A while ago I heard this story.
“I heard this true story about how this one guy had written a note and left it in his apartment, it said that if one person smiled or said hi to him he would not jump off the bridge. That day he walked to the bridge and not one person smiled. He's dead now”
When I first saw this story I thought how sad it is that this man's happiness depended on how others saw him that he killed himself because of it, I wonder if he smiled at anyone that day? But haven't we all done that so some degree, now, or in the past?
Another man had the same problem he saw too many people sad in the world in need of a hug, and a smile, so he left his home one day, went to the middle of the Sydney and held up a sign offering “Free Hugs” you may know him a s Juan Mann?
Metta as it is usually translated is Loving Kindness, but I prefer friendliness as a rendering, although, there are other variants. Metta is the truest form of love, all encompassing, and non-bias! The two men I mention earlier saw/had a problem, and a way to deal with that problem, to take it personally, or to do something about it! Sometimes when I practice Metta Meditation I break away from the generating love to different types of people, and focus on myself! Not generating love towards myself, but looking at situations I have been in which are 1.Positive; 2.Negative or; 3.Neutral, and see how I can in the future, or could of at the time handled it better, done it better, BEEN better. As for me Metta isn't about generating Love for a myself, a friend, a neutral person, or an enemy, but about finding a way to be better myself so that I am naturally nicer and warm to people. Although, for me at least, Metta isn't always doing the nice thing, but doing the right thing for the situation because that person is worth our time, even if it is hard to take.
At the end of the day I may be right, I may be wrong, but I share this hoping I am one, or the other.
Another man had the same problem he saw too many people sad in the world in need of a hug, and a smile, so he left his home one day, went to the middle of the Sydney and held up a sign offering “Free Hugs” you may know him a s Juan Mann?
Metta as it is usually translated is Loving Kindness, but I prefer friendliness as a rendering, although, there are other variants. Metta is the truest form of love, all encompassing, and non-bias! The two men I mention earlier saw/had a problem, and a way to deal with that problem, to take it personally, or to do something about it! Sometimes when I practice Metta Meditation I break away from the generating love to different types of people, and focus on myself! Not generating love towards myself, but looking at situations I have been in which are 1.Positive; 2.Negative or; 3.Neutral, and see how I can in the future, or could of at the time handled it better, done it better, BEEN better. As for me Metta isn't about generating Love for a myself, a friend, a neutral person, or an enemy, but about finding a way to be better myself so that I am naturally nicer and warm to people. Although, for me at least, Metta isn't always doing the nice thing, but doing the right thing for the situation because that person is worth our time, even if it is hard to take.
At the end of the day I may be right, I may be wrong, but I share this hoping I am one, or the other.
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