January 01, 2020
As a new year wish, I want to share eleven ways of cultivating loving kindness among the creatures taught by the Buddha.
This is the way to cultivate loving kindness, according to the Metta Sutta:
- ‘May all beings be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.
- ‘May all beings who have a sense of fear or not — be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice. There are two kinds of creatures. Those who have not yet gained insight into the true nature of existence and has not yet achieved nirvana can feel fear. But, those who have achieved nirvana are no longer need to feel fear.
- ‘May all beings who are long, medium or short — be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.’There are three kinds of creatures. It can be considered that kinds of snakes are long, turtles and mice are short and human beings and cattle are medium.
- ‘May all beings who are big, small or medium-sized— be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.’ Those creatures like elephants and whales are big, ants and insects are small and others are medium-sized.
- ‘May all beings who are small, subtle or gross — be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.’ People can be considered in three types. Gross or fat, small and subtle. And also other creatures are the same.
- ‘May all being who are visible or invisible — be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.’ There are two kinds of creatures. For example human beings and animals are visible but there are also unseen creatures.
- ‘May all beings who are residing near and far — be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.’
- ‘May all being who have come to be or are yet to come, (without exceptions) — be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.’ Those who have achieved nirvana will never reborn. Other remaining people will reborn or will come again.
- ‘Let one not deceive another person, anywhere at all.’
- ‘Let one not despise another person, anywhere at all.’
- ‘In anger and ill-will, let him not wish any harm to another.”
One’s wish harm to another is leading to dangers of others.
Let one cultivate boundless thoughts of loving kindness towards all beings following the above eleven ways.
If loving kindness prevails among the creatures including human beings, the world and the people will be at peace. I wish all the people in the world make use of the 11 ways of cultivating loving kindness for health, peace, and love in the new year.
Just as a mother would protect her only child with her own life, the people treat each other friendly and amicably, and the leaders also rule the country with loving kindness. I wish the peoples of Myanmar and the world be healthy, kind each other and gain insight into the true nature of existence.
GNLM
