Cattāri Brahmavihārā

In so many of the metta intructions given in our group we are asked to connect with that place in the heart where our desire to be truly happy can be felt. Furthermore, we are asked to explore this felt sense of well-wishing in as non-verbal way as possible and take this fabrication as the basis upon which we can develop the brahma viharas for ourselves and ultimately all beings. Despite hearing these instructions for years it seems to me that I have rarely put them into practice. Why? Well, for a long time I suppose my doubt and lack of faith was such that instructions to “feel” into things in a non-discursive way seemed hoky at best and disingenuous at worst but over time I have come to see the truth of this perspective. So, in that vein, I have been experimenting with feeling into the ink black recesses of the mind to find the wellspring of self-love that is the source of metta and the divine abodes. Faith, it seems, is not limited to theists. Be well!