Lesson 1 - the benefactor

Homework

Every day:

• Practice Metta on the benefactor

  • Take at least a few minutes to arrive. You could also do a short concentration meditation as a warming up.

  • Practice 10 minutes of Metta on the benefactor.

• Ending with gratitude:

  • Every meditation see if you can end with 3 things you're grateful for + find the need this thing is fulfilling.

  • Share 1 of these things with your gratitude buddy.

Short recap of everything

Brahmaviharas

During the course we're going to cultivate the brahmaviharas:

	Possible translations
Metta	lovingkindness, kindness, basic human warmth, goodwill
Karuna	compassion
Mudita	appreciative joy, compersion, the opposite of jealousy
Uphekka	equanimity

Elements of the Metta practice

It consists of three parts:

1. Bring up a person.

2. Repeat the sentences while trying to connect with the underlying wish.

3. Connect with your feelings.

The sentences we will use are:

• May you be happy

• May you be healthy

• May you be safe

• May you live with ease

And a dutch translation that I personally use:

• Moge je blij en gelukkig zijn

• Moge je gezond zijn en zonder pijn

• Moge je veilig zijn

• Moge je met gemak leven

Always work with kindness. If anything is too difficult, just take a step back.

The benefactor

Benefactor has certain qualities:

• A person you naturally wish well

• Preferably someone you have uncomplicated feelings for

• Preferably someone you don't have sexual desires for. It is very easy to confuse attraction with wishing someone well.

Finding a good benefactor can be difficult, good options can be:

• Someone that did something kind to you or someone you know, or even the world.

• A pet.

• A teacher.

This person should be the easiest person to wish well.

Gratitude practice

Two steps:

1. You bring up something you're grateful for.

2. You try to find the underlying need that is being fulfilled.

Definition of a need:

• A need is something you require, to hold onto, or improve, your wellbeing.

• Needs are a part of the human condition, so they're universal, although different people have them in different quantities.

• They are easily confused with strategies, which are ways to fulfil needs.

Example:

• You can have a need for safety.

• You can't have a need to enrol in a certain Master programme, because that lacks the quality of universality. The strategy of wanting to enrol into a Master might point to a need for personal growth.