Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (8) with Ajahn Sona

Ajahn Sona

Teatime at Birken (8 of 9) streamed live as part of the Virtual Metta Retreat (December 23-31, 2020).

Index of questions:
00:00 - Welcome
00:32 - Beings in nature are inevitably food for other beings, so how does sending Loving-kindness fit in with the food chain?
05:02 - What do monks do when they are having ongoing health problems?
10:59 - How does Metta practice relate to the compilation of death?
15:09 - Sometimes Metta fades and it’s tiring to keep generating it. Any suggestions?
20:11 - Do people get benefits in chanting a sutta (say, in Pali) without knowing it’s meaning?
25:41 - When in an urban environment I try to take negative thoughts that arise from sights and sounds and turn them into positive ones. Am I fooling myself?
30:56 - Why is it that positive or negative emotions put into the universe come back amplified?
38:15 - Can chanting the Metta Sutta act as good kindling for getting Metta started?
40:53 - Having survived trauma, sometimes fear arises during meditation. Does one stop meditating or keep going?
44:46 - Can you clarify the difference between the physical sensation of pain and the concept of dukkha?
48:04 - I have an end of life directive. What would the Buddha say? I don’t want family to be left with bad kamma resulting from that.
52:44 - Can you explain what to observe in our dreams to see how much Metta has penetrated?