One of the traditional Buddhist practices designed to develop goodwill toward ourselves and others is called “loving-kindness meditation.” In this practice, phrases that invoke benevolent feelings are repeated silently and are aimed at various targets. Traditionally, the phrases are first directed toward oneself, and the goal is to personally experience the loving-kindness being generated. Different versions of the phrases are used, but one set is as follows:
May I be safe, May I be peaceful, May I be healthy, May I live with ease.
The phrases are then directed to a mentor/benefactor, to a dear friend, to a neutral person, to a mildly difficult person, and finally to all conscious beings:
May you be safe, May you be peaceful, May you be healthy, May you live with ease.
-Kristin Neff
This is not an exercise in wishful thinking, nor are we ignoring the reality that suffering exists. Rather, the idea is that by cultivating the intention for ourselves and others to experience well-being, corresponding feelings of love, concern, and compassion will eventually arise. This in turn translates into more concrete acts of kindness and care.
-Kristin Neff
