The Four Immeasurables and the Sublime States of Mind

When considering the options for my next topic, I was browsing all over the internet for a good source, but then a particular concept caught my eye: the four immeasurables in Buddhism: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The reason that I was drawn to this, is in the way that they have been described as a thought which goes beyond the rational mind and your direct emotions. They are instead described as wholesome, all-encompassing thoughts that are supposed to be constantly exceeding the realm of your immediate environment and what you know well, past those places and persons, onto person's that are very far from you, and those that you do not know at all. These are the thoughts that are intended to include an immeasurable number of people. They are also intended to create within the practitioner, an immeasurable amount of warmth, and thus, meant to destroy an immeasurable amount of hatred and despair.

The writer Nyanaponika Thera, writes of two ways of practicing these immeasurables, “...there are two ways of developing the sublime states: first by practical conduct and an appropriate direction of thought; and second by methodical meditation aiming at the absorptions.” I have chosen to focus this entry around the initial: the practical conduct, and the appropriate direction of thought about these messages. This is because, I feel that in order to truly express how something such as a deep meditation about a concept has affected me, I would have to do so over a sustained period of time. Of which, I may choose to write about later.

The first immeasurable, is loving-kindness. Some have argued that this one is the most important. What is loving-kindness? It is put simply by Ven Sangye Khadro, as "...a genuine feeling of caring and respect for others. We wish them to be happy and to have whatever they need for a healthy, satisfying life...," What makes this inherently different from a normal love emotion, or an average projection of kindness, is that it is meant to include all beings. Only then, can it be considered befitting of an "immeasurable," and only then, will it actually be exceeding the confines of your average thought.

As I was looking through numerous sources, in my quest for more information about this, I felt this idea was most potently stated in the Metta Sutta. "Metta," meaning loving-kindness and "Sutta," meaning a discourse of the Buddha:

This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness

And who knows the path of peace:

Let them be able and upright, straightforward and gentle in speech,

Humble and not conceited, contented and easily satisfied.

Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.

Peaceful and calm, and wise and skilful,

not proud and demanding in nature.

Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove. They should wish:

In gladness and in safety

May all beings be at ease.

Whatever living beings there may be,

Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,

The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,

The seen and the unseen,

Those living near and far away,

Those born and to-be-born,

May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another, or despise any being in any state,

Let none through anger or ill-will wish harm upon another.

Even as a mother protects with her life her child, her only child, 
So with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings, Radiating kindness over the entire world, 
Spreading upwards to the skies, and downwards to the depths, 
Outwards and unbounded, freed from hatred and ill-will.

Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down, 
Free from drowsiness, one should sustain this recollection.

The second immeasurable that follows this message, is compassion. We all know what compassion is, but what makes it an "immeasurable" concept? It is the wishing for all beings to be free from their suffering, beyond the people that you know. It is considered an immeasurable in Buddhism by including, not only, those people that you might not know, but also those that you may never get to know. This is what makes it different from an average amount of compassion. It is important to remember this, as the Dalai Lama has said, "Compassion and love are not mere luxuries. As the source both of inner and external peace, they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species."

The third, is sympathetic joy (sometimes called "appreciative joy"). It is the grand antidote to torrid jealousy, and a natural cure for envy. This is something that I have personally struggled with many times over, as we all want certain things that others already have.

The definition is: being happy with someone's fortune/happiness. Sympathetic joy here refers to the potential of bliss and happiness of all sentient beings, as they can all become Buddhas.

The near enemy is hypocrisy or affectation.

The opposite is jealousy, when one cannot accept the happiness of others. (Harderwijk)

The final of these ideas, is a very important lesson, called equanimity. It is the idea of treating and thinking of all other beings as your equal, without feeling indifferent toward them- even during a heated argument, and with this I agree:

It enables us to overcome bias and prejudice in our responses to others and functions as an antidote to pride and partiality. As the Buddha taught, pride often occupies center stage in the workings of the ego-self because of our inherent belief that we are more important or more valuable than others. Because of pride, we are likely to feel hostile toward those who seem to threaten our sense of importance. (Hodge)

Sarah

Works Cited

Bhikkhu, Thanissaro. "Head & Heart Together: Bringing Wisdom to the Brahma-viharas." Access to Insight. Buddhist Publication Society. 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

Harderwijk, Rudy. "The Four Immeasurables." A View on Buddhism. N.p., 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

Hodge, Stephen. Zen Master Class: A Course in Zen Wisdom from Traditional Masters. Hampshire: Godsfield Press, 2002. Print.

Khadro, Ven Sangye. "Immeasurable Love." Bodhicitta. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

"Metta Sutta." University of Pennsylvania Department of Linguistics. University of Pennsylvania, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

"Sutta." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

"The Four Immeasurables." Buddha Studies. BuddhaNet. 2008. Web. Jan 29. 2013.

Thera, Nyanaponika. "The Four Sublime States: Contemplations on Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity." Access to Insight. Buddhist Publication Society. 1993. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

The Yamas of Hinduism and Yoga Continued

Works Cited

Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions. Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.

Palkhivala, Aadil. "Teaching the Yamas in Asana Class." Yoga Journal. Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc, 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

"Quotes About Kindness." Goodreads. Goodreads, Inc, 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

"Yoga Sutras of Patanjali." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 6 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

"Yogi." Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, Inc, 2o13. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

I noticed after posting it, that my previous post had some errors. That's because I realized that I was about to miss my deadline by about one minute. Therefore, I rushed to post it as soon as I was finished writing it to make it on time, "cinderella-style." Here are some corrections:

First paragraph, fifth sentence, should be "basis" not basic.

