And think of every living thing without exception:
the weak and the strong, from the smallest to the largest, whether you can see them or not, living nearby or far away, beings living now or yet to arise –
may all beings become happy in their heart of hearts!

This quote is from the Kariniya Metta Sutta, the Buddha’s words on compassion – it encourages well wishes to all beings. It invites us to develop metta: loving kindness – unconditional good will towards all beings – whether visible or invisible.

So what is it to be invisible, not to be seen or acknowledged? What is it to simply be overlooked – as if you do not even exist? It is these beings that I wish to consider – to bring into a greater sphere of compassionate awareness. Mettā is one of the four “divine abodes” (Pali: brahmavihāra) – this includes feeling happy when others are happy. It includes feeling compassion when others suffer. In short, feeling interconnected with all beings.

The result… interpersonal harmony, meditative concentration, our own wellbeing regardless of what is happening around, regardless of external circumstances. This is happiness indeed! Mettā is indeed one of the ten “perfections” (pāramī) that facilitates the attainment of awakening – Bodhi – itself.

The Buddha taught the practice of loving kindness to help some monks were trying to meditate in a forest. They had became frightened by ‘earth devas’ or ‘forest spirits’ – that were ‘invisible’ to them. Through mettā they began to radiate loving-kindness. The invisible beings settled, and left the monks to meditate peacefully amongst them.

Shamanism is embedded in animism. It recognises how our states of heart-mind affect the living space around – visible or invisible. Our thoughts, words, actions evoke resonances though the time-space continuum. These can hurt and harm others, energetically, mentally or physically. Shamanism includes practices to remove harmful ‘intrusions’ and re-establish harmony in a person and their environment.

This animist paradigm exists globally, across cultures. Shamanism is the practical engagement with an animate universe. The universe is alive, our actions, thoughts and words have effects on others. This is the basis of the ethics of Buddhism too. By empathizing with others though loving kindness and compassion, we become free – and non-violent.

Let’s acknowledge invisible beings – nature spirits, devas, earth spirits – and that they also suffer as a result of human activity. Let’s acknowledge that a minority of human on the planet do the majority of the damage. Here is an example. If you have the power and privilege to be able to travel by plane then you are in the top 10% of people creating 80% of the air pollution on the planet. We are complicit in contributing to countless lives lost to flooding, fires or starvation.

Let’s follow the teachings of Buddhism and the practices of Shamanism to develop compassion and loving kindness, creating compassionate thoughts, words and deeds.