2013/03/20 
World Day of Metta
Today, March 20, 2013, the organizers of the World Day of Metta are asking people all around the world to open their hearts and from 12 PM to 2 PM, local time, to meditate on and offer the following metta to all beings of the world:
THE METTA
May all beings have fresh clean water to drink
May all beings have food to eat
May all beings have a home
May all beings have someone to share love with
May all beings know their true purpose
May all beings be well and happy
May all beings be free from suffering
Today, I shall do what I can to make this so.
The offering of metta, or loving-kindness, to others is a non-denominational act. You don’t have to believe in anything except the power of love to change the world! Compassionate hearts of all persuasions, or no persuasions, are invited to join others around the world in 2 hours of loving-kindness.
(If you can’t do the metta between noon and 2 PM your local time, obviously, just do it when you can to take part in the world-wide celebration. The time the metta is given is not nearly as important as taking time to give the metta! And what may begin as a one-day mutual celebration of love and goodwill to another can become a daily part of one’s life.)
The goal of the World Day of Metta is to say this particular Metta offering at least once for each of the 7 billion plus humans on the planet, as well as all the sentient beings who share our amazing planet with us. Visit the Web site for more information about participating!
Here at Metta Refuge, those who are interested in learning more about the Buddhist practice of metta can find a wealth of information and dharma teachings on how to do loving-kindness, or metta, meditation.
A good place to start is the Basic Metta page, which gives beginning instruction explaining how to do metta, or loving-kindness meditation as taught by the Buddha:
At the Basic Metta page you can download free PDFs by experienced dharma teachers for your personal study. You will also find links to introductory articles by some outstanding Buddhist teachers:
Ajahn Brahmavamso Teaches Loving-kindness
Bringing Metta to Daily Life—A Talk by Bhante Vimalaramsi
Metta—The Healing Power of Visualizing and Radiating Love Toward Others
(Acharya Buddharakkhita)
May We All Be Happy—Beginning Metta
(Gil Fronsdal)
Here at Metta Refuge you will also find many articles about loving-kindness meditation that will help take your deeper into your metta practice. You might want to look into some of these articles:
Metta Phrases for Dealing with Self-Hatred and Self-judgment
The Karaniya Metta Sutta and Healing Through Loving-kindness (with Music)
Audio Dharma-An Introduction to Metta by Gil Fronsdal
Goodwill—Not a Pink Cloud of Cotton Candy Covering the World
I look forward to joining my brothers and sisters in every nation in this great world-wide metta on March 20, 12 PM to 2 PM local time! And of course, this one-day celebration of loving-kindness is just a beginning. Giving metta, working with one’s mind and heart to open up to the world with compassion and wisdom is the way of the Buddha, and of good-hearted people everywhere. What Buddhism offers is a way to take one’s loving-kindness all the way to awakening.
The Great Aspiration of Metta
As a mother, at the risk of her life,
Watches over her only child,
Let him cherish an unbounded mind
For all living beings.
Let him have love for the whole world
And develop an unbounded mind
Above, below and all around,
Boundless heart of goodwill, free of hatred,
Standing, walking, sitting or lying down,
So long as he be awake,
Let him cherish this thought,
This is called divine abiding here.
~ Karaniyametta (Metta) Sutta
Please enjoy listening to:
“Healing through Kindness” by Nawang Khechog from Music As Medicine (With Special Guest Artist R. Carlos Nakai)
POSTSCRIPT:
You might enjoy reading an essay I wrote after my two hours of metta for World Day of Metta. I explain some of the ways I approached the metta and also share some insights I have learned over years of practicing loving-kindness meditation:
How Practice and Creativity Can Open Up Your Practice
Metta Refuge 
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