Why it is difficult to practice loving-kindness?

[SarathW]

Why it is difficult to practice loving-kindness?
This question is based on the following video.

The Perils of Openhearedness.

[Ontheway]

I voted No.2 for the time being. Just try to be honest to myself. Will need to improve but it takes time.

[SarathW]

I voted no 1.

[confusedlayman]

Because it is not noble 8 fold path?

[SarathW]

Because it is not noble 8 fold path?

I think it is the second limb or Samma Sankappa.

[S. Johann]

Fear of losing ones house, stand, defending ones home-position, justifying it, maintaining it, byāpāda, makes it difficult to develop an all around goodwill. One gained right view, maha metta, tends to leave his stand, home, easy, got certain free, good householder, is possessed by amacchariya and gratitude.

And it's for the ending of taking on stand, that metta is practiced in this Sasana by the teachers disciples.

[SarathW]

Fear of losing ones house, stand, defending ones home-position, justifying it, maintaining it, byāpāda, makes it difficult to develop an all around goodwill. One gained right view, maha metta, tends to leave his stand, home, easy, got certain free, good householder, is possessed by amacchariya and gratitude.

And it's for the ending of taking on stand, that metta is practiced in this Sasana by the teachers disciples.

Anger or ill will (byapada, vyapada): Feelings of malice directed toward others is the opposit of loving-kindness.
Byapada is one of the five hindrances.

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/five-hindrances

[Alino]

I would add the possibility to answer something like.

- my mind is not enought trained
- my mind is not enought patient
- my mind is not enought energetic
- my mind is not enought clear and bright in order to see clearly
- my mind is not enought calm
...

Because there is only - "problem is others" - but in deed problem us always in us, never in others.

Imho

Because it is not noble 8 fold path?

Brahmaviharas are tools of Right Effort

[Sam Vara]

I have difficulty practising loving kindness because it is a relatively rare and under-used state of mind for me. Other types of mental state are dominant, making it hard to access and sustain.

[S. Johann]

Fear of losing ones house, stand, defending ones home-position, justifying it, maintaining it, byāpāda, makes it difficult to develop an all around goodwill. One gained right view, maha metta, tends to leave his stand, home, easy, got certain free, good householder, is possessed by amacchariya and gratitude.

And it's for the ending of taking on stand, that metta is practiced in this Sasana by the teachers disciples.

Anger or ill will (byapada, vyapada): Feelings of malice directed toward others is the opposit of loving-kindness.
Byapada is one of the five hindrances.

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/five-hindrances

Stand/house-defender, yes, one of the five evil friends holding back.

No real metta when still thinking that objects of senses are worthy to desire, as this is the cause of conflict: ones home/stand, good householder.

[Maarten]

I chose #1 I love doing it, it makes me feel like I'm in heaven!
It's sad that this practice is often viewed as inferior to more popular methods of meditation while in truth it is incredibly powerful. For me, while I noticed small improvements in my happiness, from normal dhamma practice with vipassana and Anapana, when I made metta my main meditation object and resolved to do it as least 3 times a day, It didn't take very long to go from feeling just ok, to feeling really happy most of the time! I highly recommend it!

[Inedible]

My underlying tendencies to anger, cruelty, and ill-will make it difficult to practice metta. Often they arise when I encounter people who need it the most. This sort of thing gets in the way, but it is also why I need it more than other meditations. That's just the way of it.

[Jack19990101]

Metta block is all about self-preservation aka fear of death.

One can't have universal metta as long as one looks on with a mind state of human being.
One has to purposely disengage self being a human being, an entity of limited ability, an entity with dependency on others to live, an entity with obligation to involve with this world.

It is not thinking about a pet or a friend to maneuver the affection, it is to look on from Brahmin's or Godhead's view. Expanded consciousness is the goal. We don't have to puff up the love feeling, the goal is to expand the consciousness. Consciousness expansion is love as ill-will is always a contraction of consciousness.

[SarathW]

Metta block is all about self-preservation aka fear of death.

One can't have universal metta as long as one looks on with a mind state of human being.
One has to purposely disengage self being a human being, an entity of limited ability, an entity with dependency on others to live, an entity with obligation to involve with this world.

It is not thinking about a pet or a friend to maneuver the affection, it is to look on from Brahmin's or Godhead's view. Expanded consciousness is the goal. We don't have to puff up the love feeling, the goal is to expand the consciousness. Consciousness expansion is love as ill-will is always a contraction of consciousness.

Once you learn and practice the Four Noble Truths you naturally develop loving-kindness.
That is why even loving kindness has a near enemy and a far enemy.

[S. Johann]

Once you learn and practice the Four Noble Truths you naturally develop loving-kindness.
That is why even loving kindness has a near enemy and a far enemy.

Sadhu

And yes, near enemies are the defilements related to holding on house/stand, and far those defilements related to desire another, higher, home/stand.

As one told here, metta is samma saṅkappa, a necessary path element, and increased by right effort.