Right way to practice Brahmavihara

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
Post Reply
starter
Posts: 938
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:56 pm

Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by starter »

Dear friends,

After reading virtually all the suttas on Brahmavihara, I come to the following conclusions:

1. The Metta sutta is likely not the original teaching of the Buddha, because it has a different sequence of radiating metta as Brahma Vihara practice from the standard sequence, and is the only one that has such different sequence. It also does not have a Chinese parallel.

The Metta sutta:

"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."

The standard sequence in all the other suttas:

So mettāsahagatena cetasā
ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati.
Tathā dutiyaṃ. Tathā tatiyaṃ. Tathā catutthiṃ.
Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ
sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ
lokaṃ mettāsahagatena cetasā
vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena
averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.

"With a heart endowed with Metta,
one abides pervading one direction of the world,
likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth,
and so above, below, across and
everywhere, all around,
one abides suffusing the entire world with a heart endowed with Metta — abundant, expansive, boundless, without hatred, without ill-will.

Please also note that the following introduction to Kp 9 or Sn 1.8 is from commentary, not from the sutta. This sutta became so important, even became a protective chant, largely because of this commentary story. But we should put a question mark on such a story (it could be manipulated by Mara or evil force).

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .piya.html: 3

"Translator’s introduction: While the Buddha was staying at Savatthi, a band of monks, having received subjects of meditation from the master, proceeded to a forest to spend the rainy season (vassana). The tree deities inhabiting this forest were worried by their arrival, as they had to descend from tree abodes and dwell on the ground. They hoped, however, the monks would leave soon; but finding that the monks would stay the vassana period of three months, harassed them in diverse ways, during the night with the intention of scaring them away.

Living under such conditions being impossible, the monks went to the Master and informed him of their difficulties. Thereon the Buddha instructed them in the Metta sutta and advised their return equipped with this sutta for their protection.

The monks went back to the forest, and practicing the instruction conveyed, permeated the whole atmosphere with their radiant thoughts of metta or loving-kindness. The deities so affected by this power of love, henceforth allowed them to meditate in peace.

2. While mettacittā (not for Brahmavihara) can be practiced by using good will phrases like mentioned in AN 4.67 and AN 10.176, and can be used to to generate mettā for Brahmavihara, but good will phrases are not the way the Buddha taught to practice Brahmavihara. I'll write more on my understanding of how to practice Brahmavihara later.

Metta,

Starter
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by Sam Vara »

starter wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:00 am Dear friends,

After reading virtually all the suttas on Brahmavihara, I come to the following conclusions:

1. The Metta sutta is likely not the original teaching of the Buddha, because it has a different sequence of radiating metta as Brahma Vihara practice from the standard sequence, and is the only one that has such different sequence. It also does not have a Chinese parallel.
It might be that the sequence doesn't particularly matter, or that the best sequence or form of practice is the one that works best for you. One sequence goes via the horizontal directions, then up and down, and then summarises them by saying "everywhere". The other starts with up and down, then outwards (presumably in all directions) and then concludes with "unbounded". Provided a room gets thoroughly cleaned, does it matter all that much whether we start with walls or ceiling?

By "standard sequence" you mean that it is found in multiple places. That might indicate that it is closer to the actual words of the Buddha, or merely that the compilers of the suttas agreed on a form of words and repeated it.
User avatar
confusedlayman
Posts: 6231
Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:16 am
Location: Human Realm (as of now)

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by confusedlayman »

Brahmavihara should be accompanied by both thought and feelings... whoever miss the feelings part lost the plot
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
User avatar
Ceisiwr
Posts: 22402
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:36 am
Location: Wales

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by Ceisiwr »

Sam Vara wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:56 am
starter wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:00 am Dear friends,

After reading virtually all the suttas on Brahmavihara, I come to the following conclusions:

1. The Metta sutta is likely not the original teaching of the Buddha, because it has a different sequence of radiating metta as Brahma Vihara practice from the standard sequence, and is the only one that has such different sequence. It also does not have a Chinese parallel.
It might be that the sequence doesn't particularly matter, or that the best sequence or form of practice is the one that works best for you. One sequence goes via the horizontal directions, then up and down, and then summarises them by saying "everywhere". The other starts with up and down, then outwards (presumably in all directions) and then concludes with "unbounded". Provided a room gets thoroughly cleaned, does it matter all that much whether we start with walls or ceiling?

