The Topic for January Has Arrived

       Constance chose Metta as the topic for our January meeting and has offered the following information to direct our attention to our own personal relationship to Loving Kindness.

• Metta -- loving kindness -- is one of the "Four Immeasurables" or Four Divine States of Buddhism.
• These are mental states or qualities cultivated by Buddhist practice. The other three are compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
• Metta is sometimes translated as "compassion," in the Pali language. Karuna connotes active sympathy and gentle affection and is manifested in the Bodhisattva's willingness to bear the pain of others.
• Metta is a benevolence toward all beings that is free of selfish attachment.
• By practicing metta, a Buddhist overcomes anger, ill will, hatred and aversion.

      Specific to our meeting, we might consider what Loving Kindness means for us personally, what place it occupies in our lives, how we nurture it, and what benefits we may have received as a result.

      For those interested in the Sharon Salzberg's thoughts on the subject you can read her book titled Loving Kindness, or simply read an excerpt from that work at the website below:

 http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/facets_of_metta.php