SN 46.54: Metta Sutta

[mikenz66]

If he wishes: ‘May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the repulsive therein. If he wishes: ‘May I dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the unrepulsive therein. If he wishes: ‘May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and in the repulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the repulsive therein. If he wishes: ‘May I dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and in the unrepulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the unrepulsive therein. If he wishes: ‘Avoiding both the unrepulsive and the repulsive, may I dwell equanimously, mindful and clearly comprehending,’ then he dwells therein equanimously, mindful and clearly comprehending.

BB: At AN III 169-170,
[http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara3/5-pancakanipata/015-tikandakivaggo-e.html
4. Tikandaki sutta: At the Tikandaki forest]
this practice is discussed more fully, with reference to the benefits of each contemplation.
At DN III 112,25-13,10 [DN 28]
it is called a “spiritual power which is taintless, acquisitionless, and noble” (ayaṃ iddhi anāsavā anupadhikā ariyā), and Paṭis II 212-13 calls it “the noble ones’ spiritual power” (ariyiddhi); further explanation is given at Vism 381-82 (Ppn 12:36-38).
Visuddhimagga is here:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... index.html

The following is condensed from Spk: (i) to perceive the repulsive in the unrepulsive (appaṭikkūle paṭikkūlasaññī) one pervades an unrepulsive object (e.g., a sensually attractive person) with the idea of foulness or attends to it as impermanent; (ii) to perceive the unrepulsive in the repulsive (paṭikkūle appaṭikkūlasaññī ) one pervades a repulsive object (e.g., a hostile person) with lovingkindness or attends to it as elements; (iii) and (iv) simply extend the first two modes of perception to both types of objects conjointly; and (v) is self-explanatory.

[mikenz66]

Or else he enters and dwells in the deliverance of the beautiful. Bhikkhus, the liberation of mind by lovingkindness has the beautiful as its culmination, I say, for a wise bhikkhu here who has not penetrated to a superior liberation.

Spk: This teaching is brought in for one who is unable to reach arahantship after exploring formations based on jhāna through lovingkindness.

BB: Spk explains idhapaññassa as if it were a bahubbīhi compound meaning “one of mundane wisdom” (lokiyapaññassa); the expression also occurs at
Dhp 375b http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .budd.html
Control of the senses, contentment, restraint according to the code of monastic discipline —
these form the basis of holy life here for the wise monk.
AN V 300,14. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
Mp V 78,10-11 explains it as “wisdom in regard to this teaching” (imasmiṃ sāsane paññā), which sounds more convincing than Spk’s gloss.

In the commentaries the four divine abodes are regarded as practices that lead to form-sphere jhāna (see Vism 111,15-16; Ppn 3:107). While the Nikāyas do not draw explicit connections between the divine abodes and levels of jhāna, in several places they describe the divine abodes as means to rebirth in the brahmā world or the form realm (see n. 109). Thus Spk is compelled to give a laboured explanation of the puzzling stipulations made here about the “upper limit” of each meditation subject, particularly in regard to the formless attainments; the passage is also at Vism 324-25 (Ppn 9:120-23). In brief: (i) one who abides in lovingkindness can easily apply his mind to a beautiful colour kasiṇa and quickly attain the beautiful liberation (i.e., jhāna based on a colour kasiṇa); (ii) one who abides in compassion recognizes the danger in form and thus develops the base of the infinity of space, which is the escape from form; (iii) one who abides in altruistic joy apprehends the joyful consciousness of beings and thus easily enters the base of the infinity of consciousness; and (iv) one who abides in equanimity is skilled in diverting his mind from pleasure and pain, and thus can easily divert it to the absence of any concrete entity in the base of nothingness.

