Programs > Joy of Living Meditation Group Program

Series V – Opening the Heart – The View

Part I – Opening the Heart - The Path of Loving-kindness and Compassion

Points to Consider
Opening the heart puts us in touch with our basic goodness and allows us to extend our own wish for happiness to all others. In cultivating loving-kindness and compassion, not only do we increase our capacity to alleviate the suffering of others, we uproot the self-fixation that lies at the root of our own suffering as well.

Questions for Discussion

• Why are loving-kindness and compassion regarded as critical parts of the spiritual path? What are some potential pitfalls of neglecting this part of the practice?
• What is the difference between loving-kindness and compassion?
• Are loving-kindness and compassion part of human nature or do they have to be learned?
• What role does meditation play in manifesting loving-kindness and compassion? Do you see these qualities growing in yourself the more you practice?

Daily Meditation Practice
On the cushion: Begin each session with a short period of open awareness, followed by a few minutes of reflecting on basic goodness. After a few minutes of contemplating, let go of the thinking and simply be aware of the feelings that are present. Close with another period of resting in open awareness.

Off the cushion: As you go about your day, try to notice qualities about yourself that you value and appreciate?

Reading: Joy of Living 172-175; Joyful Wisdom 183-185

Part II – Widening the Circle - The Path of Unconditional Love

Points to Consider
When cultivating empathy, we begin by learning to relate to our experience with tenderness and compassion. When we experience our own thoughts and emotions with unconditional love, this attitude naturally radiates out, allowing us to gradually expand the scope of our compassion to include all beings.

Questions for Discussion

• Is it possible to have genuine compassion for someone else if we do not feel compassion toward ourselves? Why or why not?
• Why is cultivating loving-kindness and compassion for oneself not a selfish endeavor? How does this lay the foundation for cultivating these qualities for others?
• Why do we start this practice with ourselves, and then expand our meditation to loved ones, neutral individuals, and people that we’ve had difficulties with?

Daily Meditation Practice
On the cushion: Begin each session with a short period of resting in open awareness, followed by a few minutes of reflecting on your desire to be happy.  After a few minutes of contemplating, let go of the thinking and simply be aware of the feelings that are present. Close with another period of resting in open awareness.

Off the cushion: When you engage in a particular activity, notice if the desire to be happy is motivating your action.

Reading: Joy of Living 175-177

Part III – Enlightened Self-Interest - Compassion & the Causes of Happiness

Points to Consider
Though we often believe that happiness is won by advancing our own interests, self-centered pursuits inevitably end up reinforcing feelings of dissatisfaction and anxiety. Empathy, on the other hand, naturally leads to inner peace, confidence, and lasting contentment, as well as an increased willingness and capacity to help others.

Questions for Discussion

• How does it feel to be consumed by one’s own needs and desires? Why do such feelings undermine lasting happiness?
• What happens when we get what we want? How long does the satisfaction last? What happens next?
• What does it feel like to be genuinely concerned about another’s wellbeing? How might empathy reinforce feelings of confidence and joy?
• What is the difference between co-dependence and empathy? How do the results of these two attitudes differ?

Daily Meditation Practice
On the cushion: Begin each session with a short period of resting in open awareness, followed by a few minutes of reflecting on your desire to be free from suffering. After a few minutes of contemplating, let go of the thinking and simply be aware of the feelings that are present. Close with another period of resting in open awareness.

Off the cushion: When you see someone who is suffering, see if you can “feel with them.” Try to put yourself in their shoes and imagine what it would be like to undergo the same difficulties.

Reading: Joy of Living 228-232

Part IV  – Wisdom of the Heart - Uprooting the Source of Suffering

Points to Consider
The more we believe that certain people or situations are the cause of our suffering, the more we reinforce the notion that our wellbeing is tied to the constantly fluctuating conditions of our lives. Cultivating loving-kindness and compassion naturally undermines anger and aversion and allows us to see “difficult” experiences in a new light. When approached with an open heart, circumstances that once caused suffering will spontaneously be transformed into catalysts for inner peace, compassion, and wisdom.

Questions for Discussion

• What causes suffering? Is it external conditions, the mind, or some combination of the two?
• What role do resistance and aversion play in the manifestation of anxiety and dissatisfaction? How are loving-kindness and compassion likely to affect such feelings?
• Is it possible for a situation that would ordinarily cause suffering to instead become a cause of happiness? What might precipitate such a shift?

Daily Meditation Practice
On the cushion: Begin each session with a short period of resting in open awareness, followed by a few minutes of reflecting on the notion that all beings share our basic desires to be happy and free from suffering. After a few minutes of contemplating, let go of the thinking and simply be aware of the feelings that are present. Close with another period of resting in open awareness.

Off the cushion: As you observe other people, try to see in their efforts and activities the basic desire to be happy and free from suffering.

Reading: Joy of Living 106-109