How many emails do you write in an average day? I just did a quick count and found that yesterday alone, I wrote 64! Many of them are business-related and jump straight into the message without any greeting or sign-off. But some start with a “Dear (whoever)” or “Hi!” and end with a typical closing.
Usually, I wrap up those emails with “Metta, Bodhipaksa.” “Metta” is a Buddhist term for kindness and is often translated as “lovingkindness.” I prefer the word “kindness” because it feels more relatable and practical.
So, while replying to someone who couldn’t attend a gathering due to work, I signed off with “Metta, Bodhipaksa” and realized I could actually connect with genuine warmth and kindness towards the person. Typically, these sign-offs are just a formality and I don’t give much thought to them.
This time, I paused for a few seconds and thought about the person I was writing to. I reminded myself that he is a human being with feelings, joys, and sorrows just like me. By doing this, I naturally felt a sense of warmth and kindness. Even half an hour after writing the email, I still felt different from this brief exercise.
This simple practice is what I teach people for cultivating kindness through meditation, known as “metta bhavana” (bhavana means cultivation). You don’t need to force it or “try to be nice.” Kindness naturally arises when we empathize with the fact that others have feelings just as important to them as ours are to us.
So, I’ve decided to pause and empathize with the person I’m writing to every time I sign off with “With metta, Bodhipaksa.” It’s surprising that it took me 36 years of meditating to come up with this!
What a simple and beautiful way to stay in touch with our feelings of lovingkindness throughout the day and to build more meaningful relationships.
I love hearing about how meditation and mindfulness blend into our daily work lives. Often, when I reread an email before sending it, I have to remind myself that there is another human being on the other end who might appreciate a simple “hey” rather than just a curt “where is X?” For a while, I thought that cutting words in emails was part of being efficient, not realizing that it’s better in the long run to build meaningful bonds and appreciate the person, not just the task. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing this insight! Truly meaning what you say in a greeting or sign-off raises your level of consciousness and sends out strong positive energy.