Practice Loving Kindness (Nov. 17, Dec. 1)

Trudy Goodman (insightla.org); Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

In these troubling and divisive times, it was heartening to hear the wise words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted by Rev. Michael Curry.

It was at the royal wedding in May that he said, "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way."

The ancient Buddhist teaching of metta ("loving kindness") meditation is a training in discovering and harnessing this power of love.

The sutras say in practicing metta we familiarize ourselves with a particular quality. We see its effect on our mind and body and how it expands our hearts and minds, overcomes our fears and self-doubt. We thereby gain confidence and trust in it as a truly trustworthy, helpful, and powerful force. That's the power of love.

It is a force that can liberate our minds and the force we need to heal society.  It is the antidote for divisiveness and hatred.

Join Melissa McKay at InsightLA East Hollywood for a half-day of practice on Saturday, Dec. 1. And THIS SATURDAY (Nov. 17) join Cayce Howe and Wendy Block in Long Beach for an entire day of metta meditation.