Living Kindness
Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
To live kindness is to express the essential Buddhist wisdom of selflessness
Through stories from the ancient Pali canon of Buddhism and personal reflections on modern life, Dharma teacher Kevin Griffin reveals the richness and multifaceted nature of loving-kindness or metta on the Buddhist path. Along with the other brahmaviharas or “divine abodes” of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, the practice of loving-kindness is not only a meditation technique—it’s a radical way of life based in wisdom, ethics, and compassion for all beings. As one friend on the spiritual path speaking to another, Griffin explores the human dimension of what can sometimes seem like lofty philosophy. What would it mean to be completely free of ill will? How do we love without clinging? Can we expand our loving-kindness beyond the human realm to encompass the Earth itself? And how does loving-kindness relate to the ultimate Buddhist goal of enlightenment? Through guided practices and illuminating explorations of classical texts like the Metta Sutta, readers are invited to deepen their understanding of a core Buddhist teaching.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Griffin (One Breath at a Time), a Buddhist teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, explores the Buddhist concept of metta, or loving-kindness, as a disposition toward affection and care. Drawing from ancient Buddhist discourses called suttas, Griffin explains "what the Buddha was talking about when he said we should offer loving-kindness to all beings" and contends that metta is a posture of goodwill toward others and oneself. One needs to let go of greed, hate, and delusion to experience metta, Griffin posits, adding that dedicated meditation is also required to manifest compassion. He suggests that Western Buddhists miss the point of metta when they use it as a feel-good practice intended to produce pleasure; rather, authentic engagement with metta involves grappling with one's negative thought patterns and self-destructive behaviors. Through a close reading of the Buddha's teachings on loving-kindness, Griffin outlines key principles for putting metta into practice, including cherishing "all beings" and refraining from wishing harm on others. The lucid analysis of Buddhist texts and the jargon-free examination of metta make this an ideal primer on a core element of Buddhist thought and practice. Those new to the faith would do well to start here.
