MAY 10, 2010

Love Thyself With Loving-Kindness Meditation

Posted by Dorothy under Philosophyno responses

“ LOVE ” is a feeling which is universally recognized by humans and animals alike. It is a feeling or word which normally exhumes positiveness. It creates happiness, a healthy mind, body and soul and sometimes a meaning to what life is. It makes life worth living and is also a necessity to any living beings. A person who has the ability to love benefits himself and those around him. Without love, there will be no compassion, and vice versa.

Remember the times when you felt love, whether it was for a person, an animal, an object, music and watching our beautiful nature. Keep your eyes closed and recapture the feeling you had during that occasion. Does it make you feel extremely positive and that you can go through any obstacles that come your way? I have no doubt that everyone would have experienced loving another or something and being loved in return.

On another note, there are times when you must have felt that no one is on your side, or that things just do not seem to be moving your way, or that you are alone in this worldly battle. When such negative thoughts dominate your mind, you tend to lack confidence and feel disheartened. One of the reasons for such feelings is the lack of love for yourself. When I say love yourself, I do not mean that one should be egoistic and think that “ I ” am the best. Bear in mind that God created everyone differently so that the world will not be a boring place to live in . By saying that, I would like to add on that God is also fair. No one has a perfect life; one is good in something and not in another department. So do not beat yourself up if you cannot mirror another person’s achievement. Try to see the positive side of everything.  When you love thyself you will love those around you. And those around you will show how much they love you, so love thyself today.

A simple and effective way to spread love within yourself is by practicing the Buddhist  Loving-Kindness meditation. It will help you cultivate positive energy by repeating a four-line mantra with affirmations of yourself. This method of meditation have been taught to me by a friend who went to a monastery in Myanmar to seek solace by immersing herself in the ways of a Buddhist nun. After a few years, she has found happiness within herself and have remained in the monastery to serve the community.

To practice Loving-Kindness Meditation:

• Visualize happy moments in your life where joy is abundance and times when you have attained success.
• Absorb that feeling and imagine yourself in a safe bubble of heart which is glowing radiantly.
• Then recite this mantra in your mind.

( a ) I am free from harm and danger

( b ) I am free from mental sufferings

( c ) I am free from physical sufferings

( d ) I am well and happy.

• Keep repeating the mantra and smile to your heart.
• You will be having all sorts of thoughts but do not force them away. Allow them to pass through for the more you force them away, the harder your mind works and this will cause you distractions and unnecessary use of energy. It is the same concept as when someone tells you to save your breath to save yourself the stress.
• You can take as long as you want and repeat the mantra as many times as you like. The most important thing is to affirm positivity within yourself.

Treat your body, mind and soul like a temple, so love yourself and the world will treat you better.

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