Questions tagged [metta]

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Metta Meditation

When we say the phrase may I be healthy may I be free from suffering? Isn’t that kind of not accepting where we are if we are suffering or in pain or not healthy? Can someone help me understand what ...
Cloud's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
79 views

Different approaches to Metta Meditation

I'm interested in learning more about Metta Meditation, and wondering if there are different approaches to this style of meditation. I understand that the history of this practice is quite long, and ...
Cdn_Dev's user avatar
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1 answer
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What is the best way to generate Metta

Buddha said that we should train ourselves in metta in the following way: "Thus you should train yourselves: 'Our awareness-release through good-will will be cultivated, developed, pursued, ...
Marino Klisovich's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
98 views

💚Did the Buddha cover colorblindness in his teachings?

Is "Racial color blindness" covered in the Buddha's teaching? What would be the closest Buddhist concept that covers it? Is there a scripture that teaches colorblindness? Could it have ...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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💚Dialogue between the Buddhist and Christian traditions: Is Christianity actually Buddhism behind the semantics and interpretations?

"I feel there is tremendous convergence and a potential for mutual enrichment through dialogue between the Buddhist and Christian traditions, especially in the areas of ethics and spiritual ...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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3 votes
6 answers
115 views

Civilization based on the teachings of Buddha

Would a civilization based on the teachings of Buddha ever had a need for military force? It is said in Metta Sutta that one who practices metta is free from dangers of fire, poison and weapons. Is ...
Marino Klisovich's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
237 views

MN 122: Was the Buddha unsociable?

MN 122 says: Ananda, there is this abiding discovered by the Tathagata: to enter and abide in voidness internally by giving no attention to all signs. If, while the Tathagata is abiding thus, he is ...
Dhamma Dhatu's user avatar
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3 votes
5 answers
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To hell with metta - how to understand AN4.125?

Quote from Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.125 Paṭhamamettāsutta: Firstly, a person meditates spreading a heart full of love [...] If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without ...
AleGra's user avatar
  • 61
7 votes
4 answers
575 views

How do we unconditionally love and wish people the best?

Deep down, I know there is a core that wants to love everyone for who they are. No matter who they are to me, the world, no matter how terrible of a person they are, no matter how much they make me ...
Danny's user avatar
  • 395
2 votes
4 answers
222 views

Resistance to Loving-Kindness

I have been continuing my meditation practice, and I feel there would be a great benefit from switching to a metta practice instead of breath. Yet, with metta, a strange phenomenon occurs. I am ...
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1 vote
1 answer
65 views

Zazen for metta reasons

Is it OK to use zazen for the purposes one would use metta meditation? Because I don't want to do any meditation except zazen.
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4 votes
5 answers
555 views

What's the role of altruism in Buddhism?

In discussions about how to translate words such as averena (a negation of some quality), I've seen two general kinds of answer: or the compound word is not just the negation of the suffix, but its ...
Brian Díaz Flores's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
50 views

Not doing anything

q: Is not doing anything in a situation and just being mindful breaking any of the precepts?
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1 vote
1 answer
50 views

Different lyings

Here are my questions: Can lying be nonverbal? like in action? Is cheating lying? Is writing the wrong answer when you know the correct answer lying? Is skipping the line cheating, ...
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3 votes
4 answers
171 views

Are loving-kindness and compassion (metta and karuna) special kind of attachments?

To alleviate someone from suffering, Buddhism teaches one to practice mettā karuṇā. But it seems to me that to thinking good about someone and wish them the best, we need to have a better version of ...
Ooker's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
157 views

How are metta and dana related?

In accord to Dhamma, What is appropriate to give oneself? What is appropriate to give to others? Does dana ever go to oneself? Could oneself be seen impersonally as another that needs dana? ...
Uilium's user avatar
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0 answers
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Jhana Explaination [duplicate]

Namo Buddhaya! Can someone please SIMPLY explain the EIGHT Jhanas, specifically: 1) What are Jhanas meant to do & why would one want to achieve them? 2) How does one specifically achieve ...
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1 vote
4 answers
97 views

Responding to Worldly Questions

Namo Buddhaya! People always ask "How are you?", "Isn't that beautiful/horrible", "You are so lucky/unlucky!", "Did you enjoy/like that", and so on. How do I respond to these things in a way that ...
user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
109 views

What kind of life is required for practicing Metta?

