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We Can Always Love


Dear Still Water Friends,

Over the past several weeks a handful of Still Water MPC practitioners have been gathering for a Thursday afternoon meditation with the clients and staff of the Shepherd's Table, a social service center for those without homes. We form a circle of chairs in the Clothes Closet, a large room filled with racks of clothing for men and women. We introduce ourselves with our first names, talk a little about mindfulness, and then begin a guided sitting meditation. After reflections on the sitting we do some walking meditation together, and a short loving-kindness meditation.

During one session, after the loving-kindness meditation, one of the clients shared that he had sent love to his mother and to the extended family he grew up in. Then he said, "I thought, also, about those less fortunate."

When he said it I realized that without fully understanding the implications, in offering a loving-kindness meditation in this setting, we were reminding people who were in a phase of life in which they often received from others, that they, too, could give. His words helped me remember that no matter who we are, no matter what our condition, we always have the capacity to love and to care.

This Thursday evening, after our meditation period, we will practice the simple four step loving-kindness meditation we have been doing at the Shepherd's Table. It beings with calling to mind those who have loved us, nourished us, and supported us. We bring to mind one or two faces and from our hearts send them love: "Wherever you are, wherever your spirit is, may you be well, happy, and peaceful. May your heart be filled with joy." We water the seeds of love in us so the energy of love is stronger and more present.

We then call up a image of ourselves and say from our hearts:  "May I be well, happy, and peaceful. May my heart be filled with joy."

In the third step we remember the people in our life now, bring one or two to our mind's eye, and say: "May you be well, happy, and peaceful. May your heart be filled with joy."

In the fourth step we send loving-kindness out to the world. We call to mind people we've met, people we've heard of, people whose lives we can imagine. Perhaps it is a teacher in Ecuador, a student in Burma, or a mother in Iraq. To each we say: "May you be well, happy, and peaceful. May your heart be filled with joy."

In our discussion we will reflect on the meditation and on the energy of loving-kindness in our lives. In the excerpt below Thich Nhat Hanh notes that: "If love is real, it will be evident in our daily life, in the way we relate with people and the world."

You are invited to be with us.

The best times to join our Thursday evening gatherings are just before the beginning of our 7 p.m meditation, just before we begin walking meditation (around 7:25), and just after our walking meditation (around 7:35).

Also, this week, beginning at 6:30, we will have our first Thursday Orientation to mindfulness practice and to the Still Water community. It is a good way to introduce friends and colleagues to our practice. (It is helpful if you email us at info@StillWaterMPC.org to let us know you will be coming.)

There's more -- You are invited this Thursday to share an informal dinner with other Still Water practitioners --  beginning at 5:30, at The Lebanese Taverna (next to the fountain on the Ellsworth Avenue Restaurant Row). If you have questions about the dinner, please email Steve Allen at sallen@jubileemd.org.

And if you are unable to make this Thursday, how about Sunday? I'll be leading this same loving-kindness meditation this Sundary with the Still Water Columbia group (at the Yoga Center of Columbia). There will be an Orientation at 6 pm and the sitting will start at 6:30. Directions are on our website.

Warm wishes,

Mitchell Ratner
Senior Teacher

Meditation on Love by Thich Nhat Hanh from Peace is Every Step

The mind of love brings peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others. Mindful observation is the element which nourishes the tree of understanding, and compassion and love are the most beautiful flowers. When we realize the mind of love, we have to go to the one who has been the object of our mindful observation, so that our mind of love is not just an object of our imagination, but a source of energy which has a real effect in the world.

The meditation on love is not just sitting still and visualizing that our love will spread out into space like waves of sound or light. Sound and light have the ability to penetrate everywhere, and love and compassion can do the same. But if our love is only a kind of imagination, then it is not likely to have any real effect. It is in the midst of our daily life and in our actual contact with others that we can know whether our mind of love is really present and how stable it is. If love is real, it will be evident in our daily life, in the way we relate with people and the world.

The source of love is deep in us, and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, or one thought can reduce another person’s suffering and bring him joy. One word can give comfort and confidence, destroy doubt, help someone avoid a mistake, reconcile a conflict, or open the door to liberation. One action can save a person’s life or help him take advantage of a rare opportunity. One thought can do the same, because thoughts always lead to words and actions. If love is in our heart, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle. Because understanding is the very foundation of love, words and actions that emerge from our love are always helpful.