[equilibrium]

Hi Equilibrium,

I'm not Dave, but I think what he means is that the practice of the brahmaviharas are not limited to Buddhists. Every (sensible) religion promotes kindness, etc in various ways.
See Tolerance and Diversityby Bhikkhu Bodhi:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... ay_24.html

To the extent that a religion proposes sound ethical principles and can promote to some degree the development of wholesome qualities such as love, generosity, detachment and compassion, it will merit in this respect the approbation of Buddhists. These principles advocated by outside religious systems will also conduce to rebirth in the realms of bliss — the heavens and the divine abodes. Buddhism by no means claims to have unique access to these realms, but holds that the paths that lead to them have been articulated, with varying degrees of clarity, in many of the great spiritual traditions of humanity. While the Buddhist will disagree with the belief structures of other religions to the extent that they deviate from the Buddha's Dhamma, he will respect them to the extent that they enjoin virtues and standards of conduct that promote spiritual development and the harmonious integration of human beings with each other and with the world.

So other paths will be conducive to many aspects of the eightfold path. However, the crucial insights into not-self are required for complete liberation:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .ntbb.html

12. "Though certain recluses and brahmans claim to propound the full understanding of all kinds of clinging... they describe the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, and clinging to rules and observances without describing the full understanding of clinging to a doctrine of self. They do not understand one instance... therefore they describe only the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, and clinging to rules and observances without describing the full understanding of clinging to a doctrine of self.

BB: This passage clearly indicates that the critical differentiating factor of the Buddha's Dhamma is its "full understanding of clinging to a doctrine of self." This means, in effect, that the Buddha alone is able to show how to overcome all views of self by developing penetration into the truth of non-self (anatta).

To get that insight requires development of all the factors of the Buddha's Path...


Mike

When we say such things as "love, generosity, detachment and compassion".....yes, these are in fact the "results" of those who understands the teaching of religion, again, there is a difference in saying and doing.

The words "not-self" can be taken as two stages, one becomes "selfless", one at arahart level with traces left and as you say complete liberation as the results of this very sutta.

[equilibrium]

The first description goes only as far as describing a practice, but not the goal for which the practice is undertaken. Other sects were likely trying to develop their Selves; here, recalling awareness-release as the goal correctly distinguishes the Dhamma, while the factors for awakening are what makes trans-sect brahmavihara practices applicable in a Buddhist context.

Up to a certain point and according to this sutta, they are the same in text form.....therefore 2 teachings exactly the same. When we look into this further, how can there be 2 teaching exactly the same, someone must be on both sides.....ie. taken what is taught by the buddha and as you have rightly put....."Other sects were likely trying to develop their selves".

This is where it stops.....why?...the blessed one noted "Because it lies beyond their range".....meaning "a blind man cannot lead a blind man out of the forest".....why is it two people with the same information yet one knows the answer.....because that person knows the way out......so between the sects and the blessed one, who knows the ways out and why?.....simple, the blessed one knows the way out because the blessed one has already done it and it was the blessed one himself who created the teaching.

You mentioned the word "goal", the above paragraph should answer your query.

[equilibrium]

Now, the Sutta which comes right before this one (SN 46.53) suggests that even the factors were a shared feature, and that Buddhists were distinguished only by their skill in appropriately developing them.

In both cases, ultimately, the wanderers are depicted as having (access to (some of)) the ingredients, yet lacking the (knowledge of the) correct recipe. As Mike has said, it's a common enough sort of teaching worldwide - and yet arahants are not a common result. So there must be something else going on, which is what these Suttas are discussing, and this is why making reference to the Buddhist goal is important.

{I think all the wanderers lacked the four jhanas, and therefore they could never make the recipe work (jhana, in this increasingly cumbersome analogy, is like an oven which bakes what the recipe has rendered).}

SN 46.53 talks about the "fire".....it shows how we can influence the fire itself.....but there is something missing!.....a fire is of no use on its own.....the blessed one is not here to teach us how to play with fire, how to make it bigger/smaller.....it is only a tool so it can be used for this very sutta.....now where is the link?

You see this sutta, there is an equation: "what is its destination, what is its excellence, its fruit, & its consummation?".....this in fact is an equation where the fire will be put to use......to have "fruit, & its consummation" you need "excellence", you cannot have "excellence" without "destination".....so where do we use the fire on.....we use it on the word "destination" to form a chain reaction so we can achieve the required result......where we all want to be.....ultimately!

Job is done!

I don't really understand; the awareness-release here in the Sutta isn't nibbana,

Not the actual initial one but the remaining traces of it.