Bodhi Day 2010 'Metta'

I try and sit mindfully when I can. I follow my breath and notice my thoughts to the best of my abilities. When I sit, I like working these phrases into my meditations, because I feel it is an empowering way to deal with the suffering and sickness I see all around. I think it is the same as prayer, except i am not seeking any outside 'God' to do the work for me. In Buddhism this is called Metta.

So Happy Bodhi Day! ---> December 8th is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gautauma, experienced enlightenment, (also known as Bodhi in Sanskrit or Pali.) According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a Pipul tree and simply meditate until he found the root of suffering, and how to liberate one's self from it.

Bodhi Day is the holiday I like to celebrate in December. For me it is not preloaded with other people’s meanings and expectations, it sits open; waiting for my traditions. Like my yearly holiday JPEG.



Those four phrases shown on the quiet scene above  come from the Buddhist tradition of Metta. (different link than above)

The cultivation of loving-kindness is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism. In the Theravadin Buddhist tradition, this practice begins with the meditator cultivating loving-kindness towards themselves, then their loved ones, friends, teachers, strangers, enemies, and finally towards all sentient beings. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this practice is associated with 'tonglen', whereby one breathes out ("sends") happiness and breathes in ("receives") suffering.

 Metta signifies friendship and non-violence, "a strong wish for the happiness of others" and also less obvious or direct qualities such as showing patience, receptivity, and appreciation. Loving-kindness is a very specific feeling — a caring for the well-being of another living being, independent of approving or disapproving of them, or expecting anything in return. Practice includes reciting specific words and phrases in order to evoke a "boundless warm-hearted feeling," or visualizing suffering and wishing well for those beings."

I think Metta is closer to what Christ was trying to teach and accomplish than Santa Claus and the US GDP. Call me a heretic. HO Ho ho