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Ven. Dhammadipa on Cultivation of Four Immeasurable States of Mind
Ven. Dhammadipa from Czechia called the cultivation of Four Immeasurable States of Mind "the most beautiful spiritual practice." Through cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity, one not only can break through the limitations set by the mind and emit the power of beauty, wholesomeness, and equality to sentient beings, but also will experience a beautiful mental state as pure as the Buddha's.
The foremost goal of Buddhist practice is liberation from affliction. The cultivation of four immeasurable minds of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity treats and cures our afflictions such as hatred, irritation, jealousy, and attachment, thereby enabling our mind to attain purity and well-being. It can be said to be the starting point to Buddhist practice. Mahayana bodhisattva-path practitioners who aspire to deliver living beings can easily regress from cultivating bodhicitta when lacking foundation of Four Immeasurable States of Mind. With the Four Immeasurable States of Mind as a support, bodhisattva-path practitioners will more likely be able to unwaveringly benefit sentient beings by helping them leave suffering behind and attain happiness.
The cultivations in loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity are expedient means to attain Bodhi, each with its own distinctive function. Ven. Dhammadipa is well-versed in the Northern and Southern Buddhist traditions, and often begins with the Four Immeasurable States of Mind when giving guidance on meditation and Buddhist teachings. He has explained how "Loving-kindness is like a breeze in the scorching heat of summer that makes people happy; compassion the refreshing medicine applied to an inflammatory carbuncle that relieves distress and pain; appreciative joy, the moon shining through clouds in a dark night that untangles the mind from unhappiness; and equanimity, the sweet nectar that frees people from all of their afflictions."
As fundamental as the Four Immeasurable States of Mind are, how do we go about cultivating them? Ven. Dhammadipa suggested we start by integrating these four qualities into our mind and body both in daily life and during meditation, thus turning them into our habits and breaking through our mental restrictions. Practice these qualities in our daily life, with our mental capacity transforming from "finite" to "immeasurable," and we'll soon be able to embrace all sentient beings. Therefore, the venerable referred to the cultivation of the Four Immeasurable States of Mind as "the most beautiful spiritual practice."
Keen to share the practice of Four Immeasurable Minds with people, Ven. Dhammadipa is also upholding it diligently. As he pointed out, the principle and method for practicing each of the Four Immeasurables is the same, with the only difference being the object of contemplation used when cultivating meditative concentration. Thus, once one grasps the way of immeasurable loving-kindness, one can get the hang of practicing the other three immeasurable minds. Hence, in the following passages, the cultivation of the immeasurable loving-kindness will be taken as an example to explain the methods to practice the Four Immeasurable States of Mind, without repeating the identical methods for the remainder.
Cultivating the First of the Four Immeasurable States of Mind: Loving-Kindness
The practice of immeasurable loving-kindness is usually preceded by meditation, or development, of loving-kindness (metta-bhāvanā) as an expedient means, which can be divided into three stages: practicing loving-kindness towards ourselves; attaining meditative concentration through loving-kindness; and expanding the objects of focus. This method, a concrete application of the bodhisattva path, is especially beneficial to sentient beings.
Stage One: Practicing Loving-Kindness toward Ourselves
I. Practicing loving-kindness with ourselves as the object of focus
All spiritual cultivations begin with self. To practice the meditation of loving-kindness, we must be kind to ourselves so that we are able to show kindness to others. That is, without loving-kindness towards ourselves, we have no way of cultivating the meditation of loving-kindness towards others. We like to be happy and joyful, and don’t want to suffer and be harmed; likewise, we will wish others to be just as happy and joyful as we are. We try to emit loving-kindness to ourselves first. As we clearly feel loving-kindness, our mind will become more gentle and relaxed, and thus we can experience lightness and calmness, or serenity (Pa. passaddhi) in body and mind. Only then are we able to benefit all sentient beings.
