And Now Let Us Once Again Turn to the Buddha

Sharon Salzberg's excellent book, "Loving Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness," has provided me with solace and guidance many times over the years.. It is now that I am turning once again to some of the wisdom in this book. A few years ago I wrote down several meditation mantras from the book, in a notebook entitled: Metta Book. Keep in mind that all of these mantras are directly from her book. I am writing them out as a kind of self-therapy. Some of the metta loving-kindness meditation I am not ready for yet. Please see Salzberg's  book for more details..

Exercise #1 Metta Towards Self

"May I be free of danger."

"May I have mental happiness."

"May I have physical happiness."

"May I have ease of well-being."

Exercise #2 Metta Towards Self

"May I be happy; may all beings be happy."

Exercise #4 Metta Towards a Beloved Friend

"May you be free from danger."

"May you have mental happiness."

"May you have physical happiness."

"May you have ease of well being."

"May you be happy; may all beings be happy."

Exercise #6 Asking Forgiveness for harm you have done

"If I have hurt or harmed anyone, knowingly or unknowingly, I ask their forgiveness."

Exercise #8 Offering of Forgiveness to Yourself

"For all the ways I have hurt or harmed myself, knowingly or unknowingly, I offer forgiveness. I forgive myself."

Exercise #10 Direct Metta towards difficult aspects of yourself

"May I accept this."

"May I be filled with loving-kindness towards this."

"My I feel compassion towards this."

Exercise #13 Compassion toward the self

"May I be free of pain and sorrow."

"May I find peace."

"May I find a loving acceptance of pain and sorrow."

"May I find peace with things as they are."

Exercise #18 Equanimity for the Self

"May I accept things as they are."

"May I be undisturbed by the comings and goings of events."

"I am the owner of my own karma. I can choose my intentions and actions."

The Precepts

1. Refrain from killing and physical violence.

2. Refrain from stealing, taking that which is not given.

3. Refrain from sexual misconduct, using sexual energy in a way that causes harm.

4. Refrain from lying, harsh speech, idle gossip, and slander.

5. Refrain from taking intoxicants that cloud the mind from clear thinking.