Radical Kindness: The Metta Sutta as a Way of Living, Online 7/25–8/15

Practice Center
Date / Time
Jul 25, 2026 / 8:30am - Aug 15, 2026 / 10:00am
Event Type
Classes & Extended Courses
Description

Four Saturdays, July 25–August 15, 8:30–10 am PT / 5:30–7 pm CEST, Online

The Metta Sutta, or Loving Kindness Sutta, is a regular part of the services at San Francisco Zen Center’s temples, and is perhaps sometimes overlooked or underestimated. Its message is not sentimental but radical: kindness toward all beings!

And it goes far beyond loving all beings. Ultimately, the Metta Sutta describes a way of living that is, in every respect, kind, attentive, and engaged in thought, speech, and action, even toward non-living things, such as objects, situations, etc. In that way, life as a whole becomes a continuous intimate encounter.

While the practice of loving kindness meditation begins as a dualistic practice (being kind toward a friend, a neighbor) it is heading toward non-dual realization. It requires wisdom to understand its unconditional greatness, “This is what should be accomplished by the one who is wise…,” which is free of any object.

Over four weeks, we’ll explore:

  • What the Buddha said about loving kindness, including the 11 benefits
  • The Metta Sutta itself, including various translations
  • The movement from compassion to loving kindness and wisdom
  • The understanding of great love in philosophy, literature, and German mysticism

The approach in the course will include reading the text aloud, contemplative reflection, conversation, impulse talks, brief zazen, and guided loving kindness meditation.

Please bring pen and paper for writing.

Suggested Readings:
The Philosophy of Zen Buddhism by Byung-Chul Han, especially the last chapter, “Friendliness”
Loving Kindness Meditation (SFZC)
Teachings on Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
Metta Sutta, translated by Thich Nhat Hanh

Recordings:
All course sessions will be recorded, and registered participants will receive temporary access to the recordings for later viewing.

Fee Information
  • Benefactor Ticket Price: $210
  • General ticket price: $168
  • Member (Become an SFZC Member): $151
  • Sliding Scale 1: $101
  • Sliding Scale 2: $42
  • Current SFZC residents and qualified SFZC retirees may attend this course for free. To register, please email onlineprograms@sfzc.org at least 72 hours before the program begins.

Register Online

Or call 415-354-0360.

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