II. Taking our body as a field for experiments
Spiritual cultivation is inseparable from our physical and mental states, and we can take our physical body as a laboratory to examine and verify Buddhist teachings. Whether practicing cessation (śamatha) or observation (vipaśyana), we can apply the meditation of loving-kindness to adjust our body and mind first. Only with a peaceful physical and mental state can we comprehend immeasurable loving-kindness. Without serenity of body and mind, we cannot truly and happily devote ourselves to spiritual cultivation and eliminating afflictions; instead, we will be indulging in our deluded thoughts and afflictions. While relaxing our physical body through the contemplation of loving-kindness, we must first understand the relationship between postures and the body-mind-breath integration. Whether walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—the so-called "four postures"—we should first bless ourselves with loving-kindness, thereby rendering our body and mind delightful. As stable demeanor helps stabilize our mind, we'll be able to apply the method more effectively in our practice when our mind and body are in a peaceful and stable state.
III. Thorough relaxation
While relaxation serves as a foundation of spiritual cultivation, practicing the contemplation of loving-kindness is the process of complete relaxation. Stable demeanor and poise are conducive to relaxation, as it makes it easier for our mind to settle down. On the other hand, without stable postures, our mind is not likely to calm down, thereby making it hard to relax.
As Ven. Dhammadipa mentioned, we can stabilize our body by imagining it as a pyramid, with our spine in the middle. Take our spine as the starting point to scan through each part of our body, so that we can know our physical conditions part by part and relax each of them progressively.
IV. Four wishes
The first stage of the contemplation of loving-kindness is to practice loving-kindness to ourselves, which involves blessing ourselves with four wishes:
May I be free from enmity;
May I be free from hatred;
May I be free from distress;
May I be filled with inner joy.
We can also bless ourselves with a short phrase, such as, "May I have peace, health, and happiness."
After blessing ourselves, we can then emit loving-kindness to every part of our body and experience relaxation and serenity. If there are areas in discomfort, pain, or illness, such as stiff shoulders or knee pain, let our focus stay there for a longer time to observe, accept, and allow them to be in the state that they are in. As we radiate loving-kindness to these areas, we will gradually be able to relax and achieve thorough relaxation and serenity.
After relaxation, our spine should remain upright with major surface muscles relaxed, our lower back and neck straightened, and our shoulders flat, without applying additional effort. At this moment, since the mind is naturally alert, we can concentrate on applying the method. Without such alertness, on the other hand, we won't be able to apply the method due to drowsiness. With stable posture, smooth breathing, and a completely relaxed body, we can perceive the toughness of our bones and tenderness of our muscles, as well as the way that our muscles are supported on the skeleton.
All spiritual cultivations begin with self. To practice the meditation of loving-kindness, we must be kind to ourselves so that we are able to show kindness to others. That is, without loving-kindness towards ourselves, we have no way of cultivating the meditation of loving-kindness towards others. We like to be happy and joyful, and don’t want to suffer and be harmed; likewise, we will wish others to be just as happy and joyful as we are. We try to emit loving-kindness to ourselves first. As we clearly feel loving-kindness, our mind will become more gentle and relaxed, and thus we can experience lightness and calmness, or serenity (Pa. passaddhi) in body and mind. Only then are we able to benefit all sentient beings.
II. Taking our body as a field for experiments
Spiritual cultivation is inseparable from our physical and mental states, and we can take our physical body as a laboratory to examine and verify Buddhist teachings. Whether practicing cessation (śamatha) or observation (vipaśyana), we can apply the meditation of loving-kindness to adjust our body and mind first. Only with a peaceful physical and mental state can we comprehend immeasurable loving-kindness. Without serenity of body and mind, we cannot truly and happily devote ourselves to spiritual cultivation and eliminating afflictions; instead, we will be indulging in our deluded thoughts and afflictions. While relaxing our physical body through the contemplation of loving-kindness, we must first understand the relationship between postures and the body-mind-breath integration. Whether walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—the so-called "four postures"—we should first bless ourselves with loving-kindness, thereby rendering our body and mind delightful. As stable demeanor helps stabilize our mind, we'll be able to apply the method more effectively in our practice when our mind and body are in a peaceful and stable state.
