Sometimes you just want the words. Not the philosophy behind them, not the history — just something to actually say when you sit down. Here’s the script Tranquil Mind uses, start to finish.
Before the Phrases: The Four Smiles
Thirty seconds, no words needed. Smile with your lips. Smile with your eyes. Smile with your mind. Smile with your heart. Let the warmth in your chest start to gather — that warmth is what the phrases below are pointing at.
Directed at Yourself
Start here, always. Silently, gently, without rushing:
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be well.
Say each line slowly enough to actually feel it land, even a little. If the words feel hollow at first, that’s normal — keep going. The feeling tends to catch up to the words, not the other way around.
Directed at Your Spiritual Friend
Once you feel some warmth toward yourself, bring your Spiritual Friend to mind and shift the phrase outward:
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from suffering.
Picture them clearly enough that the warmth comes naturally. If you don’t have a Spiritual Friend chosen yet, it’s fine to stay with yourself for now.
When Your Mind Wanders
It will, probably more than once. There’s no separate phrase for this — just the 6Rs: recognize you’ve drifted, release the distraction, relax the tension it left, re-smile, and return to whichever phrase you were using. Then repeat.
A Note on the Words Themselves
These specific phrases aren’t magic, and you’re not required to use this exact wording forever. What matters is the feeling underneath them — warmth, goodwill, a wish for someone’s wellbeing. Once you’ve practiced with this script for a while, many people find their own natural phrasing starts to emerge, and that’s fine too. Start here, and let it evolve.
The Full Script, All Together
May I be happy. May I be peaceful. May I be well.
May you be happy. May you be peaceful. May you be free from suffering.
Learn the Whole Practice
This script is one piece of the full loving-kindness practice — and part of the complete Tranquil Mind method. If you’d like a real teacher to guide you through using it, Tranquil Mind offers free one-on-one sessions — always free, because we’re a nonprofit.
May you be happy. May you be peaceful. May you be free from suffering.
