Buddhist Meditation Techniques
The metta bhavana, or cultivation of metta, is one of the most popular forms of meditation in Buddhism. Metta is loving kindness, a love that is all-inclusive and without attachment. Metta must be free of self-interest and includes concepts such as patience, forgiveness, compassion, and appreciation.
There are six levels of achieving metta. The first is to apply loving kindness to yourself. When that is accomplished, you move to loved ones, teachers, friends, strangers and then enemies. The goal is to be able to extend metta to all sentient beings and increase love, peace and happiness in the universe.
The concept of unconditional, nonjudgmental and unselfish love, without sentimental attachment, is also a part of Roy Masters' "Be Still and Know" meditation. The difference between metta bhavana and "Be Still and Know" is primarily one of technique. The Buddhist practice uses attention to breathing and the repetition of a mantra to focus the mind, while Masters' technique asks you to focus on your thoughts and to learn to detach emotion from them.
Masters believes that the focus on breath and mantra can become hypnotic, and therefore have a less lasting effect than active concentration on the thoughts themselves. But for both philosophies, the goal is to detach anger, fear, resentment and other negative emotions from how you respond to the actions of others. You can learn more about "Be Still and Know" at the Foundation of Human Understanding website, where you can download a guided meditation or order an audiotape or CD. Masters' books are also available there.
Foundation of Human Understanding
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