III. Thorough relaxation
While relaxation serves as a foundation of spiritual cultivation, practicing the contemplation of loving-kindness is the process of complete relaxation. Stable demeanor and poise are conducive to relaxation, as it makes it easier for our mind to settle down. On the other hand, without stable postures, our mind is not likely to calm down, thereby making it hard to relax.
As Ven. Dhammadipa mentioned, we can stabilize our body by imagining it as a pyramid, with our spine in the middle. Take our spine as the starting point to scan through each part of our body, so that we can know our physical conditions part by part and relax each of them progressively.
IV. Four wishes
The first stage of the contemplation of loving-kindness is to practice loving-kindness to ourselves, which involves blessing ourselves with four wishes:
May I be free from enmity;
May I be free from hatred;
May I be free from distress;
May I be filled with inner joy.
We can also bless ourselves with a short phrase, such as, "May I have peace, health, and happiness."
After blessing ourselves, we can then emit loving-kindness to every part of our body and experience relaxation and serenity. If there are areas in discomfort, pain, or illness, such as stiff shoulders or knee pain, let our focus stay there for a longer time to observe, accept, and allow them to be in the state that they are in. As we radiate loving-kindness to these areas, we will gradually be able to relax and achieve thorough relaxation and serenity.
After relaxation, our spine should remain upright with major surface muscles relaxed, our lower back and neck straightened, and our shoulders flat, without applying additional effort. At this moment, since the mind is naturally alert, we can concentrate on applying the method. Without such alertness, on the other hand, we won't be able to apply the method due to drowsiness. With stable posture, smooth breathing, and a completely relaxed body, we can perceive the toughness of our bones and tenderness of our muscles, as well as the way that our muscles are supported on the skeleton.
Stage Two: Meditative Concentration of Loving-Kindness
Once we arrive at the state where our body feels relaxed, stable, and comfortable, and our mind is filled with the feeling of loving-kindness, we can take an object of focus to develop a steady characteristic feature (lakṣaṇa) and steady attention (manasikara).
I. Take a living individual of the same sex as the object of focus
To cultivate meditative concentration of loving-kindness, we must first choose a person as our object of focus. In principle, the person we choose should be someone we respect who is still living and of the same sex. This is because the practice of meditation of loving-kindness is prone to defiled by lust, and it is easy for practitioners' minds to become polluted by desire if their object of focus is of the opposite sex. In addition, practitioners will not be able to enter meditative concentration if they choose someone who has already passed away as their object of focus. The goal of this stage is to strengthen meditative concentration using an object that does not distract us so that we can enter into the dhyana of loving-kindness.
As we feel inner serenity, first contemplate our own face, with a smile. Then, relax our eyes, forehead, mouth, tongue, head, and neck. Tuck in the chin, and keep the spine naturally upright. Next, think of a person we respect, and visualize them smiling and just as relaxed as we are. There is no need to visualize the whole body of the person, but just the part above their shoulders. If the image of the person as our object of focus is unclear, consider using a photograph to enhance your contemplation so that the image of the person can become clearer when we close our eyes. Meanwhile, use the four wishes aforementioned or a blessing phrase to wish that person to be free from enmity, hatred, and suffering, and filled with joy.
As we become more adept at using this method, the image of the person we are contemplating will gain more clarity over time, and our mind will be in a stable state. When our object of focus becomes vivid and our wandering and delusive thoughts cease, we can smoothly enter the meditative concentration of loving-kindness.
II. Forbearance as the supreme cultivation
Spiritual cultivation requires patience, since it is not something that can be accomplished in just one move. Therefore, we need forbearance (kṣānti) to stay persistent with our practice. Forbearance is considered the supreme cultivation because, in the course of spiritual cultivation, one must endure various kinds of physical and mental conditions, as well as both favorable and adverse circumstances, before achieving a more ideal state.
