Brahmavihara before the Buddha?

[Mr. Seek]

Is there any information about metta, karuna, mudita, and or uppekha, being used as meditation methods, by non-Buddhist practicioners in India--before, during, and after the time of the Buddha? I'm wondering if they're a sole product of Buddhism, or something that was [partly] inherited.

[asahi]

Is there any information about metta, karuna, mudita, and or uppekha, being used as meditation methods, by non-Buddhist practicioners in India--before, during, and after the time of the Buddha? I'm wondering if they're a sole product of Buddhism, or something that was [partly] inherited.

No , not originate from buddhism . It seems was predate the Buddha .
In Jain scripture, the Tattvartha Sutra (Chapter 7, sutra 11), do mention : Maitri, pramoda, karunya, madhyastha:

Benevolence towards all living beings, joy at the sight of the virtuous, compassion and sympathy for the afflicted, and tolerance towards the insolent and ill-behaved.

[confusedlayman]

Patanjali ypga book also says about his. Its after buddha time. It says one who do this are good at those things. It didnt say about rebirth etc

[Mr. Seek]

Would love to hear more about this from others.

I've read R. Gombrich's artcle on this and it makes sense, but like the above two posters, I too have doubts on the matter. No clue if this was taught by Gotama, if it was taught as an actual meditation method or simply as a virtue to have, what its exact purpose was, etc. The only non-Buddhist peoples that I know for certain who practice some sort of loving-kindness meditation are 21st century new agers who lean towards ideas of 'love and light'. Outside of this, I know that Christians, Jains, etc., speak of notions such as metta and karuna, but I'm not so sure if they actually practice meditation based on them.

[Ontheway]

You guys normally practice Mettabhavana alone or simultaneously with others such as Karuna, Mudita or Upekkha?

I think many years ago, I tried to meditate with four of them at once, but it doesn't work haha. I guess I aimed too high...

[Mr. Seek]

You guys normally practice Mettabhavana alone or simultaneously with others such as Karuna, Mudita or Upekkha?

I think many years ago, I tried to meditate with four of them at once, but it doesn't work haha. I guess I aimed too high...

I've tried transitioning between them in one session but it's hard. I think the goal is to examine them with wisdom and transition from one level to the other over a long period of time, much like how in element meditation one goes from gross to subtle. But I have no idea and this ain't the point of the topic. If I practice these, I do either metta or mudita.

[mikenz66]

Bhikkhu Analayo's guided meditations, and the book Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation, give an approach to working through all of the Brahmavihara's. Both are freely available here:
https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/resourc ... s-analayo/


Mike

[asahi]

Mettāsahagatasutta
SN 46.54

Then they went to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths, and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.

Then those bhikkhus went to the park of the wanderers of other sects. They exchanged greetings with those wanderers and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, sat down to one side. The wanderers then said to them: “Friends, the ascetic Gotama teaches the Dhamma to his disciples thus: ‘Come, bhikkhus, abandon the five hindrances, the corruptions of the mind that weaken wisdom, and dwell pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with lovingkindness, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter.


...........


“We too, friends, teach the Dhamma to our disciples thus: ‘Come, friends, abandon the five hindrances … all as above … dwell pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with lovingkindness … compassion … altruistic joy … equanimity … without ill will.’

[Cause_and_Effect]

It's definitely a pre Buddhist practice, found in many religions and mystic traditions and leading to heaven.

[form]

Patanjali ypga book also says about his. Its after buddha time. It says one who do this are good at those things. It didnt say about rebirth etc

This one I think was written around 500 years after death of Buddha.