The power of Lovingkindness

“Clearly recognizing what is happening inside us, and regarding what we see with an open, kind and loving heart, is what I call Radical Acceptance.”

Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance

At the start of Tibetan New Year, I committed to practice 14 days of metta bhavana: lovingkindness.

I’ve written about the practice before, and I wanted to share something funny that happened during my 2-week stint.

I chose one person to focus my practice on each day. I worked my way through my immediate and extended family.

The day after I directed metta to my brother-in-law, he phoned me and said he was in the area and would pick up my water bottles for filling (they have a lovely fresh well and I enjoy their water immensely). He picked up my bottles and returned them later that day.

A couple days later, I focused metta on my father-in-law. We see each other at family dinners and gatherings. He rarely calls and only emails when he has a goofy joke or an update on family members I’ve never heard of.

He emailed me the next day. He sent a picture of organic dark chocolate bars. He bought a case of them for me (you all know how much I love dark chocolate and organic!). He wanted to know if one case was enough or if he should buy me more.

We don’t practice metta to get something. We practice to cultivate love for ourselves and others. We practice to become more gentle with ourselves and others. We practice to shift our inner landscape and to know radical acceptance.

What struck me during my practice was what I’ve always believed: when we cultivate lovingkindness, others feel it. Our blessings extend to the world and all beings.

Be well. ❤

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