To cultivate meditative concentration of loving-kindness, we must first choose a person as our object of focus. In principle, the person we choose should be someone we respect who is still living and of the same sex. This is because the practice of meditation of loving-kindness is prone to defiled by lust, and it is easy for practitioners' minds to become polluted by desire if their object of focus is of the opposite sex. In addition, practitioners will not be able to enter meditative concentration if they choose someone who has already passed away as their object of focus. The goal of this stage is to strengthen meditative concentration using an object that does not distract us so that we can enter into the dhyana of loving-kindness.
As we feel inner serenity, first contemplate our own face, with a smile. Then, relax our eyes, forehead, mouth, tongue, head, and neck. Tuck in the chin, and keep the spine naturally upright. Next, think of a person we respect, and visualize them smiling and just as relaxed as we are. There is no need to visualize the whole body of the person, but just the part above their shoulders. If the image of the person as our object of focus is unclear, consider using a photograph to enhance your contemplation so that the image of the person can become clearer when we close our eyes. Meanwhile, use the four wishes aforementioned or a blessing phrase to wish that person to be free from enmity, hatred, and suffering, and filled with joy.
As we become more adept at using this method, the image of the person we are contemplating will gain more clarity over time, and our mind will be in a stable state. When our object of focus becomes vivid and our wandering and delusive thoughts cease, we can smoothly enter the meditative concentration of loving-kindness.
II. Forbearance as the supreme cultivation
Spiritual cultivation requires patience, since it is not something that can be accomplished in just one move. Therefore, we need forbearance (kṣānti) to stay persistent with our practice. Forbearance is considered the supreme cultivation because, in the course of spiritual cultivation, one must endure various kinds of physical and mental conditions, as well as both favorable and adverse circumstances, before achieving a more ideal state.
Stage Three: Expanding the Objects of Focus
I. Break through our mental restrictions
How do we expand our objects of focus to cultivate the immeasurable states of mind? First we must break our mental restrictions. We keep making distinctions, and this is entirely due to the tendency of our mind to set boundaries. Without a mind that makes distinctions and discriminations, there is no limitation and restriction. Only by understanding our mental restrictions can we progressively expand our objects of focus for cultivating immeasurable loving-kindness, from the people close to us to the people we feel neutral towards and to the people we dislike.
II. Select the objects of focus
(1) Contemplate five individuals we like
Regardless of their gender, quickly think of five persons you like, such as your family members and friends. It is fine to have only vague mental images of them. We can then give them four wishes of being free from enmity, hatred, and distress, and filled with inner joy, or bless them with a short blessing phrase.
(2) Contemplate five people who we feel neutral towards
Choose those who we neither like nor dislike in particular, such as a neighbor or a school friend. Adjust our mind to be as stable, just as we would when contemplating people we like. After visualizing them, we can use a short blessing phrase or the four wishes to wish them to be freed from enmity, hatred, and distress, and filled with inner joy.
(3) Choose five individuals we dislike as the objects of focus
From memory of the past, choose persons such teachers or school friends we have disliked during our school years as the objects to practice our meditation of loving-kindness by giving them the four wishes or a short blessing phrase, until we have the same feelings towards them as that when thinking of those who we like or feel neutral towards.
(4) If our mind still has any feelings of differentiation towards different groups of people, then choose one person from each group to contemplate. Keep practicing until the mind sees these three kinds of people equally with loving-kindness. As our mind stops discriminating, there will be no more enemies in our mind.
III. Expand the spatial scope
When having equal loving-kindness for all three groups of people, we can expand the scope of our object of loving-kindness to all sentient beings. The expansion of scope can be done spatially. For instance, we can start with our surroundings and location. Ven. Dhammadipa used the example of a meditation setting: start with spreading loving-kindness in the meditation hall, and then emit it progressively throughout the entire monastery, the area, the region, the whole state, the continent, the Earth, the solar system, and to all sentient beings into infinity.
