I have been continuing my meditation practice, and I feel there would be a great benefit from switching to a metta practice instead of breath. Yet, with metta, a strange phenomenon occurs. I am usually very good *during* metta bhavana and generate the feelings. However, it is incredibly hard for me to begin the metta session, and I seem to avoid this type of meditation before and afterwards. Only during the practice do I feel great emotion and compassion. How can this be explained? Thank you.

I have been recently experiencing tremendous fear, but as I look through my eyes at the world and the objects it contains, the fear does not accord with what I see. The world itself is beautiful but people's minds seem tarnished by a neurosis. They seem to define themselves by this very neurosis. I notice all the little behavioural patterns they play and how they are trapped by them. I find this very fearful, and it affects my ability to integrate with people. Furthermore, I often find myself 'playing along' but knowing that I'm playing along. This seems disingenuous and somewhat incongruent. I have avoided television for 4 years because of this falsity, but it is becoming very prominent just now. Only the other day I caught a few seconds of a TV program where they were discussing Covid-19 death rates like it was some kind of sporting event. I find humans very peculiar. At the level of mind I am able to see the danger present in the world and act accordingly but this comes from a natural inclination instead of from a fear-based story. This doesn't stop me feeling fear for that mode of being we call samsara. It is possible - or highly likely - that this fear could be my own samsaric turmoil looking to find a footing in the world as someone who is fearful of others and that its real plight lies in keeping the wheel turning. My question is, from a Mahayana perspective, how can I come to love the samsara that I see in others? I'm happy to welcome answers from other traditions. Be well.

In compassion meditation (*metta-bhavana*), **does the strength of the effect depend mainly on *concentration*?** Or are there other factors involved as well? Thank you.

I started practising compassion meditation, and initially it worked very well. Yet, I feel more averse to it than initially, and when I meditate I sometimes experience a kind of distorted facial expression, almost as if I experienced pain. Part of my psychology-related background leads me to think this is either fear of compassion, or even repressed contents surfacing to consciousness. **1) Is there any way to bypass this obstacle to meditation?** **2) Is there anything in Buddhist literature about *fearing/aversion to* compassion?** **3) Is there anything to suggest some memories or karma may surface in meditation, or even simply other inner contents?** Thank you

From what I understand, different schools of Buddhism teach different subsets of meditation techniques, or different variations of the same techniques. However, many meditation resources don't specify which technique is meant to achieve what goal, nor the source of the particular technique. There seems to be overlap and combination of techniques, e.g. observing and counting the breath in Zazen, vs. simply observing in Anapana. Some insist that you must sit a certain way, others say to just "sit comfortably." Some you must practice for two hours, morning and evening, others say 20 minutes is sufficient. Furthermore, some sources say that their meditation techniques are not compatible with others, e.g. S.N. Goenka says if you practice Vipassana, you must not practice any other technique (but, even more confusingly, he also teaches Anapana and Metta) **Could you help me understand the difference between these various techniques (how it's performed, what its goal is, advantages/disadvantages), their relationship to each other, and their origins?** **Are there any important ones I'm missing from this list?** - Mindfulness meditation - Zazen - Vipassana / insight meditation - Anapana - Metta / loving-kindness meditation - Tantric meditation - Walking meditation - Mind clearing (not sure the right name for this - instead of picking an object of meditation like the breath, the goal is to achieve a state of complete thoughtlessness) - Samatha - Transcendental meditation (I think some of these might be special cases of others, but it's not clear to me)

I noticed that in my meditation on compassion, the beginning is consistently potent (i.e. tears, strong feeling) and the ending is usually less apt (i.e. body agitation, distraction). **Would the emotional intensity of such a meditation depend highly on *concentration*?** Or, perhaps, would some other aspect explain this, e.g. becoming saturated emotionally early in the meditation?

