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Meditation for Peace

This guided meditation is based on the teachings of the Metta Sutta. There are different steps in the meditation and we can change them a little to change the focus of the meditation. But it is very important always to begin with lovingkindness for oneself. We can remember the words of the American Peace Activist A.J. Muste who said, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." Another Peace Activist, the Vietnames Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh also reminds us, "Peace is every step." So the way to make peace is to make ourselves tools of peace.

Every time that we do this meditation, we begin by reciting a verse of forgiveness to prepare ourselves for walking the path of peace.

Verse of Forgiveness

If I have caused harm or suffering to any being,
Either intentionally, or without intention,
I ask their forgiveness

If any being has caused me harm or suffering,
Either intentionally, or without intention,
As far as I am able to at this time, I offer my forgiveness.

If I have caused harm or suffering to myself,
Either intentionally, or without intention,
I forgive myself.

The Meditation

Begin with setting your posture and breath in zazen. Feel the body sitting on the cushion, spine open, upper body open, chest open, chin tucked in. Feel breathing in the belly. Find your ease and composure, with nothing to do and nothing that needs to be done. Feel the feeling of being alive.

•  Think of yourself- an image or feeling. On an out breath repeat silently, one phrase to a breath: “May I be happy/ May I be free from danger/ May I be in peace.” Repeat this at least three times, a phrase on each out breath. Try your best to really feel the intention expressed by the phrases. If you have other feelings too, of resistance or reluctance or distraction, note them, but keep on going with the phrases.
• Now think of your parents - an image or feeling. On an out breath repeat silently, one phrase to a breath: “May they be happy/ May they be free from danger/ May they be in peace.” Etc as above.
• Next someone dear to you, someone you love, someone who has been kind to you, a benefactor. Repeat sequence as above. “May he or she be happy.” Etc.
• Next a neutral person, an acquaintance, someone you know but who isn’t a central person in your life. Repeat sequence as above. “May he or she be happy.” Etc.
• Now feel the feeling of loving kindness in your belly. Breathe with the feeling and make it strong. Imagine beams of loving kindness emanating from your body and flowing out above, below, and all around. Imagine these beams covering all of Puerto Vallarta, and repeat the phrases as before. "May everyone in Puerto Vallarta be happy..."
• Widen your vision to other places, Ciudad Juarez, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Atenco, all of Mexico.
• Now send these beams of loving kindness to any part of the world where there may be war and suffering.
• Lebanon, the children in Lebanon, the parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, ...
• Israel, Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Congo...
• Visualize the whole world. Imagine all the beings on land, in air, in water receiving these beams of loving kindness. On an out breath repeat silently, one phrase to a breath: “May all these being be happy/ May they be free from danger/ May they all be in peace.” Repeat this at least three times, a phrase on each out breath.
• Now return to yourself. “May I be happy/ May I be free from danger/ May I be in peace.”
• Let go of the meditation. Come back to zazen, to body and breath. Rest in the feeling of simply being alive, letting thoughts, feeling, time and life come and go.