Here's the quote from Karaniya Metta Sutta: "This is to be done by one skilled in aims who wants to break through to the state of peace: Be capable, upright, & straightforward, easy to ...
Marino Klisovich's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
294 views

The Justice Thought & System & its Morals?

Namo Buddhaya! Here are my questions regarding justice systems & their morals: Would it be skillful & moral to report someone to a principle, a police officer, or any sort of authority ...
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1 vote
1 answer
47 views

Anapanasati and Compassion

I'm wondering basically whether anapanasati can result in as much compassion as metta. Though the focus is different, can these two meditations have the same potential for altruism? Does meditating on ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
413 views

Can homosexual monks or nuns ordain, if not WHY?

Namo Buddhaya! (I am a Theravada Buddhist) The Vinaya says monks & nuns cannot be together in private (it would be an offense). But what if someone is a homosexual, how would they go about ...
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1 vote
1 answer
121 views

Arahants, Precepts, Monasticism, & Worldly Things [closed]

Namo Buddhaya! I had four questions pertaining to conduct & the Buddha: (I am Theravāda Buddhist) How could the Buddha have been on this Earth as an Arahant if Arahants can only be reborn in a ...
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0 votes
5 answers
156 views

Handling Poisons?

Please help with these questions! :) What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is angry? What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is deluded? What is the most skillful way to ...
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4 votes
5 answers
2k views

Killer Neighbors

Namo Buddhaya! My neighbor is a hardcore Christian & is a very nice man, the only thing is that he goes outside every once & a while with a water gun & kills insects (and even shoots ...
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1 vote
3 answers
80 views

Going to a Catholic School

Namo tassa bagavato arahanto samma sambuddhasa (Sorry, I am not fluent) I go to a Catholic High School & I have a theology class that preaches only their truths & say it is the supreme truth ...
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0 votes
8 answers
127 views

Avoiding debates & looking into Planes/realms

What should I do if a lot of my friends and family are trying to prove Buddhism wrong with the laws of impermanence or planes of existence, & I do not want to debate this with them as I do not ...
user avatar
0 votes
6 answers
100 views

Permanent Matter?

My friend told this to me & now I am confused. Isn't the amount of matter in the universe the same, no less, nor more, because nothing is ever lost, nor created, everything causes everything,...
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3 votes
5 answers
112 views

The Animal Plane & Evolution?

(Please Theravada perspective if possible) NAMO TASSA BAGAVATO ARAHANTO SAMMA-SAMBUDDHASA (I am not fluent, forgive errors) These are my following questions: Do animals feel emotions just like ...
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3 votes
3 answers
145 views

How do I practice the Dhamma in an environment where it's not supported?

My parents, try to hinder my practice of the Dhamma by verbally & aggressively putting the Dhamma down to me, almost every day. They believe I am being "brainwashed" by monks I watch online or ...
user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
218 views

What are the different meditation types & how to do them?

I know there are many types of meditation, but can someone help clarify the following questions on meditation: - What types of meditation is essential for the practice & why? - How do those types ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
242 views

How do I deal with Aversion?

I practice the Dhamma & I try hard to show loving-kindness, but I end up sometimes getting very mad at people or irritated. I try Metta meditation, but is there anything else I can do to try and ...
user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
102 views

Mental Release from Breath Versus Metta

I asked a friend who is a meditator about my practice of compassion, and he suggested I do breathing meditation because it helps liberate the mind from overthinking, as well as relaxes the person. ...
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5 votes
6 answers
349 views

How does metta sutra develop loving kindness

Metta sutra says "May all living beings be happy minded." This seems illogical to me as all living beings cannot be happy minded at a particular moment of time. I also feel that contemplating on ...
Sriram Goutam P's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
578 views

What is the view of Buddhism in correcting others' view in spite of their willingness to accept it?