During a meditation I have practiced Metta, as I have learned it, I sent Metta to; - myself - a good friend - a "neutral" person - a difficult person - all four of the above equally - and then gradually the entire universe with the thoughts; - May I be free from enmity/danger - May I be free from mental suffering - May I be free from physical suffering - May I take care of myself happily Sometime during the meditation I have also sent my Metta to my deceased father. I had a good feeling about it, but wonder whether a Suta this refers? I want to know whether this form is OK, and how to deal with it.

There is a part of Yuttadhammo's answer at [How to practice Metta without a Benefactor?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/7865/how-to-practice-metta-without-a-benefactor?rq=1) that has very confused me: > cultivate metta towards yourself **(useless, but a good example)** Why is metta useless? Are there any specific sources for this statement, or is this based on a determine school?

### Background Hi all, i have been practicing Metta and self-compassion meditation for a while but have just switched (back) to following the first couple of exercises in the Anapanasati Sutta (translations: [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://plumvillage.org/sutra/discourse-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing/) , [Thanissaro Bhikkhu](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html)) I can successfully practice exercises 1-4, but when i come to 5 and 6 i have a hard time to feel joy and happiness (i have a low-grade depression and also anxiety and maybe this is interfering with my practice) ### Question **Can we (is it recommended to) integrate Metta practices in the 5th and 6th exercises of the Anapanasati Sutta?** (And how can this be integrated? We may not want to switch the phrases since these are already provided in the Sutta, but thoughts can still be filled with Metta and help us that way) I'd like to find a way to successfully practice these two exercises so i can continue in my spiritual development and practice of the Sutta Please provide references if you have! *** Grateful for help! Kind Regards, Tord

### Background I've been practicing with metta phrases adapted from the Visuddhimagga, and i've seen the same thing in other places: Part of the meditations focuses on *safety*, which is perhaps not as relevant in our modern world where we are better protected from physical injury than in the ancient times (Example: "May i be safe and free from injury") ### Question **I'd like to find an alternative to metta mediation phrases related to physical safety** so that the phrases that i practice with are more relevant to me and others ### What i've found so far So far i've been thinking about maybe exchanging phrases about physical safety to mental/emotional safety, or a feeling/perception of safety. In our modern society many people are suffering from anxiety *** Grateful for any help you can give

I'm a beginner and I'm studying (and trying to practice) both meditation on breathing and mettā meditation, and in the book Anapanasati by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, which i'm following with some initial success, when dealing with preliminaries and false views, it is said: "[...] Some forms of "radiating loving kindness" are phrased in an amusing way, for instance: "May I be happy, free from suffering hatred, difficulties, and troubles, and may I live in happiness!" This really reflects fear and self love on the part of the speaker. How could a person with such a weak mind ever put forth the effort necessary to realize impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-selfhood? With this kind of ritual he will only disturb his mind all the more. [...]" Now, i think almost every book and guide on mettā I've read suggests phrases like the one took as example in the above cited text. For example in Brahmavihara Dhama by Ven. Sayadaw it is suggested the phrase "May i be happy and free from misery" and similars. So the above mentioned paragraph confused me a bit. Do the Buddhadasa teachings conflict with traditional mettā practice? What view of things should a beginner follow, between these? Thanks in advance!

I find it very difficult to practice metta. I feel completely agitated when I sit to do metta even for a short period of time.is this normal? First I can't feel any metta being generated and I feel like I'm just repeating empty words to people I'm really not quite fond of to be honest.metta practice is unbearable i feel the urge to rub my face on sand paper when I do it.I use to think metta was an easy meditation to do as I hear people do it before their main meditation but how can this be,when it so difficult..I don't buy it. Also i found out metta means friendliness and i think this is the problem as I may not be born with this quality.My question is Is metta supposed to be hard? If yes then why is it hard?

