Vol.39 "The Practice of Metta"

To Love is, first of All, to accept ourselves as we actually are. The first practice of love is to know oneself. The Pali word, mettameans "loving kindness" When we practice mettameditation, we see the conditions that have caused us to be the way we are; this makes it easy for us to accept ourselves, including our suffering and our happiness. When we practice mettameditation, we touch our deepest aspirations. But the willingness and aspiration to love isnot yet love. we have to look deeply, with all our being, in order to understand the object of our meditation. The practice of love is not autosuggestion. We have to look deeply, at our body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. We can observe how much peace, happiness, and lightness, we already have. we can notice whether we are anxious about accidents or misfortunes, and how much anger, irritation, fear, anxiety or worry are still in us, our self-understanding will deepen. We will see how our fears and lack of peace contribute to our unhappiness, and we will see the value of loving ourselves, and cultivating a heart of compassion. Love will enter our thoughts, words, and actions.


- Thich Nhat Hanh