Awaken the dormant emotion of Loving-Kindness
1.Preperation before beginning the exercise
a) Tidy up
Before each meditation secession you should ideally prepare the place where you plan to meditate.
Making your outer environment clean and tidy sends a signal to your mind that a clarification process has begun.
b) Chose four persons
from your normal environment who will assist you to rediscover the emotion of Loving-Kindness. Limits on your choice for this exercise
i: same gender
of the same gender as yourself to avoid the mistake of confusing sexual attraction for Loving-Kindness
ii: similar age
of approximately the same age as yourself to avoid the mistake of confusing parent-child love with Loving-Kindness
iii: real
the person must have an immediate reality for you. it must be possible for you to meet this person in your daily life.
A. Self
The choice of the first person is fixed. You must choose yourself.
B. Friend
Chose a good friend.
C. Stranger
Chose a neutral person (someone you see often but with whom you have no social interaction)
D. Enemy
"An enemy" beginners you are recommended to chose someone for this position who has caused you mild irritation in the recent past. Not someone who immediately awakens anger in your mind stream
2. the exercise has five phases
a) Self Interest
in your relation to yourself seek the emotion of Loving-Kindness
b) Other Interest
in relation to your good friend seek the emotion of Loving-Kindness
c) Disinterest
in relation to the neutral person seek the disinterest which hinders the free expression of Loving-Kindness
d) Rejection
in relation to your "enemy" seek to understand the resistance and reluctance which prevents you from expressing the emotion of Loving-Kindness toward this person
e) Expand
In a similar manner extend this introspection outwards with the aim of encompassing all living beings who are capable of responding to the emotion of Loving-Kindness
3. Delight
Enjoy the state of being concentrated and take some time to surface gently. Re-enter daily life with a heightened awareness and take care to protect your newly awoken sensitivity from the turmoil of everyday living.
