What is Love? We will explore Loving-kindness as a sutra. Please spend some time with experiencing the words and sounds below as you read, chant, or speak the Discourse below. See you at 7PM Tuesday for "Zen On Zoom." Be sure to update your Zoom app to 5.0. If you do not have the FSZS Zoom url and password, send me an email: sensei@falmouthsotozensangha.net
DISCOURSE ON LOVING-KINDNESS: METTA SUTRA
He who is skilled in good, and wishes to attain that state of Peace, should act thus:
he should be able, upright, perfectly upright, amenable to corrections, gentle and humble.
He should be contented, easy to support, unbusy, simple in livelihood, with senses controlled, discreet, not impudent, and not greedily attached to families.
He would not commit any slight misdeeds that other wise men might find fault in him. May all beings be well and safe, may their hearts rejoice.
Whatever beings there are — weak or strong, long or short, big, medium-sized or small, subtle or gross, Those visible or invisible, residing near or far, those that have come to be or have yet to come, (without exceptions) may all beings be joyful.
Let one not deceive nor despise another person, anywhere at all. In anger and ill-will, let him not wish any harm to another. Just as a mother would protect her only child with her own life, even so, let him cultivate boundless thoughts of loving kindness towards all beings.
Let him cultivate boundless thoughts of loving kindness towards the whole world — above, below and all around, unobstructed, free from hatred and enmity.
Whether standing, walking, seated or lying down, as-long-as he is awake, he should develop this mindfulness.
This they say, is the divine abiding here. Not erroneous with views, endowed with virtues and insight, with sensual desires abandoned, he would come no more to be conceived in a womb.
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