Two Day Loving-Kindness Meditation Retreat

I. About the Retreat

Mettā Bhāvanā, meditation on loving-kindness, is one of the most ancient forms of Buddhist meditation practice, one that has been passed down in an unbroken line for over 2,500 years. It is also the first of the four brahmaviharas (divine ways of abiding), with the other three being karuna (compassion), mudita (appreciative joy) and upekkha (equanimity).

The Pali word mettā is a multi-significant term meaning loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, concord, and non-violence. The Pali commentators define mettā as the strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others as well as oneself. Bhāvanā means development or cultivation. The practice of loving-kindness helps to soften one’s mind and also brings happiness to the mind, which serves as a proximate cause for Samadhi (concentration).

The most ancient extant Buddhist collection of texts, the Pali Canon, identifies a number of benefits from the practicing of mettā meditation, including:

• Happily one sleeps.
• Happily one wakes.
• Dreams no bad dreams.
• Loved by human beings.
• Loved by non-human beings.
• Protected by the devas.
• Neither fire, poison, nor weapons can harm one.
• One’s mind gains concentration quickly.
• One’s complexion is bright.
• One dies unconfused.
• If penetrating no higher, one is headed for the Brahma worlds.

The meditation retreat will include a series of well-scheduled activities, including daily Dharma talks, step-by-step instruction on practicing mettā meditation, group sitting meditation, periods of walking meditation, and one-on-one interview sessions.