Virtual Metta Retreat: Teatime (8) with 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?