According to the scriptures, metta is the wish for the welfare and happiness of all living beings. Metta benefits all living beings. The feeling of metta can be compared to the love of a mother for her own child. A caring mother wishes for the welfare and happiness of her children; just as, metta wishes for the welfare and happiness of all living beings. In the Metta Sutta, metta is compared to the love of a mother for her own child.
In a family, there are sometimes two kinds of children, a mother’s own biological child, and perhaps an adopted child. Sometimes a mother doesn’t have a child of her own, so she adopts an orphaned child and takes care of him/her as if he/she were her own child. This experience is different from a mother who carries a child in her womb for nine months and then gives birth. And the mother’s love for her own child might be greater than her love for an adopted child, and her wish for his/her happiness and welfare might also not be equal. A mother’s metta for her own child is often used as an example of metta love, but in fact, this is not completely pure metta because there is still attachment and pity rather than compassion. It’s based on distinctions.
When a mother has only one child, only one son or daughter, she loves this child as dearly as her own life. Such a mother only wishes for the well-being of her precious child. The wish for the happiness of her child is boundless. She wishes for her child to be well, to have a long happy life, and a good appearance.
She hopes he/she will become a wealthy, educated person, and possibly fulfil his/her ambitions to become a prime minister, president, king, or monarch. Her desires for her child’s happiness may even extend into the next life when she wishes him/her a peaceful and advantageous rebirth.
Until the attainment of Nibbana, such wishes for her child may be endless. She ardently hopes her child will receive whatever gifts and benefits she wishes for him/her because her love for him/her depends upon the fulfilment of her expectations. This is the sort of love a mother might feel for her only child. Although this is the kind of metta a yogi may initially desire for the benefit of all living beings, yogis should try to develop pure metta, free from attachment or expectations. This is the expansiveness of metta.
Pure Metta
Metta only wishes for the well-being of all living beings. Metta has no expectations and desires nothing. Metta is very pure, without attachment and freely given. If there is attachment and worry, this metta is not pure or uncontaminated. When a person developing metta has no expectations and is free from worry or attachment to a particular person, then the metta can be pure and wholesome.
At the beginning of metta practice, this is usually not possible. However, the longer one develops metta, the purer and cleaner metta becomes. Only metta that is untainted can be effective clear metta. That’s why we need to be careful to cultivate pure metta. It’s especially important for parents to be aware that their metta is genuine and wholesome. So, this feeling of metta needs to be practiced over and over again until we are practicing metta continuously. The Buddha said that metta is like cool refreshing clean water that never ceases to quench one’s thirst.
Metta Air-Conditioning
Sometimes it helps to understand metta by comparing it to air conditioning. When it’s very hot outside, you turn on the air-conditioning in your room or house to prevent your body from overheating, don’t you? Then as soon as the air-conditioning has been turned on, you immediately feel the cool air on your skin. The nature of air-conditioning is to spread and increase coolness. When the air-conditioning is first turned on, this coolness may not be apparent.
However, when the air-conditioning has been on for sometime, you begin to feel cooler and more comfortable. Then after a longer period of time with the air-conditioning on, the room and all the heat in your body and even in the room seems to have disappeared. Over a longer period of time with the air-conditioning turned on, even more heat will dissipate and the greater will be the effect of the cool air. In this way after one or two hours, all of the heat will have vanished and your body and room will feel refreshed and completely cool. The stronger and more powerful the air-conditioning is, the greater and more intense will be the effect of coolness.
In the same way, when the mind feels anxiety, worry, grief, or longing, we need to turn on the metta air-conditioning to relieve this fervent burning of the mind. We need to develop metta. When the metta air-conditioning is turned on, the mind first of all becomes peaceful. When there is a diligent effort to develop metta, metta becomes stronger, and the heart-mind becomes even more calm and peaceful. When the heart becomes calm and peaceful, the blood circulates easily throughout the body, so that the body also feels calm and peaceful.
At the beginning of metta practice, this kind of good metta taste is not so obvious. However, after longer periods of metta practice, one experiences greater calm and peace. After developing metta for one week or ten days, one can experience tranquillity and serenity in both the body and mind. When metta becomes strong and powerful, not only the mind, but even the environment seems more harmonious; all living beings become peaceful. If a leader develops metta at his house or monastery or organization, everyone becomes serene. If everyone were to live and practice metta, life would be more peaceful. So no matter where a being lives, he/she needs to practice metta.
The Metta of King Vessantara
Now let me tell you about King Vessantara who was the Bodhisatta in one of his previous lives. He enjoyed giving dana as this was his natural inclination. He had a very powerful royal white elephant. At that time, people believed that if a country had a royal white elephant, the weather would be ideal for producing abundant crops and many sorts of delicious fruit. Then merchants would become prosperous selling and buying these products. With such a royal white elephant, another country would not dare to attack their country. In short, people believed the royal white elephant was so powerful that it could protect them from any disaster.
One day the country of Kalinga experienced a devastating famine. In Kalinga, people knew about the power of the elephant, so the prime minister and his cabinet members came to King Vessantara to ask for the royal white elephant. After telling King Vessantara about their suffering, they asked to borrow the royal white elephant. King Vessantara was very happy to offer it to them. However, many people in his own kingdom were dissatisfied with his decision, so they demonstrated and demanded that King Vessantara leave the country. As a result of this lack of support, King Vessantara decided to depart peacefully and move to Mount Winkaba. Queen Maddi, his wife, and Jali and Kanhajina, his children, also accompanied him. When they reached Mount Winkaba, King Vessantara started to cultivate metta in the following way:
‘May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful. May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful.’
As his metta was strong and powerful, he became cool and felt serene, and his family members also became peaceful. For thirty-six miles in every direction, to the east, west, south, and north, all the surrounding areas of Mount Winkaba became tranquil. Usually whenever a tiger or leopard meets a deer or rabbit, it catches, kills and eats the animal. That’s why rabbits and deer are afraid of these predators and usually run away. But now whenever a deer or rabbit saw a tiger or leopard, it wasn’t afraid; in fact, they felt love for each other. Likewise, other animals also began to love each other because of King Vessantara’s metta.
So when you want to develop metta, you should find inspiration in virtuous people who know how to live and practice metta. It’s important to live with metta and take care of people by giving them a feeling of peace and security. You have to make a determination to care for people with metta until your metta becomes strong and powerful. By developing metta with viriya or effort several times a day and practicing it continuously, it eventually becomes a compelling force.
Living with the Noblest Intentions
A person who always lives with metta is a noble person or Brahmavihari, and the word ariya refers to a virtuous noble person who always lives with metta. Because a brahmin is a virtuous person who always lives with metta, when someone does this, we say that person has become a brahmin.
You can develop metta wherever you happen to be, sitting in the meditation hall, in a chair, or on your bed. You can develop metta by repeating the following phrases:
“May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful. May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful.’
Whenever you are doing sitting meditation and your legs become stiff, you can practice walking meditation and cultivate metta by repeating these phrases:
May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful. May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful.’
When you go to the market, the monastery, or the office, you can also develop metta. While you are lying on your bed or having a meal, drinking or eating something, you can develop metta. While cooking, sweeping or washing clothes, you can cultivate metta. Whatever you are doing becomes an opportunity to develop metta. During every waking hour, you can develop metta in this way.
Leave a Reply