Questions tagged [metta]
The metta tag has no usage guidance.
64
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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 ...
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5
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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 ...
- 61
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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 ...
- 395
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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 ...
- 5,403
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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.
- 13
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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 ...
- 2,094
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Not doing anything
q:
Is not doing anything in a situation and just being mindful breaking
any of the precepts?
user16793
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1
answer
49
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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, ...
user16793
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4
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145
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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 ...
- 637
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3
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130
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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? ...
- 21
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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 ...
user16793
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87
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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 ...
user16793
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3
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97
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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 ...
- 211
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292
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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 ...
user16793
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40
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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 ...
- 5,403
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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
...
user16793
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88
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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 ...
user16793
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154
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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 ...
user16793
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5
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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 ...
user16793
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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 ...
user16793
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8
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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 ...
user16793
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6
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98
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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,...
user16793
3
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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 ...
user16793
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3
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139
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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 ...
user16793
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4
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193
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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 ...
user16793
3
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2
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214
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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 ...
user16793
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3
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88
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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. ...
- 5,403
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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 ...
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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, ...
- 637
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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 ...
- 5,403
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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. ...
- 5,403
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121
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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 ...
- 2,550
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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 & ...
- 2,550
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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 ...
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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 ...
- 2,550
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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 (...
- 922
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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 ...
user8619
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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 ...
- 261
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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, ...
- 261
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567
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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 ...
- 3,875
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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 ...
- 11
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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 ...
- 922
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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 ...
- 43
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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 ...
- 31
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what is the love described in Buddhism?
I heard from Buddhist monks love is "kamachannda" and definitly a "Klesha"(hindrance).When I analyze the definition of love in in Oxford Dictionary it states;
An intense feeling of deep affection(a ...
- 603
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How to view people with metta and karuna?
There are definitions of metta and karuna here: What are metta and karuna?
There's a metta-bhavana meditation.
I'm wondering how to practice these socially, though, e.g. as a lay person when talking ...
- 43.2k
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How to do metta for a long time (before sleep)?
Usually i do a short metta after vipassana - saying good wishes to myself than to someone close than to people i like lsess and less and in the end include all beings
i want to do metta before ...
- 1,473
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Is it common for Buddhists in eastern countries to be close-minded and lacking in diversity? [closed]
I have noticed a definite tendency for Buddhists east of Great Britain to be very narrow-minded and conservative compared to those further west. The same effect is noticeable in the United States ...
- 942
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What is one's relationship with the world upon attaining Nirvana (and how do we work to get there)
There seems to be this ongoing debate both within the Buddhist Tradition itself and with the world-at-large as to how a practitioner should relate to the world. The Buddha himself forsook his family ...
- 287
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Metta towards a non-sentient entity or substance (e.g. rice)?
Is there a Buddhist tradition or practice, which involves developing or showing metta towards a non-sentient entity ... for example, towards a jar of rice?
If not, why not?
Is it theoretically ...
- 1,473