A Bodhicitta Practice -- Pema Chödrön

You’ll no longer be afraid of hardship and suffering, because your heart will be big enough to embrace it all. You’ll no longer have the tendency to exclude. You’ll only want to embrace the whole world. And every daily practice—walking , sitting, smiling, and breathing—will take you in the direction of bodicitta.

But loving-kindness—maitri—toward ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy, we can still be angry. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.

When we focus on our breath, we uncover our inherent equanimity. When we allow the churning thoughts in our mind to settle, we discover our inherent wisdom. When we relax and open our hearts, our innate kindness emerges. When we have practiced long enough to be able to access

Loving-kindness can be practiced anywhere. You can use this meditation in traffic jams, in buses, and on airplanes. As you silently practice this meditation among people, you will come to feel a wonderful connection with them—the power of loving-kindness. It will calm your mind and keep you connected to your heart.