Buddha himself taught his monks the Metta meditation. Metta is a word from Sanskrit and is usually translated as “loving-kindness”. 

Metta Meditation is a contemplative practice that leads us toward forgiveness and the development of loving-kindness.

In this practice, we recite blessings or well-wishes for specific individuals and groups of people.

• We begin with ourselves.
• Then we continue with people we love or feel close to.
• Next, we direct our wishes to neutral individuals with whom we have no particular connection.
• Finally, we include those considered “enemies” - people who are hostile toward us, or who have hurt or harmed us in some way

We can also include broader groups of people in our blessings - for example, all women, all men, the wealthy, the poor, politicians, or all Germans. Again, we start with groups we feel positively toward, then gradually expand to include those who evoke more difficult feelings in us.

By gradually including more challenging individuals and groups, we expand our hearts and our capacity for loving-kindness.

The classical Metta phrases are:

1. May (I) be free from danger.  
2. May (I) be happy.  
3. May (I) be physically healthy.  
4. May (I) go through life with ease.

You can also create your own versions of these well-wishes.

This is just a very brief and simplified introduction. For those who wish to engage more deeply, I recommend the book “Metta Meditation – Buddha's Revolutionary Path to Happiness” by Sharon Salzberg as a practical guide.