| 1) Establish an anchor like mindfulness of breathing. This isn't absolutely necessary but it's nice to have a place to "rest" in case the influx of pleasure gets to be too much. Give yourself permission to return to mindfulness of breathing at any point in the meditation when you feel unsure of yourself or that your mind might be getting carried away.
2) Picture the face of one who's near and dear to you. Now picture them in a moment of happiness. This might involve seeing a kind of "movement" in their being, a kind of sighing almost. The image is what's key here, that's where the change will take place. Start with seeing a more subtle change, just a small ember of brightness entering their being. You'll notice that happiness is an undeniable force, in that anyone who has it for sure is glad it's there. This will give you confidence. Now you can move on to seeing them more fully infused with happiness and joy. Once you feel satisfied that whatever you've given, you've really meant, move on to the next person, as with the phrasing practice, from people who are closest to you, to people who are neutral, then lastly to "enemies" (you don't have to go that far, it's just a general guideline of progression). Remember, come back to the breath if you feel like you're losing your footing, then resume gradually with the imaging. Do 10 people, or any number that you're comfortable with, and then proceed to 3).
3) Now we'll shift gears to Karuna. Start back at the beginning, with the first person you gave Metta to, the difference being now that instead of picturing them happy, just picture them "as they are", or even a little distressed. The aim here is not to flinch at what you see, but to open up and accept it as a reality of life: there is suffering, and it is okay. Whenever you feel satisifed you've meant what you've given, proceed on to new targets in the order you established while giving Metta. Remember, stick with the image; it is for our purposes the best evidence of a truth we're trying to unearth. If you need, you can throw in a verbal reminder every now and then like "compassion". If ever you feel like you need to focus just on the feeling itself, extending it to all beings, then let go of any individual image for a time, then return to the ordering of people. Continue with this until you've gone through all the people you gave Metta to, then go to 4).
4) Now start back with your first target, or any one of your targets, really; here it's not as important that you go in order through all the different people so much as being with the feeling of sympathetic joy, and you can let the target choose itself, so to speak -- maybe you felt particularly strong about someone while practicing Metta and Karuna, and you might want to place a litte more focus on them. So start with them. Here again, get a distinct picture of whomever comes to mind, and now imagine that person being "relieved" of their suffering, or their obstacles. This might involve a lightening of their bearing, a gladdening. Remember, just allow your mind to become totally infused in the imaging process. Allow your current self, wherever you're sitting and meditating, to be part of the picture; it's not really yourself, of course, it's just a flow and process of images and feelings. Be happy for this process. Be with the feeling. Move through the people you've given Metta and Karuna to, or don't, howsoever your mind decides to orient itself, allow that. Once you feel satisfied, proceed to 5).
5) Now, drop the ordering altogether. If an image presents itself, be with that (however it presents itself), if not, then that's okay. Just focus on the sense of peace you've developed by having sent out love, compassion, and appreciation. You might find there to a kind of streamline of images -- just let them come and go, nothing more to do. Continue on with this for a while, again, until you're satisfied, then once more internally announce your intention of love, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity. Thus ends the session.
If you have any questions, let me know. Remember, this practice takes place almost entirely in the imagination, and so one of its strengths lies in its silence. |