CCN Annual Retreat
August 6-12, 2023
Lampeter, Wales
Meditation on loving kindness (Pali: mettā, Sanskrit: maitrī) is one of the key practices of the Buddhist contemplative system, equally important in the Pali and Sanskrit textual traditions. In the second half of the 20th century this practice also became largely popular within the context of secular mindfulness methods, and is now widely used for its calming effect, its ability to help us in cultivating prosocial skills, and its health benefits (established through medical research).
In gradually mastering this method, practitioners are learning to cultivate stable and intelligent benevolence towards themselves, others, and, eventually, all beings. This meditation style is traditionally used both to cultivate concentration and to change emotional and perceptual patterns.