When he spoke about the Four Immeasurable Minds, the Buddha used the term sabbattataya — “being one with everything.”24

“May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself” is an important practice. Our mind is described as the soil containing many seeds, positive and negative. We have to be aware of all of them. When we are in touch with our suffering, we have to know that there are other seeds too. Our ancestors transmitted seeds of suff

Knowing that anger makes me ugly, I smile instead. I return to myself and meditate on love.

There are poisons inside us, including craving, anger, and delusion.

Relying on the Dharma can also be called “taking refuge in the island of self,” the island of peace in each of us.

We are loved by the air; we need fresh air to be happy and well. We are loved by the trees. We need trees to be healthy.

Possessive love is like a dictatorship. We want to control the one we love, dictating what they can and cannot do. In wholesome love relationships, there is a certain amount of possessiveness and attachment, but if it is excessive, both lover and beloved will suffer.

Looking and listening deeply, surveying our territory, is the beginning of love meditation. We

much. In the Visuddhimagga, Buddhaghosa advises us to start with someone we like, because it is easier to offer our mind of love to such a person. He uses the example of lighting a fire. First we ignite some straw. Once the straw is burning, we add small sticks. Once the small sticks have caught fire, we add small logs. Once those have caught fire,