We appreciated the clear and cogent explanations of the four immeasurables love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. The four immeasurablesthe cultivation of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimityis a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others. May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without suffering. Please post your comment in the comment box at the bottom of the page. The opposite is anxiety, worry, stress and paranoia. In one of the most interesting chapters, wallace discusses the near and the far enemies of the four immeasurables. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free of hatred and attachment. Clinging is thus called the near enemy, because it looks like real love. The four immeasurable thoughts is based on various teachings by lama zopa rinpoche first draft compiled, edited and annotated by ven. One teacher, many traditions you will have a deeper appreciation of this path.
But the near enemies are things that look so close to what youre trying to cultivate, but are actually fundamentally different in a dangerous way. The four immeasurablesthe cultivation of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimityis a. This love is unconditional and it requires a lot of courage and acceptance including selfacceptance. A friendly, unpretentious piece that leads the reader on an intellectual journey that will hopefully pique ones interest in delving deeper into nonduality via the four immeasurables. And now bringing the four immeasurables into the practice, theres a chart talking about decay and oh, there it is. But before we can answer the question, however, in a meaningful way, we must understand what enlightenment is and what it isnt. Each of the four brahmaviharas has what is called a near enemy and a far enemy. The buddha never claimed that the four immeasurables were his unique ideas, in a manner similar to cessation, quieting, nirvana. The four immeasurables, also known as the brahma viharas skt. The four immeasurables is a set of teachings that are designed to open the heart and improve our relationships to others and also our relationships to ourselves. The opposite is wanting others to suffer, or cruelty. I have read several of his books and i greatly enjoy his scholarship and very great scope of knowledgeincluding insights about the theravada tradition as well.
The four immeasurables in tibetan buddhism the idea of compassion is talked about by using the idea of bodhicitta. May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering. The cultivation of benevolence metta bhavana is a popular form of buddhist meditation. Developing the four immeasurables helps us to challenge these in ourselves. The tibetan sevenpoint mindtraining the long version of the four immeasurables. Practice them and you will become a refreshing source of vitality and happiness for. Condensed, easy to understand, buddhism in a nutshell from the book an. I enjoyed both books, but i think you should probably read them in order to fully appreciate them. Gnh is rests upon the four immeasurables of vajrayana buddhism. We would be very grateful if you could take the time to leave us a comment about your experience andy examples of each ofhte four brahma viharas, and their near and far enemies. The four immeasurables as a traditional tibetan buddhist prayer may all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.
The pauses and bells that end certain stages are indicated in the text. Each of the four immeasurables has near and far enemies. May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering, may they never be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering. Dzigar kongtrul rinpoche will be teaching at our maryland temple this friday 29 th june at 7pm rinpoche defines what it means to be a spiritual person in modern times, always mixing practice and life.
Near enemy is a quality that can masquerade as the original, but is not the original. May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes, may all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes, may all sentient beings not be separated from sorrowless bliss, may all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger. About us and the project rebecca and heather are both practitioners of buddhist teachings, and we are. The near enemy of love, or a quality which appears similar, but is more an opposite is conditionallove selfish love, see also attachment. May all beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness.
He spent his earlier years there and later, in lahore, in the punjab of british india. May they be free from suffering and the root of suffering. The four immeasurablesthe cultivation of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimityis a rich suite of practices that open the heart. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of the near and far enemies of the four. Perhaps the most important of these to note is that pity is the near enemy of compassion. Four immeasurables centre for mindful life enhancement. It is a part of the four immeasurables in brahmavihara divine abidings meditation. Alan wallace as buddhism has encountered modernity, it runs against widespread prejudices, both religious and antireligious, and it is common for all those with such biases to misrepresent buddhism, either intentionally or. To have a rewarding relationship with people, we need to cultivate the four immeasurables. The near enemy is a state of mind that is close to the brahmavihara and is sometimes mistaken as the good emotion, but is actually a near enemy and not the correct mental state. It wont be displayed on the web page but will be submitted to the researchers. Sarah thresher in crestone, colorado, december, 2008.
