Metta Practice
We will do the
1. Robe Verse
2. Ten minutes of Zazen
3. Metta Practice: practice leader may give an extempore speech concerning each category before leading the recitation.
4. Verse of Atonement
5. The Four Vows
👏 Great robe of liberation, field far beyond form and emptiness, wearing
the Tathagata’s teaching, saving all beings.
When everyone is settled, practice leader says "Zazen."
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[ZAZEN]
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METTA VERSES
🔔 YOURSELF
1. May I be free of suffering; may I feel safe and still
2. May I be free of enmity; may I be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May I be healthy and at ease in all my ills.
4. May I be at peace, embracing all conditions of life.
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LOVED ONE
1. May they be free of suffering; may they feel safe and still.
2. May they be free of enmity; may they be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May they be healthy and at ease in all their ills.
4. May they be at peace, embracing all conditions of life
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FRIEND
1. May they be free of suffering; may they feel safe and still.
2. May they be free of enmity; may they be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May they be healthy and at ease in all their ills
4. May they be at peace, embracing all conditions of life
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STRANGER
1. May they be free of suffering; may they feel safe and still.
2. May they be free of enmity; may they be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May they be healthy and at ease in all their ills.
4. May they be at peace, embracing all conditions of life
🔔 ENEMY or Difficult Person
1. May they be free of suffering; may they feel safe and still.
2. May they be free of enmity; may they be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May they be healthy and at ease in all their ills.
4. May they be at peace, embracing all conditions of life.
ALL BEINGS
1. May we, together with all beings, be free of suffering; may we feel safe and still.
2. May we, together with all beings, be free of enmity; may we be loving, grateful and kind.
3. May we, together with all beings, be healthy and at ease in all our ills.
4. May we, together with all beings, be at peace, embracing all conditions of life
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VERSE OF ATONEMENT:
👏 All my ancient tangled karma
From beginningless greed, ill will, and ignorance
Born of body, speech, and mind
I now fully avow.
🙏
FOUR VOWS
👏 Beings are numberless; I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it.
Beings are numberless; I vow to free them!
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them!
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them!
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it!
Beings are numberless; I vow to free them…
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them…
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them…
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it…
🙏
Tonglen
This practice takes a little over 30 minutes.
1. Robe Verse
2. Ten minutes of Zazen
3. Tonglen Practice: five minutes for each visualization. Bow with the bell at the end of each period.
4. Verse of Atonement
5. The Four Vows
👏 Great robe of liberation, field far beyond form and emptiness, wearing
the Tathagata’s teaching, saving all beings.
🔔 🔔 🔔
ZAZEN
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🔔 YOURSELF
Visualize a Person in Need, in this instance yourself.
Imagine their pain as a dark, heavy cloud surrounding them.
As you inhale, visualize taking in their pain.
Allow yourself to feel it, understanding their experience.
As you exhale, visualize sending them relief, love, and healing energy.
Imagine their suffering dissolving as they receive your compassion.
(five minutes)
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LOVED ONE
Imagine their pain as a dark, heavy cloud surrounding them.
As you inhale, visualize taking in their pain.
Allow yourself to feel it, understanding their experience.
As you exhale, visualize sending them relief, love, and healing energy.
Imagine their suffering dissolving as they receive your compassion.
(five minutes)
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FRIEND
Imagine their pain as a dark, heavy cloud surrounding them.
As you inhale, visualize taking in their pain.
Allow yourself to feel it, understanding their experience.
As you exhale, visualize sending them relief, love, and healing energy.
Imagine their suffering dissolving as they receive your compassion.
(five minutes)
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STRANGER
Imagine their pain as a dark, heavy cloud surrounding them.
As you inhale, visualize taking in their pain.
Allow yourself to feel it, understanding their experience.
As you exhale, visualize sending them relief, love, and healing energy.
Imagine their suffering dissolving as they receive your compassion.
(five minutes)
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ENEMY or Difficult Person
Imagine their pain as a dark, heavy cloud surrounding them.
As you inhale, visualize taking in their pain.
Allow yourself to feel it, understanding their experience.
As you exhale, visualize sending them relief, love, and healing energy.
Imagine their suffering dissolving as they receive your compassion.
(five minutes)
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ALL BEINGS
Imagine their pain as a dark, heavy cloud surrounding them.
As you inhale, visualize taking in their pain.
Allow yourself to feel it, understanding their experience.
As you exhale, visualize sending them relief, love, and healing energy.
Imagine their suffering dissolving as they receive your compassion.
(five minutes)
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VERSE OF ATONEMENT:
👏 All my ancient tangled karma
From beginningless greed, ill will, and ignorance
Born of body, speech, and mind
I now fully avow.
🔔 🙏
FOUR VOWS
👏 Beings are numberless; I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it.
Beings are numberless; I vow to free them!
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them!
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them!
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it!
Beings are numberless; I vow to free them…
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them…
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them…
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it…
🔔 🙏
PRAYER FOR ONE WHO BRINGS CHAOS
For you who deny the beingness of others
May you dwell in the holiness of your body
For you who crushes the most vulnerable
May you be cradled in love from all corners of the cosmos
For you who deny the past and mistake force for justice
May you have strength to hold shame and courage to speak
For you who believes that violence is the way to peace
May you be held in the warmth of protection
For you who despise those you do not understand
May you reclaim your innocence and beauty
For you who tears families apart and excludes
May you be seated at the table of true belonging
For you who seek power to dominate and suppress
May you arrive at an ocean of welcome and delight
For you who believes that empathy is the enemy
May you not run from your feelings
For you who take all they can and keep poverty alive
May you know the freedom of limitless generosity
For you who deny truth and sow seeds of division
May your eyes shine with deepest wisdom and clarity
For you who believe loving differently is dangerous
May you be rocked in the arms of all the ancestors.