Loving-kindness practice is one of the most important practices taught by Buddha. It is opening the heart, liberating the mind from fog and wrong views. It is not only loving-kindness, but also compassion, joy and equanimity leading to the same results.
As we know the practice of meditation is about turning attention inwards and to develop attitudes of non-judgment, patience, non-striving and so forth. But how do we bring the four qualities (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity) from the inside to the outside? You may wonder why don’t we bring them inside? Because they are already existing qualities within. Because of our wrong views and thinking and egocentric attitudes we often don’t notice these inner qualities of Meta.
Practicing meditation helps seeing more clearly and helps developing a different way of relating. Layer by layer we remove the fog and wrong views as well as reconnect with the origins within. This doesn’t happen by doing or by any action, this simply happens through clear seeing and being with the non-doing.
As soon as we connect with the origins of loving-kindness within we are free of expectations, free of ‘I’ and ‘me’ and ‘mine’, free of attachment or aversion. Then we are the love – the love that simply is.
Our thinking, our speech, our actions will be guided by this unconditional love. Aversion and Hate won’t have any grip anymore. Loving-kindness can be seen as the treatment of toxic mental content. It creates a deep connection to the other qualities like compassion, joy and equanimity.
Greed is resolved as soon as all the layers have fallen. And joy starts to spark without any comparison and judgment. It doesn’t know any envy or jealousy. We simply rest in peace, are free from proud and egoism. The awareness of these four qualities is the result and essence of our meditation practice.
And this is how we bring loving-kindness to the outer world.