because you would be doing something more that just cultivating a mindstate, you would feel like you were actually making people happy.