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The art of Love
Pebble Meditation offers a simple way to restore what Thây calls our “flowerness,” using four pebbles you wash, bag, and bring to each sitting. After three bells you:
- Pick up the first pebble (flower) – Breathing in, I see myself as a flower; Breathing out, I feel fresh.
- Pick up the second pebble (mountain) – Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain; Breathing out, I feel solid.
- Pick up the third pebble (still water) – Breathing in, I see myself as still water; Breathing out, I reflect things as they are.
- Pick up the fourth pebble (space) – Breathing in, I see myself as space; Breathing out, I feel free.
True love in Buddhism has four elements. Cultivate them first in yourself, then offer them to another:
• Maitri (friendship/loving-kindness): the capacity to bring happiness, grounded in deep understanding of suffering and aspiration.
• Karuna (compassion): the capacity to remove pain by looking and listening deeply, first toward yourself, then toward others.
• Mudita (joy): unrestricted joy born from letting go, mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
• Upekṣā (equanimity/inclusiveness): non-discrimination that dissolves frontiers between self and other, expanding love to all beings.
