Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

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Wizard in the Forest
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Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Wizard in the Forest »

Understanding the Karaniya Metta Sutta has helped me eradicate much of my ill will along with Metta Bhvana, but what are other places in the suttas which the Buddha described how to get rid of ill will?
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bodom
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by bodom »

Here are a few to get started:
There is the liberation of the heart by loving-kindness; frequently giving wise attention to it — this is the denourishing of the arising of ill-will that has not yet arisen, and the decrease and weakening of ill-will that has already arisen. — SN 46:51

Cultivate the meditation on loving-kindness! For by cultivating the meditation on loving-kindness, ill-will disappears.

Cultivate the meditation on compassion! For by cultivating the meditation on compassion, cruelty disappears.

Cultivate the meditation on sympathetic joy! For by cultivating the meditation on sympathetic joy, listlessness disappears.

Cultivate the meditation on equanimity! For by cultivating the meditation on equanimity, anger disappears.

— MN 62

If there is a pot of water heated on the fire, the water seething and boiling, a man with a normal faculty of sight, looking into it, could not properly recognize and see the image of his own face. In the same way, when one's mind is possessed by ill-will, overpowered by ill-will, one cannot properly see the escape from the ill-will which has arisen; then one does not properly understand and see one's own welfare, nor that of another, nor that of both; and also texts memorized a long time ago do not come into one's mind, not to speak of those not memorized.

— SN 46:55

"There are these ten ways of subduing hatred. Which ten?

[1] "Thinking, 'He has done me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[2] "Thinking, 'He is doing me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[3] "Thinking, 'He is going to do me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[4] "Thinking, 'He has done harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[5] "Thinking, 'He is doing harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[6] "Thinking, 'He is going to do harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[7] "Thinking, 'He has aided people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[8] "Thinking, 'He is aiding people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[9] "Thinking, 'He is going to aid people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.

[10] "One does not get worked up over impossibilities.

"These are ten ways of subduing hatred." - AN 10.80

'He insulted me, hit me, beat me, robbed me' — for those who brood on this, hostility isn't stilled. 'He insulted me, hit me, beat me, robbed me' — for those who don't brood on this, hostility is stilled. Hostilities aren't stilled through hostility, regardless. Hostilities ares tilled through non-hostility: this, an unending truth. Unlike those who don't realize that we're here on the verge of perishing, those who do: their quarrels are stilled. - Dhp 3-6
:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Wizard in the Forest »

Awesome, so the Brahma Vihara meditations right? :thumbsup: :goodpost:

I would like to know as many as possible (^^)
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by plwk »

Maha-satipatthana Sutta
"There is the case where a monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to the five hindrances.
And how does a monk remain focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to the five hindrances?
There is the case where, there being sensual desire present within, a monk discerns that 'There is sensual desire present within me.'
Or, there being no sensual desire present within, he discerns that 'There is no sensual desire present within me.' He discerns how there is the arising of unarisen sensual desire. And he discerns how there is the abandoning of sensual desire once it has arisen. And he discerns how there is no future arising of sensual desire that has been abandoned. (The same formula is repeated for the remaining hindrances: ill will, sloth & drowsiness, restlessness & anxiety, and uncertainty.)

"In this way he remains focused internally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or externally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or both internally & externally on mental qualities in & of themselves. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to mental qualities, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to mental qualities, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to mental qualities. Or his mindfulness that 'There are mental qualities' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to the five hindrances.
Others will have thoughts of ill will; we shall not have thoughts of ill will here — thus effacement can be done.
Read on Sallekha Sutta
Nissaraniya Sutta
"Furthermore, there is the case where the mind of a monk, when attending to ill will, doesn't leap up at ill will, doesn't grow confident, steadfast, or released in ill will. But when attending to non-ill will, his mind leaps up at non-ill will, grows confident, steadfast, & released in non-ill will.
When his mind is rightly-gone, rightly developed, has rightly risen above, gained release, and become disjoined from ill will, then whatever fermentations, torments, & fevers there are that arise in dependence on ill will, he is released from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is expounded as the escape from ill will.
Dvedhāvitakka Sutta
Meghiya Sutta
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Wizard in the Forest
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Wizard in the Forest »

Thanks! These are great! :anjali: Sadhu!
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

If you want to get rid of something, isn't that itself ill-will? :stirthepot:

Sabbāsava Suttta
"Bhikkhus, I declare [that there is] the extinction of āsavas in one who knows and sees, and not in one who does not know and see. Bhikkhus! What is known and what is seen by one in whom I declare [that there is] the extinction of āsavas? The right perception of phenomena[4] and the wrong perception of phenomena. Bhikkhus! In one who has wrong perception of phenomena there arise āsavas that have not yet arisen, and there also is an increase of āsavas that have already arisen. Bhikkhus, in one who has right perception of phenomena there is no arising of āsavas that have not yet arisen, and āsavas that have already arisen are also removed.
Getting rid through rejection (forceful suppression) is just one of the seven methods to be used.
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Wizard in the Forest »

I have thought of it that way, but how else would you sever the unwholesome roots?
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

Wizard in the Forest wrote:I have thought of it that way, but how else would you sever the unwholesome roots?
By using one the other six methods — gaining insight into ill-will as a mental process that is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self, for example.

My point is, that unless we are non-returners, ill-will and anger have not been uprooted, so they are sure to arise if we cannot avoid objects that stimulate dosa. (avoidance of hostile beings is another valid method). So, when it does arise, instead of being averse to the anger, acknowledge that it is present, observe it for what it is, and try to understand how it comes to arise, and how it does not come to arise again in future.
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by Wizard in the Forest »

That makes a lot of sense, in so it would be another benefit of seclusion. It keeps a person from those things that generate ill-will.
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Re: Where does the Buddha describe ways to get rid of ill will?

Post by phil »

Hi

This one is gives us 5 antidotes for hatred:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nymo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've heard a Thanissaro Bhikkhu talk that I think addressed the above nicely, when we are really wrapped up in aversion towards someone, the metta, karuna wishes can be tough. Ownership of kamma is often the easiest. (If we can turn to it with understanding rather than "he's going to get his!" maybe not so easy!)

Here's another one I hadn't seen before, thanks for asking!

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The gist is that we can overlook the person's bad points and focus on the good. For example, if a person is impure in bodily conduct but pure in verbal conduct. The simile in this particular case is picking up a grimy rag and tearing off and keeping the clean part. In the case of completely impure, pity and sympathy seems to be the solution, but again, for people like us who (I assume) have strong defilements of our own, exercising pity and sympathy towards someone we hate without using them in an akusala "he's gonna get his" way seems kinda unlikely! :smile:
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
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