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Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

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Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#11

Post by denton-scratch »

cracoucax wrote: post #8
denton-scratch wrote: post #4

Like nearly all Buddhist teachings, there are practices you can do to develop these faculties. For example, you can reflect that all beings have at one time or another been your mother, or your child; realizing this, how can you feel hatred towards any other being? It doesn't work for me, of course; I don't believe in rebirth.

Imo the belief in rebirth is not needed to practice metta, you just need to realize that every being wants to be happy, just like you. Yet all of them are mired in delusion and most of the time do things which go the opposite way of generating real happiness, we all do. Everyone is mired in delusion and most of the time react to feelings of anger and craving (vedana), which are generated based on their history, socia…

> the belief in rebirth is not needed to practice metta

That's not what I was saying; I was commenting on that suggested technique for developing metta, in particular, which is dependent on belief in rebirth.

Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#12

Post by nickpsecurity »

Although the prose is beautiful, the word lovingkindness has a different meaning. It was an English word invented to translate hesed in Hebrew into English. The Word of God, esp in King James Bible, uses this word to explain how God loves His chosen people.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/lovingkindness.html

We are undeserving, evil people who deserve justice for our sins. Instead, God offers us a chance to repent and follow Him out of pure grace. He makes a covenant backed by His own name. Within that covenant, He preserves us in eternal life forever while using us to His glory in this life. If we fall, He’ll discipline us but never let us go. That’s out of His love and character.

This undeserved grace for those following Jesus Christ is what the Bible calls hesed, or lovingkindness.

Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#14

Post by robobro »

nickpsecurity wrote: post #12

Although the prose is beautiful, the word lovingkindness has a different meaning. It was an English word invented to translate hesed in Hebrew into English. The Word of God, esp in King James Bible, uses this word to explain how God loves His chosen people. https://www.compellingtruth.org/lovingkindness.html We are undeserving, evil people who deserve justice for our sins. Instead, God offers us a chance to repent an…

> We are undeserving, evil people who deserve justice for our sins.

I'm not an evil person.

Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#15

Post by Glench »

denton-scratch wrote: post #4

Like nearly all Buddhist teachings, there are practices you can do to develop these faculties. For example, you can reflect that all beings have at one time or another been your mother, or your child; realizing this, how can you feel hatred towards any other being? It doesn't work for me, of course; I don't believe in rebirth.

> It doesn't work for me, of course; I don't believe in rebirth.

Are you still able to generate loving-kindness in yourself? If so, then those teachings that don't work for you don't matter.

Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#16

Post by cracoucax »

denton-scratch wrote: post #11
cracoucax wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imo the belief in rebirth is not needed to practice metta, you just need to realize that every being wants to be happy, just like you. Yet all of them are mired in delusion and most of the time do things which go the opposite way of generating real happiness, we all do. Everyone is mired in delusion and most of the time react to feelings of anger and craving (vedana), which are generated based on their history, socia…

> the belief in rebirth is not needed to practice metta That's not what I was saying; I was commenting on that suggested technique for developing metta, in particular, which is dependent on belief in rebirth.

Ah yes I understand

Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#18

Post by madphilosopher »

nickpsecurity wrote: post #12

Although the prose is beautiful, the word lovingkindness has a different meaning. It was an English word invented to translate hesed in Hebrew into English. The Word of God, esp in King James Bible, uses this word to explain how God loves His chosen people. https://www.compellingtruth.org/lovingkindness.html We are undeserving, evil people who deserve justice for our sins. Instead, God offers us a chance to repent an…

Conditional grace is not grace. The human experience of grace is so much larger than what you describe.

Re: Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

#20

Post by Glench »

My meditation teacher described two types of meditation practices designed to train your mind to be more loving and compassionate and therefore happier. I'd like to share a little about them in the off-chance they're beneficial.

One type is to envision the pain and suffering of people and respond compassionately in a way that eliminates their pain and suffering. When I was suffering terribly myself I constantly wished for others who were in similar difficulties to be freed immediately. This actually made me feel a lot better. The problem is that for some people dwelling on suffering is a real bummer.

The second type is similar to the text linked above: cherishing all beings as they are, as if they were your very children that you love so so much. Lately, my meditations have started to transition toward this type and I've felt spontaneous feelings of bliss and love toward others that grows the more I do it. And this kindness is naturally starting to come out in my behavior and interactions with others.

In both cases, the meditations develop "bodhicitta", which is a word that describes the attitude of wishing others well. It's said that this attitude, when trained, nourished, and grown is the very cause of all happiness and when perfected causes happiness to bloom uninterruptedly. Therefore, it is an extremely beneficial and powerful practice.

It's fantastic to see this text linked on Hacker News even without much context. Wishing you all well!

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