Compassion As Practice
Dear Community,
We opened a door to the exploration of Love with a capital “L” last month. This love is both a homecoming and a portal into an entirely new reality. Our world is deeply steeped in the illusion that we are separate beings with a longing for unconditional love, yet the love we yearn for is anchored in remembering that at our core we are love. Although knowing how to open this doorway can feel mysterious, it’s becoming clear this is not something that happens magically, nor by accident. It is simultaneously a disciplined practice and a complete surrender. The practice of metta meditation is one way of taking a step towards this great love. In this practice you choose simple statements that invite a sense of loving kindness for a variety of beings; teachers or loved ones, people who may be suffering, yourself and even those you see as enemies or people you struggle with. There are many versions of the metta and they most often include statements about being healthy, happy, free or loved. Early on I had a bit of internal conflict saying these statements when the people that came to mind may have an incurable disease, severe depression, suffer from loneliness or are imprisoned in some form. I invite you to find statements that resonate for you. Over time, these phrases became my version of a metta meditation:
May we be well
May we feel ease
May we know joy
May we be love
This simple and profound practice is a way to take daily steps towards remembering this great love that weaves us all together. In the beginning it may feel rote and sometimes not even sincere, but over time you become the practice – and the practice becomes you. Understanding and acceptance begin to seep into the stories about our wounds, and our perceptions start to transform. When acceptance of what we have ‘othered’ sinks into our being, it becomes the alchemical process to experience forgiveness. From this space, compassionate action is our compass and we become the love that we are.
With Love,
Sue