Our core practice is always Zazen ... "Just Sitting"
Shikantaza Zazen.
But I wish to introduce a touch of "
Metta (Loving Kindness) Practice" as well (many Zen teachers have done so), and I recommend it once a day at least. It can also be done at any time when, for example, some feelings of anger, resentment, jealousy or the like start to well up in us directed at a fellow sentient being. A bit of
Metta can be good medicine for that.
While I do not intend this to replace our core practice of
Shikantaza by any means, I have taught at various Zen
Sangha that have well introduced a bit of
Metta Practice. I think it adds a little something vital to our practice on the "Compassion" side of the equation.
For those not familiar with the term ...
Metta (मैत्री, a word in the ancient Buddhist Pali language) has been translated as "loving-kindness," "benevolence," "good will," "love" and "sympathy." It is one of the Ten Paramitas (Virtues) of Buddhism. The metta bhavana ("cultivation of metta") is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism. The object of metta meditation is loving kindness (but, of course, without demands or attachment). Traditionally, the practice begins with the meditator cultivating loving kindness towards themselves, then their loved ones, friends, strangers, difficult or hate-filled people in our life or world (perhaps the most difficult part of the practice) and finally towards all sentient beings.
I might suggest a few minutes of Metta practice as a nice way to end the day before bed (or, for example, at the closing of your evening Zazen) or sometime during your day. Perhaps just before turning into bed for the night, or right after finishing your evening Zazen (and before rising from the Zafu), or any time, you might recite or chant the following ... (and, as stated, it is also good during your day when encountering folks who "just plain get your goat"!
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