By "standard sequence" you mean that it is found in multiple places. That might indicate that it is closer to the actual words of the Buddha, or merely that the compilers of the suttas agreed on a form of words and repeated it.
It could possibly be due to memorisation, like how “hetu” is a waxing syllable.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
Srilankaputra
Posts: 1210
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:56 am
Location: Sri Lanka

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by Srilankaputra »

The heart is in prison(nivaranas). If it breaks free by way of metta, that is the right way.

Wish you all success in all your endeavours. Goodbye!
Pulsar
Posts: 2641
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2019 6:52 pm

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by Pulsar »

Dear Starter ... it is a nice topic for discussion.
Metta to all. But these kinds of verses, may be used by different folks, to suit their individualities.
You wrote The standard sequence in all the other suttas:
"With a heart endowed with Metta,
one abides pervading one direction of the world,
likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth,
and so above, below, across and
everywhere, all around,
one abides suffusing the entire world with a heart endowed with Metta — abundant, expansive, boundless, without hatred, without ill-will.
may be phrased like this.
"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."
without hurting the intention of Metta.
There is no Chinese version?
Perhaps sometimes the theravadins beat the Chinese to it.
Of course in some cases such as DO interpretations Chinese monks are the winners.
But whoever compiled this amazing sutta understood the 8-fold path in its totally,
and incorporated the elements of 4 buddhist Jhanas into it.
Are all suttas Buddha's direct words? hardly so. Many suttas were compiled by stitching together fragments floating around.
But if any compiler managed to transmit the spirit of Buddha, the composer of Metta sutta, hit the
nail on the head.

It ends with
Not falling into error, virtuous,
and endowed with insight ; giving up
Attachment to sense desires,
one is not subject again to birth
...
Now some claim that this is a late addition. If so, I think it is the best late addition, since meaning just sinks in.
There is no end to suffering until all desire is given up for cruelty, and greed; until that insight arrives,
where one drops the desire for contact.
It is contact that begets suffering.
I appreciate your contributions to the forum, always thoughtfully constructed.
With love :candle:
Later... meant to address this
Please also note that the following introduction to Kp 9 or Sn 1.8 is from commentary, not from the sutta.
As for Theravada commentaries, Ver. Sujatho a well respected Theravada monk has compared these to mythology. I agree with him in this instance. Mythology serves a function, but should not be taken seriously.
User avatar
pitithefool
Posts: 343
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:39 am

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by pitithefool »

Pulsar wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:08 pm
:goodpost: :anjali: :anjali: :anjali:
Please note: This profile picture is not actually a picture of the user.
starter
Posts: 938
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:56 pm

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by starter »

Furthermore, the metta sutta omitted the development of right Samadhi, while emphasizing right view, sila, mindfulness (of metta), insight, ...

The impression one got from this sutta is that practicing and maintaining metta at the all possible times without jhana can lead to full liberation.

In this regard, its effect is similar to MN 10 (practicing 4 mindfulness without jhana can lead to full liberation).

Metta to all!
User avatar
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4210
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 pm
Location: USA West Coast

Re: practice Brahmavihara

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

This text is a mere 60+ years old, but it is in the tradition and using it for practice of Brahmaviharas will benefit self & others:

https://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh006_Nyanap ... States.pdf
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
User avatar
Dhammanando
Posts: 6492
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by Dhammanando »

starter wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 3:24 pm Furthermore, the metta sutta omitted the development of right Samadhi, while emphasizing right view, sila, mindfulness (of metta), insight, ...
From the commentarial point of view sammāsamādhi is presupposed in the sutta's seventh and eighth stanzas, for unlimited pervasion of any given brahmavihāra requires jhāna.

Also, in one of the "gradual training" suttas of the Majjhima Nikāya the development of mettā as an illimitable is actually preceded by the development of jhāna.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Alino
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:15 pm
Contact:

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by Alino »

As I understand metta and loving kindness it's more about acceptance that culminates in upekkha. Rather about generating some energy in the heart and directing it somewhere.

Why?

