Inequities and even violence result from loving unequally and selectively. Most of us are taught to love and care for our family and friends and certain types of animals, but not to consider or even pay attention to other people and other living beings. That’s why it’s valuable to learn and develop our hearts like a Buddha—through contemplation, ethics, and wisdom—because a Buddha loves indiscriminately. She loves the people and animals she likes, those she doesn’t like, complete strangers, dangerous awful beings, and herself too.
One way to practice love aka Metta aka goodwill is to offer blessings to yourself and others. Blessings are reminders of the value of life and of our interdependence with all other living creatures. You can bless yourself and the world as an expression of your gratitude and generosity for all life, including your own. The following is a blessing that I like to give whenever my thoughts are racing with annoyance, wanting, or boredom. You can say it silently to yourself anywhere, anytime.
𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩. 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘩𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘶. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰!
May our fear and confusion be transformed to compassion and wisdom. May our courageous hearts open to the preciousness of all life, and respond to ourselves and each other with clarity, peace and kindness. May we live together with joy and ease.