Fourth paragraph, third sentence, should not have that extra "to." There may be others.

Thanks,

Sarah

The Yamas of Hinduism and Yoga

The dictionary definition of a yogi is "an adherent of yoga philosophy." One of the most famed yogis in history, if not the most prolific to date, is Patanjali. What is so special about Patanjali? Well, Patanjali wrote a book once, entitled Yoga Sutras. Within the Yoga Sutras, he describes the philosophical basic of raja yoga, which is considered to be the path to a higher mental state and spiritual being through the use of refined mental concentration. There are eight limbs- or deeply meaningful and necessary steps to take, on this pathway of concentration. The very first limb, or step, that one must take is called The Yamas. The Yamas encompass the ideals that a person wishing to achieve maximum unity with their higher calling in the cycle of life and death within the Hindu faith ought to follow morally. It is my understanding that the main focus of the passages which describe The Yamas are worded primarily with regard to how we conduct ourselves among others in this world, and how we are to converse with relation to other people: the preceding thought, the actions that follow, and perceiving their effects in advance.

To quote the author, Mary Pat Fisher,

"Yogis say that it is easier to calm a wild tiger than it is to quiet the mind, which is like a drunken monkey that has been bitten by a scorpion. The problem is that the mind is our vehicle for knowing the Self. If the mirror of the mind is disturbed, it reflects the disturbance rather than the pure light within. The goal of yogic practices is to make the mind absolutely calm and clear."

Thus, Patanjali created a means of simply living with some self-control and self-restraint with your actions. He conjured that by placing a small mental "yama" or "rein," as a rider would on a horse, on yourself, would be worth your while as a means to guide your way through life a little easier.

There are five Yamas. Each with their own unique meaning and depth. They are: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha. Ahimsa is kindness. It is the basic idea that one should not do harm to onto others, nor think of inflicting harm on others, or hint toward having the goal, or intention of a literal harm to any other human being. I assume it is listed first, as it is most essential. "Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain. Satya is truth, or "that which has no distortion." Asteya means non-covetousness, or to not obstruct the desires which others might have for their life. The next, Brahmacharya, describes a faithfulness, selectiveness, a fidelity, and a conscious awareness of the need to discipline the extent of sexual relations in order to not inflict upon, or to taint other's progress or yours. And the last, Aparigraha, entails that a person should limit their possessions and not have them in excess.

The end goal of The Yamas of Hindu yoga practice, and the goal of many Hindu religious texts, can best be described as:

One-pointed concentration ideally leads to a state of meditation. In meditation, all worldly thoughts have dissipated. Instead of ordinary thinking, the clear light of awareness allows insights to arise spontaneously as flashes of illumination. (Fisher)

Sarah

Works Cited will be posted in the following post, as I do not want to miss my deadline.

Why talk about religion?

Well, the main reason that I want to talk about religion is simply because I am curious about it. However, it goes far beyond that. I’ve studied different religions for about a year now, but that by no means makes me an expert on the subject. It simply leaves me with a general idea of the faiths that I have read about; their ideas, some of their practices, and their basic structure. Since beginning this observation of religions, I’ve realized that learning about the different elements of religious belief truly forces you to think outside the box, even requiring you to set aside your own perceptions about the reality of life and the self-evident truths that you subscribe to, in order to understand those of another.

I find religions fascinating. Personally and intellectually, I feel that this is the most relevant, and helpful topic to me right now. Although I have other interests, religion is so fruitfully diverse, and with so many wide-ranging sectors within each, I believe that it makes for some immensely intriguing writing pieces. Reading a multitude of religious writings has, and will continue to help me formulate my own opinions about my faith and my personal truth.  I know that it does for many others as well. You might be surprised the personal growth that can come from looking into the outlooks of others. I  know I was. I was certainly pretty shocked by this when I showed up for a religion course. I realized immediately just how interesting religion can be.

As humans, we are all too conscious of those things that challenge and threaten to destroy our deepest commitments and values-things such as moral failure, tragedy, inexplicable evil, and death itself. These realities can fill us with dread and terror, in part because they lie outside our ability to control. The sociologist Thomas O’Dea has spoken of religion as a response to three fundamental features of human existence: uncertainty, powerlessness, and scarcity. Religion is rooted, certainly, in a wider range of human experience and emotion than these, including such positive experiences as wonder, trust, love, and joy. But O’Dea is correct as far as he goes. The brute facts of our existence do bring us face to face with questions about which our normal practical techniques and scientific know-how are powerless to provide answers or solutions. (Livingston)

In terms of how I intend to talk about religion, I want everyone to know that I will go about this blog with this rationale in mind: I hope that along the way I will squash a few judgements that others might maintain about certain practices, or people. While that isn’t necessarily my main objective, I feel that in order to be respected in an academic community, one must be open-minded and go about their critiques with as much finesse as possible. It is especially important to go about writing about religions, and having discussions about them with a great deal of consideration, as these are other people’s faiths. Faiths, which they feel very strongly about, and with which they are extremely connected to personally.

During the course of this blog, I may have posts in which the topic leans more toward talking about Zen Buddhism than other topics. That is simply because last year I went to a Buddhist temple in the area and meditated. Before I meditated, I expected that I would not be able to achieve the results that others described so vividly, but instead fall asleep, or tear from overwhelming stress. After I experienced it for myself, I realized that I felt a deep sort of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Another reason why I might pursue writing about my experience pursuing a deeper understanding of Zen Buddhism more than other topics within different religions, is because I am very intrigued by the idea that if you can change your mind, then you can change your life.

Sarah

Works Cited:

Livingston, James C. Anatomy of The Sacred: An Introduction to Religion. Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.