Because as I understand when we love someone unconditionaly we accept it as it is, without conditions, we don't try to change it and not want it to be like this or like that, we allow it to be as it is and we love it as it is.
It's like our relationship with the nature. The best way to love it - is to not touch it, preserve it from our actions.

Also, personally I'm always failed to practice metta by generating warmth and energy in the heart because this pressure in heart zone feels unpleasant... its dukkha... so I could understand how is that possible to consider this torture of yourself by generating pressure in your heart to be something wholesome? And how this unpleasant pressure feeling can find culmination in upekkha?

So after listening to some Venerable Ajahn I understood that metta is acceptance, rather generation of some disturbing feeling in your heart...

Imho
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
starter
Posts: 938
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:56 pm

Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara

Post by starter »

Here is my way of practicing Brahmavihara:

I. Mettā

1. Generate mettā (loving kindness) in the heart:

1) Use good-will phrases:

May I be well and happy! May all beings be well and happy!

[Good-will phrases can be used to generate and maintain mettā in the heart, and can be used to practice loving kindness, but the use of good-will phrases themselves are not the way to practice Brahmavihara. During Brahmavihara we pervade the heart full of mettā as well as mettā to the four directions, Up & Down & Across, and to the entire world. We do not pervade merely good wills.]

2) Smile a Buddha smile: 心生慈愍, 面带祥和

3) Saturate the heart with mettā:

Recall the Buddha's mettā towards the world, and recite the phrase "mettāsahagatena cetasā".

2. Expand the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā to each of the four directions, while facing each direction (打金字塔手印):

Dwell expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā to the East -- to all the beings in the East; 慈心与慈爱遍满东方.

Dwell expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā to the South -- to all the beings in the South; 慈心与慈爱遍满南方.

Dwell expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā to the West -- to all the beings in the West; 慈心与慈爱遍满西方.

Dwell expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā to the North -- to all the beings in the North; 慈心与慈爱遍满北方.

3. Up & Down & Across:

Dwell expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā Upwards [to all its height] & Downwards [to all its depth] & Across [to all its breadth].

4. The entire world:

And everywhere, and in every way (一切處), dwell expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā to the entire world(一切世間), [to all the beings in the entire world;慈心与慈爱普周一切處,遍满一切世間所有众生], extensive, grown large, boundless, without hostility, without ill will [極 廣, 甚大, 無量, 無怨嫉,無嗔恚.】

[Imagine expanding the awareness imbued with mettā as well as mettā in all directions and reach the far corners of the world, nothing untouched, nothing unaffected, like the skilled conch blower, or like the sun.]

Similarly for:

II. Karuṇā: (悲, 悲愍, compassion, sympathy)

1. Generate Karuṇā in the heart:

1) Use phrases:

"May I be free from mental and bodily suffering! May all sentient beings be free from suffering, not only temporarily but also one day for good end Samsara enter the deathless, eternal peace Nibbana!"

2) Smile a Buddha smile: 心生慈愍, 面带祥和

3) Saturate the heart with Karuṇā :

Recall the Buddha's Karuṇā towards the world (& Jesus Christ's words at the cross: "... they don't know what they are doing!"), and recite the phrase "Karuṇā sahagatena cetasā".

...

III. Muditā: (altruistic joy, 喜)

1. Generate Muditā in the heart:

1) Use phrases:

"I invite all beings rejoice at my meritorious deeds; I also rejoice at all beings’ meritorious deeds."

2) Smile a Buddha smile: 心生慈愍, 面带祥和

3) Saturate the heart with Muditā:

Recite the phrase "Muditā sahagatena cetasā".

...

IV. Upekkha:(equanimity, 舍,護)

1. Generate upekkha in the heart:

1) Use phrases:

"May I dwell in Upekkha unshakable by the eight worldly winds; May pleasure and pain, gain and loss, fame and defame, praise and blame do not invade my mind and do not remain in my mind; May all beings dwell in such 八风不动Upekkha.

May I dwell in sublime peace of Upekkha; May all beings dwell in sublime peace of upekkha."

2) Smile a Buddha smile: 心生慈愍, 面带祥和

3) Saturate the heart with Upekkha:

Recite the phrase "心中充满宁静,祥和; Upekkha sahagatena cetasā".

...

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Metta to all,

Starter
Post Reply