“Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.”

From the Karaniya Metta Sutta; or, perhaps more readily known as The Buddha’s Words on Loving-kindness.

It is the very heart of the Buddhist teachings. And one which resonates quite deeply within me.

‘Just as a mother protects her child, her only child’ – so too, must we protect this heart of loving-kindness.

Do you know what it means to love in just this way? Without fear, expectation or worry that things *must* be a certain way?

To greet all beings with a boundless heart, is the single greatest liberation I have ever known.

You may have noticed, I always ensure a second cup is poured. And though, it might seem silly – symbolically, it is my way of offering a space in my heart for all others.

We were born with boundless heart, my loves. It is only through our unconditional love that we may finally learn to keep it this way.