If fear and anger are the root of non-loving, then courage and peacefulness are the root of love. It is a brave thing to choose love, gentleness, and compassion. The Buddhist loving-kindness meditation aids in the heart-opening practice of choosing love. To practice it, you simply imagine someone you know, someone you don’t know, even someone you don’t like (which can be especially transformative). You imagine taking into your heart all of that person’s pain and suffering; you see it flowing from them to you and filling your heart space. But don’t stop there; really feel it. Then, you imagine sending from your heart solace, joy, and love, love, love. Feel that too. As you send loving energy from your heart to this person, you will feel your own heart expanding. It is big enough to contain the whole world’s suffering, and its love is powerful enough to heal deep wounds. I am convinced that this meditation, this prayer, affects not only the one meditating but also the one imagined. Your compassion and love reach that person. Your compassion and love are transformative. And since what we send into the world returns to us, we cannot help but be healed ourselves.
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