It was mid- afternoon on day five of a 9 day meditation retreat and although the retreatants were practicing sincerely and things had settled down nicely since the first few restless days, somehow the air in the Dhamma Hall seemed a little hard and dry. I felt that it would be good to encourage the yogis to “Open the Heart of Loving-Kindness,” in order to nourish and sustain their continuous efforts, and perhaps add a little creative element to the practice as well with a visualisation component. As so many meditators struggle with too much wilfulness, impatience, the need to control as well as a lot of harsh criticism aimed inwards, I always start these metta meditations by encouraging people to lovingly accept the way things are and to drop all of the judgements and other agendas. This simple step is so often overlooked, yet it is of paramount importance as it helps us to recognise the way we withhold metta from ourselves as well as highlights painful judgements that we might not have known we were holding onto. Recognising these things we can “let them go” and open up a space for something much more worthwhile.  From this foundation of genuine acceptance we move onto generating and then radiating the warmth and tenderness of Loving-Kindness. 

In this meditation the meditator is asked to visualise a small white crystal lotus at the very centre of the heart… and then to radiate warm golden light from this lotus outwards filling the entire body. Affirming phrases are utilised as well in conjunction with the in and out breathing. By the end of the half hour one could feel that the tension in the room had relaxed considerably, and that a lovely gentle quality of joy and ease was pervading the quiet air. Later in the evening when I asked the yogis how many people found the meditation useful about half eagerly held up their hands… the other half scratched their heads and mumbled something like “I just can’t do visualisations!”  Meditation methods can be like this, different practices resonate with different character types… or perhaps if something is new we just need to keep on trying. Having the intention to establish the attitude of metta and radiate it from the heart is already very wholesome, and following through with a sincere quality of trying builds upon this wholesomeness.  I am hoping to add two more guided metta meditations soon which will have a different emphasis. Trying them all might give you a good sense for which method is the  most direct and suitable for your character.
May we all grow in Loving-Kindness and receive the many wonderful blessings that come from this most excellent practice!

This talk was given on the 8th morning of an intensive 9 day retreat held on top of a mountain in the middle of Penang Island, Malaysia. Having done our morning chanting and the first session of sitting for the day, we could also hear the impassioned moslem call to prayer from several mosques faintly in the distance.  Incidently, the place where we were conducting our retreat had formerly been a Christian Brothers hermitage. The presence of multiple faiths literally hanging in the air, the lofty location of the centre as well as the lovely sense of stillness and introspection emanating from the sincere yogis, inspired me to offer some reflections pertaining to these quite profound subjects. Peoples’ minds had slowed down considerably over the course of the retreat and so the talk also moves quite slowly… it was offered perhaps more as a contemplation than as instruction. It is hoped that by listening to this short talk you may also share some of these timeless moments experienced by the yogis, whilst also recollecting the profound potential that we all innately possess.

Listening to Wisdom Teachings, Contemplating their meaning deeply and Meditating accordingly is The Way, Lord Buddha explained for developing true wisdom as well as uprooting the delusions that cause unnecessary suffering. Many practitioners have great confidence in this "Way", and yet somehow the busyness of life itself can distract us from this path. Having a network of spiritual friends who remind us to keep up with our meditation practice and activities of wise reflection can be a truly vital support along the way.

If you subscribe to "Peace Beyond Suffering" you will be automatically notified whenever a new Talk or Guided Meditation has been uploaded to the site. This notification will also contain a brief description regarding the contents of the Talk or Meditation that has been added, as well as a direct link to the page where the new item can be found.  This is the fastest and easiest way to find the latest Dhamma offering at "Peace Beyond Suffering" As this site exists purely for the purpose of making Ajahn Achalos teachings and meditations available free of charge, there will never be any fund-raising material sent to subscribers.

Currently Ajahn Achalo is reviewing and editing material that was recorded while teaching intensive  meditation retreats in Malaysia, as well as talks that were recorded while leading a Pilgrimage to the Holy sites in India. It is hoped that one talk or meditation will be added to the site every week or so over the period of the next few months.... subscribe...  ...and... stay tuned!