It’s Not Just One Feeling
“Metta is a spectrum including patience, tolerance, friendliness, and warmth. It isn't restricted to a particular feeling.”
- Christina Feldman
Tricycle Online Course, “Universal Empathy”
Many of us are familiar with the self-criticism or even shame that can come up in moments when we see ourselves as hard-hearted or closed off, despite trying to be kinder and more loving. Yet, guided by Christina's words, we might find some ease by pausing to remember a couple of essential things:
The fruits of our lovingkindness practice aren't always immediately apparent, and they don't only show up as warm-hearted states.
Progress can show up as simple moments of tolerance or patience with ourselves and others. These seemingly ordinary moments are all on the spectrum of real human awakening.
More from Christina Feldman
Christina Feldman is one of the early western Insight Meditation teachers—beginning in the mid-seventies after years of study and practice in the Mahayana and Theravada schools of Buddhism. Learn more at her site.
Her book, Boundless Heart: The Buddha's Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity, is one of my personal favorites on the topic of the brahma viharas—certainly worth adding to your stack. Buy it from Bookshop instead of Amazon to support local bookstores.
I've also taken Christina's online course through Tricycle, "Universal Empathy: A Fresh Look at the Qualities of the Heart." In this course, she and Chris Cullen offer an amazingly accessible package of teachings on the qualities of kindness, joy, compassion, and equanimity. I still revisit the guided meditation recordings from this course quite regularly.
Illustrations and notes by Devin O’Guin
