Steph S:
I think a lot of us here could benefit from more metta incorporated into our practice. .... How about using metta as the object for jhana instead of the breath for a while to see what happens? Many seasoned monks (Bhante V, Ajahn Brahm, Bhikkhu Bodhi - to name a few) have emphasized that incorporating more metta has been one of the most profoundly transformative points of practice for people they have taught. .... I have used the traditional metta instruction of wishing oneself happiness, health, and freedom from suffering - then extending it out to someone I'm close with, then a neutral person, then a person I have a difficult relationship with, then all beings. Are there any other metta instructions you have used that you like? Other thoughts on this?
Hey, your past posts didn't went unnoticed, at least for me. I'm happy to say I did follow your "cheesy" advice, I'm very grateful, thank you! English is not my first language, so I excuse me for not elaborating enough on the subject, but let me say that besides well-being and a stepping stone for further deepening the meditation practice, Metta gave me a boost in my creativity (wrote half an album in less than two months), help me to cope with an hospitalized parent (I could even wrote a song to a distant father) and gave me a closer bond with friends and his children. In fact, I'll become a father (for the first time) in the next months, something that was already planned, but metta gave me an extra boost in confidence.
Regarding the metta instructions, I did follow Bhante V's method, but what really worked for me was
Ron Crouch's advise to use pictures of the loved ones (and oneself) when they were (smiling) kids. I like to say that is vital to regain innocence in love ("recuperar la inocencia en el amor"). My girlfriend and friends of mine do noticed changes in me, but neglect anything regarding innocence, as they see it too vulnerable the position.