ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with exercises in kindness meditation aimed at ourselves, and then it gradually extends to include others: a benefactor, loved ones, family and friends and neutral people. It broadens the practice further to include people with whom we have an uneasy relationship. We can even include people we consider our enemies, and then groups, nations and eventually all living beings. This is done in a way comparable to the traditional Buddhist practice of loving-kindness or metta. The chapter reflects on the self-transcending and relational qualities of compassion and address the phenomena of overidentification and dis-identification. It introduces writing a compassionate letter and discuss how we can practise kindness and compassion for different parts in ourselves and different categories of others. The 'Compassionate Breathing' exercise can help us feel physically and emotionally more closely connected to the pain as well as to the stream of compassion because it does not make use of words.
