Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c17.s2.t5: Four Brahmavihāras
Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c17.s2.t5
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Four Brahmavihāras
v1.c17.s2.t5.1
The four Brahmavihāras are mettā, karuṇā, muditā and upekkhā.¹ These are so called because they make the minds of the adepts pure like those of Brahma-kāyikā gods and after death they are reborn in the highest plane.²
v1.c17.s2.t5.2
¹ Cf. Pātañjala, III, 23, and Bhāṣya, I, 33: तत्र सर्वप्राणिषु सुखसभोगापन्नेषु मैत्रीं भावयेत, दुःखितेषु करुणां, पुण्यात्मकेषु मुदितां, अपुण्यात्मकेषु उपेक्षाम् । एवमस्य भावयतः शुक्लो धर्म उपजायते । ततश्च चित्तं प्रसीदति, प्रसन्नमेकाग्रं स्थितिपदं लभते ॥
v1.c17.s2.t5.3
² Vism, p. 320.
v1.c17.s2.t5.4
i. The adept desirous of practising mettā-bhāvanā should take his seat in a secluded place after he has finished his meal and realise the evils of dosa-citta (mind full of hatred) and merits of khanti (forbearance), for, by mettā-bhāvanā dosa is removed and khanti developed.
v1.c17.s2.t5.5
The first step in mettā-bhāvanā is to select the person upon whom the adept is to cast a friendly eye but at the same time keeping his mind free from rāga and such other feelings. After pointing out the various difficulties in selecting the person, it is suggested that mettā-feeling should be first exercised in connection with one’s own self, i.e. wish for one’s own good and then in connection with his spiritual preceptor and so forth wishing him all happiness. In this way he is first to develop appanā and then gradually extend his range, including ultimately his enemies, after having completely destroyed his paṭigha, if any. He is to extend his range from the inmates of his own āvāsa to those of another and so on, to nine or ten āvāsas, and then to the inhabitants of a village, town and so forth up to a cakka-vāḷa.³ The next step for him is to break down the line of demarcation (sīmāsambheda) between any two persons, i.e. his feeling of love towards himself, his friends, his enemies or neutrals should be absolutely without any distinction. As for instance, if a man wants to kill his enemy, he must not say that the life of his enemy be spared and his be taken instead; it will not then be sīmā-asambheda. To him there should be no distinction between himself and his enemy and it is this state of mind that mettā-bhāvanā is expected to create. As soon as sīmā-asambheda is developed, he has the necessary nimitta, upacāra and appanā and soon acquires the four jhāna.s¹
v1.c17.s2.t5.6
³ Ibid.
v1.c17.s2.t5.7
¹ Vism. p 307.
v1.c17.s2.t5.8
In the Nikāyas, the usual statement is that the adept exercises the mettā-feelings towards all beings in all the directions one after another. This is possible only after the adept has gone through the procedure described above.
v1.c17.s2.t5.9
ii. In karuṇā-bhāvanā also the adept is to choose a suitable object of compassion, e.g., an indigent person begging for alms or a criminal when being taken to the place of punishment and so forth. In this way he is to extend his range for compassion, including ultimately his enemies, after removing paṭigha, if any. Like mettā-bhāvanā, he is to practise sīmā-asambheda and gradually develop nimitta, upacāra, appanā and the jhāna.s.
v1.c17.s2.t5.10
iii. In muditā-bhāvanā the adept is to have a feeling of joy at another's happiness (muditā). The best to start with is a close friend (atippiyasahāyako) of the adept and then other persons may be selected and ultimately his enemey. The remaining process is the same as that of mettā-bhāvanā.
v1.c17.s2.t5.11
iv. Upekkhā-bhāvanā is generally taken up by an adept who has practised the previous three bhāvanās and acquired the jhāna.s. In the jhāna.s too, there are the feelings of pīti and virāga, which, being akin to anunaya (fondness) and paṭigha (hatred), have to be eschewed in upekkhā-bhāvanā.
v1.c17.s2.t5.12
In practising upekkhā-bhāvanā it is suggested that the person to be selected for the exercise of the feeling of equanimity should be a neutral one and then a friend and then an enemy. Like mettā-bhāvanā, in upekkhā too, the sīmā-asambheda is to be practised, developing ultimately the jhāna.
Cites (2)
- Yogasūtra — Patañjali (author of the Yogasūtra), Sanskrit
- Visuddhimagga — Buddhaghosa, Pāli