Awakening the Buddha Within _ Eight Steps to Enlightenment - Lama Surya Das [137]
But these are not just qualities of the mind; they are also attitudes of the heart. That’s why I call them the Four Heartitudes. These Four Heartitudes, which are like spiritual beatitudes, can totally transform our lives, and particularly our relationships with others. I have found them profoundly effective in taming my own unruly, egotistical nature, and in transforming my experience of the world as well as my relationships with others; I heartily recommend them for others.
Thanks to teachers like Sharon Salzberg and her deservedly acclaimed book, LovingKindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, more Westerners have become aware of these meditations, which can be practiced by beginners, advanced practitioners, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike. These teachings on love and compassion reverberate deeply with the Christian, Jewish, and humanistic values and sentiments to which we Westerners remain connected.
The concept of loving-kindness, or metta, is so important that we find it constantly stressed. In Right Speech, we talked about the metta prayer. Here we take the same compassionate aspirations and make them the focus of our meditation.
Although many meditators do metta meditation on loving-kindness, I think it’s important to remember that there are four of these heartitudes. They can be likened to four pillars of the temple of divine abode.
To enter this divine home, and experience these qualities for yourself, sit down and center yourself. Collect yourself, and let your energy and mind arrive in this place, here and now. Begin to breathe gently through your nostrils. Ease into an awareness of breathing. Let awareness and experience feel itself. You are just breathing. Awareness is there. Close your eyes. Place your hands on your knees or in your lap. Turn your attention inward. Let go a little. Relax, and begin chanting:
May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.
May all beings remain free from suffering and the cause of suffering.
May all beings remain unseparated from the sacred joy and happiness that is totally free from sorrow.
May all beings come to rest in the boundless and all-inclusive equanimity that is beyond attachment and aversion.
If you look at these four lines, you will notice that each of them refers to one of the Four Heartitudes: The first is loving-kindness; the second, compassion and empathy; the third is joy and rejoicing; and the fourth is equanimity and peace of mind.
You can meditate on these four lines by chanting or saying them silently to yourself, again and again. As you do so, reflect on each of the lines. We are cultivating attitudes of the heart, so put all your heart into your chanting—your prayer. Focus on one at a time, and reflect on that single line’s meaning. Make a noble wish from deep in your heart. Think of your heart as a brilliant sun that is radiating in all directions. It is warming your heart, your body, and your mind. Feel your overflowing heart flowering and blossoming like a sunflower. Visualize this golden, glowing, warming sun in your heart, radiating outward in all directions at once. Love unconditionally, loving yourself as well. Forgive yourself, accept yourself, embrace yourself. Open yourself up to give love and receive love. Soften up. Share the blessings and merits with all.
Sometimes in retreat we chant these four lines 3,000 times a day, which takes about ten hours. You can resolve to cultivate these Four Heartitudes for the next half hour. Let this divine state of mind settle and take root in your inner being, like a powerful affirmation. This is like a New Year’s resolution