I have these questions: If an enlightened mind sees that helping someone is beneficial to them, then would they do it even when the helped doesn't proactively ask? If they are hated by the helped, ...
Ooker's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
94 views

Gratitude, Movement and Compassion

I noticed all the emotions mentioned in the title have a certain similarity. Does Buddhism talk about movement or gratitude? Similarly, movement seems to occur spontaneously, but gratitude and ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
54 views

Compassion's Unity

My question is two-fold. First, I believe that metta is classified as a meditation object involving concentration. Yet, in this study, researchers suggest it is a mixture of focused attention (e.g. ...
user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
123 views

According to the Dhamma monks have no rights?

There is the case where a monk is content with any old robe cloth at all. He speaks in praise of being content with any old robe cloth at all. He does not, for the sake of robe cloth, do anything ...
Val's user avatar
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2 votes
6 answers
172 views

Reconciling metta & avoiding fools/immoral people

The Buddha repeatedly said to avoid ignorant, immoral people as much as possible, but isn't this - at least a little - opposed to kindness? I associate kindness with being benevolent, caring & ...
Val's user avatar
  • 2,560
4 votes
5 answers
276 views

I have some metta problem

I have personal problems with the metta practice. I would say may I/you be happy and I would go in this wish fulfilment mode. Imagining myself and others happy would create a jinni in the bottle ...
John TruthSeeker Locke's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
133 views

Question about metta

Does metta mean that we should not ignore people? Is it possible to forcefully and assertively tell people their wrong doings? What about scolding? My reservation: If one always remains kind it's ...
Val's user avatar
  • 2,560
0 votes
1 answer
240 views

Anapanasati and Metta

Background Hi all, i have been practicing Metta and self-compassion meditation for a while but have just switched (back) to following the first couple of exercises in the Anapanasati Sutta (...
sunyata's user avatar
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4 votes
6 answers
314 views

What *is* intrinsically real? Is the "unconditioned", "absolute", or "ultimate" intrinsically real?

To better see the relative, insubstantial nature of phenomena, maybe it is helpful to think about this another way, that is, seeing what is not relative, not conditioned, not empty. It has been said ...
user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
133 views

Most effective meditation techniques to develop empathy, love and compassion for others?

I feel like a very cold and sensual person. Easily attracted to sensual pleasure but very cold and numb when it comes to bonding with other human beings. I want to change, and therefore I want to make ...
xwb's user avatar
  • 271
4 votes
2 answers
333 views

Can loving kindness, compassion and sympathetic joy be developed through Vipassana meditation?

As far as I understand, Vipassana meditation trains attention and equanimity. Which makes sense because you are basically doing body scans all the time and remaining equanimous to bodily sensations, ...
xwb's user avatar
  • 271
2 votes
7 answers
637 views

How can one avoid the suffering after getting cheated?

Today I suffered severe disappointment because I thought I was cheated some amount of money. I couldn't complain to anyone because I had no proof. And I suspect those who cheated me will also cheat ...
Dheeraj Verma's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
112 views

Am I feeling pity or compassion?

I'm confused. The 50+ year old nanny whom I hired to take care of my firstborn has just resigned a week ago. Before she left, I willingly gave her about 25% more than the salary we agreed upon. I also ...
B. Tjoa's user avatar
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0 votes
3 answers
137 views

Metta phrases about safety in ancient and modern times

Background I've been practicing with metta phrases adapted from the Visuddhimagga, and i've seen the same thing in other places: Part of the meditations focuses on safety, which is perhaps not as ...
sunyata's user avatar
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2 votes
4 answers
174 views

Is it possible to exercise Metta to all or is Metta only a mental state only? If so how does one act to remain dispassionate?

Love, I mean the common one which cares only to the beloved and is indifferent to others, is accessible to many, but as I understand it this is the near enemy of Metta, not truly Metta. My question is ...
user12965's user avatar
3 votes
5 answers
278 views

Does this statement by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu conflict with traditional mettā meditation?

I'm a beginner and I'm studying (and trying to practice) both meditation on breathing and mettā meditation, and in the book Anapanasati by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, which i'm following with some initial ...
Forgwell's user avatar