artemisdreaming:

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Mettā (Pali: मेत्ता in Devanagari or maitrī ( Sanskrit: मैत्री) is loving-kindness, friendliness, benevolence, amity, friendship, good will, kindness, close mental union (on same mental wavelength), an active interest in others. It is one of the ten paramis of the Theravada school of Buddhism, and the first of the four sublime states (brahmavihāras). This is love without clinging (upādāna).

The cultivation of loving-kindness (metta bhavana) is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism. In the Theravadin Buddhist tradition, this practice begins with the meditator cultivating loving-kindness towards themselves, then their loved ones, friends, teachers, strangers, enemies, and finally towards all sentient beings. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this practice is associated with tonglen (cf.), whereby one breathes out (“sends”) happiness and breathes in (“receives”) suffering.Tibetan Buddhists also practice contemplation of the Brahmaviharas, also called the four immeasurables, which they sometimes call ‘compassion meditation.

“Compassion meditation” is a contemporary scientific field that demonstrates the efficacy of metta and related meditative practices. wiki

(via crystalbluepersuasion)