How many emails do you write each day? I just counted, and yesterday alone, I wrote 64! Many of my emails are business-related and jump straight into the message without a salutation or closing. But some start with “Dear (insert name)” or “Hi!” and end with a sign-off.
For those emails, I usually sign off with “Metta, Bodhipaksa.” Metta is a Buddhist term for kindness, often translated as “lovingkindness.” I prefer to simply use the word kindness because it’s more relatable and easy to understand.
Recently, I was responding to someone who couldn’t make it to a gathering due to work commitments. As I was about to sign off with “Metta, Bodhipaksa,” it struck me that I could genuinely connect with the person I was writing to, offering a bit of warmth and kindness. Usually, these sign-offs are just a routine for me, and I don’t think much about them.
So this time, I paused for a few seconds and thought about the person I was addressing. I reminded myself that he is a human being with his own joys and sorrows, just like me. This simple act of empathy made a sense of warmth and kindness naturally arise within me. Even half an hour after writing the email, I could still feel the difference.
This approach aligns with how I teach the practice of cultivating kindness, or metta, in meditation. You don’t need to force yourself to be nice or try to make anything happen. Kindness naturally emerges when we recognize that others have feelings that are just as important to them as ours are to us.
From now on, every time I write “With metta, Bodhipaksa,” I’m going to take a moment to empathize with the person I’m writing to. I can’t believe it took me 36 years of meditating to come up with this simple yet beautiful practice. It’s a wonderful way to connect with our feelings of kindness throughout the day and build more meaningful relationships.
I love seeing how mindfulness and meditation start to blend into our everyday tasks. Often, I have to remind myself that there is another human being on the other end of my emails. They might appreciate a simple greeting rather than a curt demand. Although I once thought that brevity equaled efficiency, I’ve come to realize that building meaningful connections is more beneficial in the long run.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
With Metta,
Dimple Herath
Thank you for this insight! Truly meaning what you say, whether it’s a hello, goodbye, or well-wishing, raises our level of consciousness and spreads positive energy.
With Metta,
Irina