Metta and Karuna are important Buddhist practices in Thailand, often mentioned in connection to Thai Massage and other Thai Healing Arts.
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They are part of the so-called Four Sublime States or Four Attitudes (officially called Brahmavihara), which are known as Metta (Loving Kindness), Karuna (Compassion), Mudita (Sympathetic Joy), and Upekkha (Equanimity). These attitudes or “divine abodes” are notably related to Theravada Buddhism, which is the mainstream branch of Buddhism in Thailand.
The word Metta comes from the Pali language (in Sanskrit it’s known as Maitri) and could be translated as loving kindness (this is the most commonly used translation), benevolence, friendliness, goodwill, amity, or interest in others.
The deliberate cultivation of Metta is about nurturing a feeling and attitude that all living creatures are our friends and deserve our kindness. Its practice is connected to the Buddhist idea of “making merit,” building good Karma, and ending the cycle of reincarnation.
In addition, it’s not only thought that practicing Metta brings happiness to those who receive it, but that it also brings happiness and peace of mind for the practitioner, becoming a tool to reducing worry, mental stress, and suffering. Moreover, Metta should also be directed to ourselves, which is often the easiest way to begin with.
Karuna (a word in both the Pali and Sanskrit language) can be translated as compassion, pity, sympathy, tenderness, merciful, wanting to be helpful to oneself and others, or having the desire to remove sorrow.
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It’s thought that Karuna arises through (i.e. is the result of) Metta. That is, loving-kindness and goodwill to others generates compassion and sympathy when others suffer, which subsequently creates the desire to remove their sorrow.
In Thailand, Loving Kindness (Metta) and Compassion (Karuna) find their application in taking loving care of oneself, the sick, the elderly, and unhappy people, which is reflected in the role of the Thai Buddhist Temples, in Thai Massage, Thai Midwifery, meditation practices, and in Dhammanamai, and more in general in Thai Traditional Medicine.
One could say that the Thai Healing Arts are the physical application of Metta and Karuna, being means to help end suffering of mankind. In fact, since ancient times in Thailand, Buddhist monks have been closely involved with taking care of the physically and mentally ill, which made the Thai Buddhist temples important centers of Thai Massage, herbal medicine and meditation practices, a phenomenon that exists even today.