The buddha taught the following to his son rahula the four immeasurables. You might consider pausing during the reading of the talk to do this practice. Buddhism has a set of virtues called the four immeasurables. The immeasurable promotes inquiry into life, investigates the illusions of the mind, and explores the essential questions of our existence. It is a clearminded tranquil state of mind not being overpowered by delusions, no mental dullness or agitation. Descriptions could com from your own experience, others experience, from stories and teachings, books, films, imagination, and anything else that seems relevant to. By the title you might think this is going to be sappy, superficial book, but nothing can be farther from the truth. This is something we can forget sometimes if we are studying some of the really deep teachings. Each of these virtues has a near enemy and a far enemy and the goal is to be free of both of them. For example, the near enemy of empathetic joy is frivolity, while the far enemy consists of cynicism and despair combined. The power of blaming the ego in practicing the five powers near the time of death.
Equanimity upeksha fourth of the four immeasurables. Yet the original purpose of mindfulness has remained throughout the centuries. Practice them and you will become a refreshing source. The buddha never claimed that the four immeasurables were his unique ideas, in. A precious opportunity to help with the garden of the four. Near enemy is the second book in this cyberpunk series and spademan and his colorful cohorts are all back in action. May all sentient beings not be separated from sorrowless bliss. Essence of love in buddhism have you wondered what are the ingredients of happiness in buddhism. Brahmaviharas research project measuring the immeasurables. From his holiness the dalai lamas the little book of buddhism compassion and love are not mere luxuries. Alan wallace as buddhism has encountered modernity, it runs against widespread prejudices, both religious and antireligious, and it is common for all those with such biases to misrepresent buddhism, either intentionally or unintentionally. This is one of the foundational books needed in a buddhist readers spiritual life. The four immeasurable sublime attitudes are genuinely worth developing because they are qualities that soothe the hearts of living beings in general throughout the worldour parents, relatives, friends, companions, and all living beings of every sort.
On the rewards of the four immeasurables the craft of the heart. The buddha said, i teach only suffering and the end of suffering. Bodhicitta actually means compassion, but for westerners, the idea of compassion is often that the haves give to the havenots. The near enemy of love, or a quality which appears similar, but is more an opposite is.
In addition to being symbols of interdependence, these trees are also signs of auspiciousness, richness and. The four immeasurable sublime attitudes are genuinely worth developing because they are qualities that soothe the hearts of living beings in general throughout the worldour parents, relatives. According to peter harvey, the buddhist scriptures acknowledge that the four brahmavihara meditation practices did not originate within the buddhist tradition. The near enemy of it is pity, which keeps others at an emotional distance, without the urge to help. By zoketsu norman fischer may 27, 2010 editors note. Traleg rinpoche of kagyu evam buddhist institute, melbourne equanimity all religious traditions emphasise that we should love one another. The four immeasurables definitions proximate cause false facsimile or near enemy that which is diametrically opposed or distant enemy sign of success remedy bodyguard or guardian loving kindness heartfelt yearning and vision for oneself and others to experience happiness and the causes of happiness seeing the loveable qualities of another. This book picks up about one year after the end of shovel ready. And finding it fluid and actually for the first time accessible. Kpc is honored that renowned buddhist master and nyingma lineageholder, ven.
One definition of love in buddhism is wanting others to be happy. My own personal version of the original four immeasurables, with modifications and additions, which i use to close every meditation session. We are looking for people who have experience with practicing the four immeasurables, and we would be very grateful if you could take the time to leave us a comment about what they mean to you, and in particular if you could share any examples you have from your own experience, others experience, from stories and teachings, books, films, imagination. May they dwell in great equanimity free from passion, aggression, and prejudice. May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes. Equanimity upekkha fourth of the four immeasurables. Loving kindness sue loving kindness course version compassion course version. I just finished the four immeasurables and i will gladly share that it is my favorite of b. This talk contains guided meditations on equanimity. The more you study, the more deeply you can reflect on these three outlines given here and that will strengthen your practice of these immeasurables. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity. I made a diagram for remembering the near and far enemies of the. May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. Jan 12, 2015 we are looking for people who have experience with practicing the four immeasurables, and we would be very grateful if you could take the time to leave us a comment about what they mean to you, and in particular if you could share any examples you have from your own experience, others experience, from stories and teachings, books, films, imagination, and anything else that seems relevant to.
