Lokeshvara speaks of the culmination of metta in Equanimity, and describes two ways of seeing Upekkha – as the outward radiation of goodwill that makes no distinction between living beings; and as the inner attitude of complete equanimity as life flows in, the attitude when abandoning the welcoming and rebelling of the worldly winds.

He expresses very personally, and insightfully, his own practice of developing this second aspect of equanimity, as a practice of ‘willingly inviting ruin”, referring to this poem by Izumi Shikibu:

‘It is true
the wind blows terribly here
but moonlight
also leaks between the roof planks
of this ruined house.’

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