Metta Meditation for New Year's

Thich Nhat Hanh encourages us to practice metta meditation in the first three days of the new year. On the first day we practice for ourselves. On the second day we practice for the other person we love. On the third day we practice for the other person (or institution) that makes us suffer. Concrete practices are described for the coming year.

A SIMPLE LOVE/METTA MEDITATION

We begin practicing this love meditation on ourselves

May I be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.

May I be safe and free from injury.

May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear and anxiety.

After that we can practice on others (he/she)

May he/she be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.

May he/she be safe and free from injury.

May he/she be free from anger, afflictions, fear and anxiety.

After that we can practice including our selves with others (we),

May we be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.

May we be safe and free from injury.

May we be free from anger, afflictions, fear and anxiety.

We begin this practice by looking deeply into the skandha of form, which is our body. According to the Buddha, a human being is made of five skandhas (elements, heaps or aggregates): form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. We are the king, and these elements are our territory. To know the real situations within ourselves, we have to survey our own territory thoroughly, including the elements within us that are at war with each other. To bring about harmony, reconciliation, and healing within, we have to understand ourselves. Looking and listening deeply, surveying our territory, is the beginning of love meditation.