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes. The four immeasurable qualities lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity cannot surface fully unless we can understand and soften the unsavory tendencies that keep us from these positive feelings. Exact opposite of aversion because the label of pleasant is very relative and based upon limited information, attachment includes an aspect of exaggeration or projection. Another result one needs to avoid is sentimentality. May they not be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering. All of us, whatever we choose to believe, suffer, and all of us want to be happy, and are frustrated that our efforts so often are counter productive. Each of these four immeasurables has a far enemy its opposite and a near enemy a deceptive substitute. Jan 14, 2014 the four immeasurables is a set of teachings that are designed to open the heart and improve our relationships to others and also our relationships to ourselves. Since we are getting near the end, ive wanted to ask this.
The four immeasurables prayer gepost door invincibleunicorn op 03. See also the discourse on lovingkindness a short sutra, by shakyamuni buddha. The four immeasurables are found in one brief and beautiful prayer. The immeasurable looking beyond the limits of knowledge. The author of more than two dozen books, she established buddhist. After reading several basic books on buddhism, including at least one teaching the practice of mindfulness of breathing such as mindfulness in plain english by bhante gunaratana, its time to turn to the four immeasurables. Recommended books controversy a to z glossary number glossary. Jan 12, 2015 we are looking for people who have experience with practicing the four immeasurables, and we would be very grateful if you could take the time to leave us a comment about what they mean to you, and in particular if you could share any examples you have from your own experience, others experience, from stories and teachings, books, films. The near enemy is pity, which keeps other at a distance, and does not urge one to help. Common tibetan buddhist prayers, mantras and texts gaden for the west. Beware of lurking near enemies by marguerite theophil, november 3, 2009. The four immeasurables the cultivation of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimityis a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others. Each immeasurable also has a direct opposite, its far enemy. When a buddhist takes the bodhisattva vow, they dedicate their entire life to.
With mindfulness, joseph goldstein shares the wisdom of his four decades of teaching and practice in a book that will serve as a lifelong companion for anyone committed to mindful living and the realization of inner freedom. If we had only these four emotions at our disposal, we would have paradise on. On the rewards of the four immeasurables the craft of. New delhi, india in buddhist teachings, the four brahmaviharas, translated as the immeasurables, divine abodes, or divine abidings are.
Or for an opening chant you could recite the four immeasurables. The four immeasurable thoughts lama yeshe wisdom archive. Four brahmaviharas highest attitudesemotions heavenly or sublime abodes best home. The four immeasurables practices to open the heart. Each of the four practices were focusing on in our 100 days of lovingkindness metta lovingkindness, karuna compassion, mudita joyful appreciation, and upekkha evenminded love collectively known as the divine abidings brahma viharas or the four immeasurables has a near enemy. His holiness the dalai lama from the little book of buddhism. They are lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
May all beings have no suffering nor the causes of suffering. So im confused as to why applying the four immeasurables to my practice becomes an obstacle in the sense that i find myself distracted or maybe not using attention in the right way. But in my experience from the mahamudra classes that i attended with you, and discovering that i had a capacity for practice. A precious opportunity to help with the garden of the four immeasurables. May they remain in the boundless equanimity, free from both attachment to close. The near enemy of love, or a quality which appears similar, but is. There is a sense of one person having or being in a position to give, and another one being needy. Read the books trained by the great white lodge by t. The prayer and the practice lama yeshe wisdom archive. Dzigar kongtrul rinpoche will be teaching at our maryland temple this friday 29 th june at 7pm. Just as a mother constantly thinking of her child who is sick intensifies her wish to free the child of its sickness, so too by meditating on the four immeasurables we can strengthen and expand our bodhicitta. The purpose of meditating on the four immeasurables is to strengthen our bodhicitta. The jhanas and the brahma viharas by lloyd burton this is a condensation of some talks, practice instructions, and guided meditations i offered at a retreat led by leigh brasington, junejuly, 2003, in chupadero, new mexico.
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