Thai Forest monk Ajahn Brahm invites us to start meditating by choosing something easy to love in this excerpt from his book. By Ajahn Brahm MAR 04, 2017
Photo by Carolina Barría Kemp | https://tricy.cl/2l8ylQS
Photo by Carolina Barría Kemp | https://tricy.cl/2l8ylQS
I prepare myself for metta meditation by imagining a little kitten.
I like cats, especially kittens, so my imaginary kitten is to loving-
kindness as gas is to a flame. I need only to think of my little
kitten and my heart lights up with metta.
I like cats, especially kittens, so my imaginary kitten is to loving-
kindness as gas is to a flame. I need only to think of my little
kitten and my heart lights up with metta.
I continue to visualize my imaginary friend, picturing it as
abandoned, hungry, and very afraid. In its short span of life it has
nown only rejection, violence, and loneliness. I imagine its bones
sticking out from its emaciated body, its fur soiled with grime and
some blood, and its body rigid with terror. I consider that if I don’t
care for this vulnerable little being then no one will, and it will die
such a horrible, lonely, terrified death. I feel that kitten’s pain fully,
in all its forms, and my heart opens up, releasing a flood of
compassion. I will care for that little kitten. I will protect it and feed
it.I imagine myself looking deeply into its anxious eyes, trying to
melt its apprehension with the metta flowing through my own eyes.
I reach out to it slowly, reassuringly, never losing eye contact. Gently,
I pick up that little kitten and bring it to my chest. I remove the kitten’s
cold with the warmth from my own body, I take away its fear with the softness of my embrace, and I feel the kitten’s trust grow. I speak to
the kitten on my chest:
abandoned, hungry, and very afraid. In its short span of life it has
nown only rejection, violence, and loneliness. I imagine its bones
sticking out from its emaciated body, its fur soiled with grime and
some blood, and its body rigid with terror. I consider that if I don’t
care for this vulnerable little being then no one will, and it will die
such a horrible, lonely, terrified death. I feel that kitten’s pain fully,
in all its forms, and my heart opens up, releasing a flood of
compassion. I will care for that little kitten. I will protect it and feed
it.I imagine myself looking deeply into its anxious eyes, trying to
melt its apprehension with the metta flowing through my own eyes.
I reach out to it slowly, reassuringly, never losing eye contact. Gently,
I pick up that little kitten and bring it to my chest. I remove the kitten’s
cold with the warmth from my own body, I take away its fear with the softness of my embrace, and I feel the kitten’s trust grow. I speak to
the kitten on my chest:
“Little being, never feel alone again. Never feel so afraid. I will always
look after you, be your protector and friend. I love you, little kitten. Wherever you go, whatever you do, my heart will always welcome you.
I give you my limitless lovingkindness always.”
look after you, be your protector and friend. I love you, little kitten. Wherever you go, whatever you do, my heart will always welcome you.
I give you my limitless lovingkindness always.”
When I do this, I feel my kitten become warm, relax, and finally purr.
This is but an outline of how I begin my meditation on metta. I usually
take much more time. I use my imagination and inner speech to paint
a picture in my mind, to create a scenario where the first flames of
metta can arise.
take much more time. I use my imagination and inner speech to paint
a picture in my mind, to create a scenario where the first flames of
metta can arise.
At the end of the mental exercise, my eyes still closed, I focus the
attention on the region around my heart and feel the first warm
glow of the emotion of kindfulness.
attention on the region around my heart and feel the first warm
glow of the emotion of kindfulness.
© 2016 Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Kindfulness by Ajahn Brahm. Reprinted by arrangement with Wisdom Publications, Inc., wisdompubs.org. is a British Theravada Buddhist monk.
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