Nuances in metta practice

The practice of metta and indeed the practice of living, is in fact playful. Life is play. Life is joy. This is a very useful reminder. Now, imagine metta being like an art or like playing an instrument. An amateur plays well under certain circumstances. A professional plays well under all circumstances. The key here appears to be understanding what professional metta looks like. I suspect that when one’s system gets trained in steady metta, then a certain level of balance and contentment becomes the signature of that system. I want to explore one idea here. There is a difference between internal metta, as its radiated, feeling like metta suffused with rapture, and internal metta, as its radiated, feeling like metta suffused with contentment. The same difference can be seen when comparing either of these two internal states with metta suffused with equanimity. All of these states are indeed metta. The feeling being radiated in all these states is loving-kindness/ warm affection/ good will. On the other hand what arises in one’s mind as a mental reaction is either rapture, contentment or equanimity, based on the state of one’s mind and the state of one’s practice.

There is enormous power in visualizing the infinite capacity of the mind to be trained when utilizing the right causes and conditions. The key is approaching it like this. Imagine an infinite storehouse of metta inside you. Visualize an ocean of metta inside you and every time you radiate metta, visualize that ocean becoming deeper - not less. Imagine the sheer power of boundless metta.