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
Right way to practice Brahmavihara
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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?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.
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.
- confusedlayman
- Posts: 6222
- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:16 am
- Location: Human Realm (as of now)
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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...
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
It could possibly be due to memorisation, like how “hetu” is a waxing syllable.Sam Vara wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:56 amIt 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?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.
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.
“The teacher willed that this world appear to me
as impermanent, unstable, insubstantial.
Mind, let me leap into the victor’s teaching,
carry me over the great flood, so hard to pass.”
as impermanent, unstable, insubstantial.
Mind, let me leap into the victor’s teaching,
carry me over the great flood, so hard to pass.”
-
- Posts: 1210
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:56 am
- Location: Sri Lanka
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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!
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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:
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
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
Later... meant to address this
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:
may be phrased like this."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.
without hurting the intention of Metta."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."
Perhaps sometimes the theravadins beat the Chinese to it.There is no Chinese version?
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
Now some claim that this is a late addition. If so, I think it is the best late addition, since meaning just sinks in.Not falling into error, virtuous,
and endowed with insight ; giving up
Attachment to sense desires,
one is not subject again to birth...
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
Later... meant to address this
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.Please also note that the following introduction to Kp 9 or Sn 1.8 is from commentary, not from the sutta.
- pitithefool
- Posts: 343
- Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:39 am
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
Please note: This profile picture is not actually a picture of the user.
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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!
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!
- Nicholas Weeks
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 pm
- Location: USA West Coast
Re: practice Brahmavihara
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
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.
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6490
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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.
Rūpehi bhikkhave arūpā santatarā.
Arūpehi nirodho santataro ti.
“Bhikkhus, the formless is more peaceful than the form realms.
Cessation is more peaceful than the formless realms.”
(Santatarasutta, Iti 73)
Arūpehi nirodho santataro ti.
“Bhikkhus, the formless is more peaceful than the form realms.
Cessation is more peaceful than the formless realms.”
(Santatarasutta, Iti 73)
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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
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"
"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
Re: Right way to practice Brahmavihara
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
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