Lovingkindness, called metta in Sanskrit, is the state of mind and being from which compassion emerges naturally. When we practice lovingkindness, we truly enter a realm in which we recognize that all beings—including ourselves, our loved ones, and our enemies—seek to be happy and free from suffering. We not only recognize and empathize with the suffering of others, as we do when we experience compassion, we also actively wish for all beings to be free from suffering and to find happiness.

~ Nancy Napier, “Sacred Practices for Conscious Living, 2nd Edition”

Apple Blossoms – photo by SeNata, bigstockphoto.com