Originally Posted by Skeezyks

Actually, sending good thoughts... compassion, lovingkindness & joy to those we dislike, or who have made life difficult for us, is a basic practice within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. One starts out by sending good thoughts / wishes to oneself & then to someone one is close to. Then one sends those same good thoughts to, perhaps, friends & acquaintances... people one knows but is not necessarily close to. Next one sends those good thoughts to people one perhaps does not really know... people we pass on the street, for example. Then one moves on to people one might actually dislike or even fear. We then visualize ourselves standing together with all of these people receiving the same good wishes together. The practice ends by sending out the same good thoughts to all sentient beings everywhere. I have, on occasion posted one of these on PsychCentral (although it never seemed to attract much interest...) Perhaps I'll post one here on NT now-&-again...