Photo Credit - https://www.pinterest.com/
Introduction

Among Sri Lankan Buddhists, cultivating a heart of loving-kindness — Metta — is not limited to meditation halls. It is something practiced through everyday actions that reflect gentleness, generosity, and care.

Every full moon day (Poya), lay devotees prepare meals for the monastics, bring them to the temple, and offer them first to the Buddha, then to the Sangha, and finally to the lay practitioners observing the Eight Precepts. The entire process flows with calm joy and goodwill. Serving each other with respect, offering food, water, and blessings — all these nurture loving-kindness in action.


                                                 Photo Credit - https://www.pinterest.com/

Offering to Birds and Animals

Many Sri Lankan homes have a small raised platform near the house where people scatter cooked rice or grains for birds before they eat their own meals. No one knows which birds will come — pigeons, sparrows, or parrots — and that is the beauty of it.

The giver does not expect anything in return. The act arises from a simple wish:
“May a hungry being be fed. May this relieve suffering.”

Such offerings cultivate selflessness. Unlike feeding one’s own pet, which can involve attachment, feeding unknown creatures trains the heart in universal compassion.

                                                      Photo Credit - https://www.pinterest.com/

Sharing Leftovers and Water

Leftover food is never wasted. It is collected, mixed, and placed in a corner of the garden, with the thought: “May some being find nourishment.”
Later, a stray dog or bird may eat it.
During hot dry seasons, people also leave bowls of water so that thirsty creatures can drink.

Each of these small actions purifies the mind. Hatred and greed fade away when one sincerely thinks of the well-being of others.
Metta is not just meditation — it is living kindness.

Conclusion

To cultivate loving-kindness, we do not need great wealth or long rituals.
We only need a willing heart — to feed a bird, to share a meal, to offer a drop of water.

When such habits spread across households and villages, the collective mind of society softens. Compassion grows where selfishness once ruled.
And the world, little by little, becomes a gentler home for all beings.

“May all beings be happy and safe.” 🕊️

References