Other chanting answers tend to explain tradition, but this question only concerns practicality. Are the benefits of chanting exclusive, or can your practice easily be full and productive using other techniques? For example, I don't sit lotus for any special reason. Simply to maximize stability and lessen distraction while meditating. Could someone develop a great practice sitting in a chair instead? I would guess they could, without necessarily missing something important. On the contrary, if someone wanted to understand and fully benefit from Buddhism by becoming a master scholar, yet without putting in serious time meditating, I can't see how they'd even really achieve understanding let alone full benefit. So which is it in this case? Is chanting just one of many paths of practice that is good, but not the only way? Or is it something fundamental such that omitting it is necessarily a detriment? (if it matters, I most often study metta meditation personally, but often sit with diverse groups where chanting is done)

I've practiced metta, or attempted to, with mixed results. Sometimes I'm wondering even *how* to practice metta, and in my mind it feels like I'm just repeating "How can I develop compassion? How can I develop compassion?" It's almost a lack of contact with the feeling of compassion, or just tedious repetition. However, sometimes, at other times, I feel extreme feeling of compassion, to the point where I clench my jaw to avoid the feeling (since seemingly I am very repressed). It's a mixture of being moved, and compassion, since it arises when I react to either moving events, or when I see someone suffering. But, admittedly, it's really being moved that generates the most feeling. I have sometimes managed to generate such a feeling in meditation by visualizing people doing acts of kindness, myself included. However, whenever this happens, I feel that the feeling isn't enough, that compassion *should* require effort. Is this the case? Does a feeling of being moved, or a compassionate intention and feeling, generate something positive? Or, am I right in thinking that without effort and discipline, these feelings are merely oceanic and vast but not linked with true mental development? Also, I suspect I might lack self-compassion or something because I don't allow myself to feel these feelings, and I often--used to--feel being undeserving of all these things. Any thoughts? Thanks PS: I recall a Buddhist teacher reacting to my yearning to develop compassion with enthusiasm, but advising against body meditation because it could be detrimental. How could I know if metta meditation is best for me? Any signs?

I have heard that Metta Meditation is the fastest way to a samadhi mind. How effectively fast is it? How is Metta properly cultivated as a meditation? As in how to develop the Vitakka Vicara on metta in meditation?

Metta feels great. It is unconditional love on tap. So, could there be too much of it? It is addicting.

I'm kind of curious, some people may have looked a little aloof and cold from the outside, and get commented on this too but deep down she/he isn't like this. She/he are probably just quiet and doesn't mingle around, don't think it's a wrong trait? How can metta help on this? And how can metta be practiced on situation like this? Thanks.

I find it very difficult to practice metta because i can't find anyone who has been a benefactor.I don't know a lot of people.Most people i know i find it very difficult to send metta to as a benefactor as their either very dear to me or downright hostile.Can i just imagine a benefactor i never had .Or use a dead person, as my auntie was very kind to me but she's deceased now. How can i practice metta without a benefactor? How can i find a benefactor to practice metta to?

I while ago I read a story about the Dalai Lama and the metta bhavana practice. Someone was talking to him about the difficulty in practicing the first stage (wishing well for oneself) and was observing that low self-esteem was hindering the practice at that stage. The Dalai Lama was apparently baffled and it transpired that in Tibetan culture there is no such concept as low self-esteem. More generally it occurs to me that the first stage of the metta bhavana practice is meant to be an easier on-ramp to the practice and the practice becomes more challenging as it goes on culminating in wishing well to the difficult person. But I have spoken to many people who have difficulties with the first stage practice because of low self-esteem. The easy on-ramp is more like a rocky cliff for the modern (or maybe Western) mind. So the main questions is - Is low self-esteem a Western (sorry for the term I don't know a better one) or modern phenomenon and does it not trouble people from other places or in other times? Also related to this I have a couple of supplementary questions - Am I right - is the first stage meant to be an easy start or have I completely misinterpreted that? - Also if anyone has a reference for the Dalai Lama story - could you pop it in? I would be really interested to know the details or even if I have just imagined the story (I don't think I have).

For an example when the practitioner wants every being to become free from sorrow, does it actually create a difference? At least when the practitioner concentrates on someone close to himself/herself. All answers are welcome and it's better if references from Pali Canon can be made.