Blending insight and loving-kindness practices

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This topic contains 1 reply, has 2 voices, and was last updated by  Blake Barton 7 years, 2 months ago.

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  • #1769

    G C
    Member

    Hi everyone! I have heard that the ultimate goal of loving-kindness is not just to develop loving-kindness towards all beings but to develop it towards all of one’s conscious experience. Furthermore, loving-kindness and insight meditation, as I understand them, both share in common the process of bringing one’s attention to various things in sequence. Thus, it seems to me that it makes sense to blend them so that objects of experience are included in the list of things to which one develops loving-kindness, and I have been experimenting with this. The main problem that I see in doing this is that it is unclear to me that one can both examine a object of consciousness and also develop feelings of loving-kindness towards it at the same time, rather than having these two things compete with each other for your attention.

    Would the wise denizens of this place tell me where I am right and where I am wrong in the above reflection? 🙂

    Thanks a lot!
    Greg

    #1775

    Blake Barton
    Keymaster

    Hi Greg,

    Lovingkindness practice is generally considered a samatha or concentration practice. It develops the ability to stabilize attention while also opening the heart, and breaking down the barriers between self and others.

    If you maintain awareness, in Culadasa’s system of samatha-vipassanna, you will be developing insight while you are training your mind to stabilize attention.

    For example, as you are developing the feelings of lovingkindness, you will notice other things in your awareness. It will be particularly helpful to be aware of any resistance that you might have towards the practice or generating loving feelings towards difficult people.

    Developing equanimity and lovingkindness towards whatever you experience can definitely benefit your practice. For example, if you are frustrated by your progress in meditation you can learn to soften into that experience and accept where you are. Physical pain is also a good opportunity to practice lovingkindness towards your experience.

    Hope this helps,

    Blake – Dharma Treasure Teacher

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