IV. Expand the objects of focus
We can practice expanding our object of focus into infinity by contemplating five categories of indistinguishable beings and seven categories of distinguishable beings. The former includes (1) all sentient beings (sabbe satta); (2) all breathing beings (sabbe pana); (3) all living beings (sabbe bhuta); (4) beings with individuality (sabbe puggala); and (5) all beings with form (sabbe attabhavapariyapanna). These five beings cannot be distinguished from one another because they represent different attributes commonly shared by all beings.
The latter is composed of (1) all females; (2) all males; (3) all saints, or noble ones; (4) all worldlings, or ordinary people; (5) all heavenly deities; (6) all human beings; and (7) all beings of the unfortunate destinies of existence.
V. Extend loving-kindness to different directions
The next step is to extend our loving-kindness to ten directions. According to the Visuddhimagga, we can take the front as the east. When practicing, first wish that all sentient beings, all breathing beings, all living beings, all beings with individuality, all beings with form, all females, all males, all saints, all worldlings, all heavenly deities, all human beings, and beings of the unfortunate destinies of existence in the east have no enmity, hatred, and distress, and are filled with inner joy. Next, we extend our wishes to the 12 categories of beings in the following directions in sequence: the west, namely, at our back, the north (our left hand side), the south (our right hand side), and the southeast, northwest, northeast, southwest, above, and under, totaling ten directions.
How do we expand our objects of focus to cultivate the immeasurable states of mind? First we must break our mental restrictions. We keep making distinctions, and this is entirely due to the tendency of our mind to set boundaries. Without a mind that makes distinctions and discriminations, there is no limitation and restriction. Only by understanding our mental restrictions can we progressively expand our objects of focus for cultivating immeasurable loving-kindness, from the people close to us to the people we feel neutral towards and to the people we dislike.
II. Select the objects of focus
(1) Contemplate five individuals we like
Regardless of their gender, quickly think of five persons you like, such as your family members and friends. It is fine to have only vague mental images of them. We can then give them four wishes of being free from enmity, hatred, and distress, and filled with inner joy, or bless them with a short blessing phrase.
(2) Contemplate five people who we feel neutral towards
Choose those who we neither like nor dislike in particular, such as a neighbor or a school friend. Adjust our mind to be as stable, just as we would when contemplating people we like. After visualizing them, we can use a short blessing phrase or the four wishes to wish them to be freed from enmity, hatred, and distress, and filled with inner joy.
(3) Choose five individuals we dislike as the objects of focus
From memory of the past, choose persons such teachers or school friends we have disliked during our school years as the objects to practice our meditation of loving-kindness by giving them the four wishes or a short blessing phrase, until we have the same feelings towards them as that when thinking of those who we like or feel neutral towards.
(4) If our mind still has any feelings of differentiation towards different groups of people, then choose one person from each group to contemplate. Keep practicing until the mind sees these three kinds of people equally with loving-kindness. As our mind stops discriminating, there will be no more enemies in our mind.
III. Expand the spatial scope
When having equal loving-kindness for all three groups of people, we can expand the scope of our object of loving-kindness to all sentient beings. The expansion of scope can be done spatially. For instance, we can start with our surroundings and location. Ven. Dhammadipa used the example of a meditation setting: start with spreading loving-kindness in the meditation hall, and then emit it progressively throughout the entire monastery, the area, the region, the whole state, the continent, the Earth, the solar system, and to all sentient beings into infinity.
IV. Expand the objects of focus
We can practice expanding our object of focus into infinity by contemplating five categories of indistinguishable beings and seven categories of distinguishable beings. The former includes (1) all sentient beings (sabbe satta); (2) all breathing beings (sabbe pana); (3) all living beings (sabbe bhuta); (4) beings with individuality (sabbe puggala); and (5) all beings with form (sabbe attabhavapariyapanna). These five beings cannot be distinguished from one another because they represent different attributes commonly shared by all beings.
The latter is composed of (1) all females; (2) all males; (3) all saints, or noble ones; (4) all worldlings, or ordinary people; (5) all heavenly deities; (6) all human beings; and (7) all beings of the unfortunate destinies of existence.
V. Extend loving-kindness to different directions
The next step is to extend our loving-kindness to ten directions. According to the Visuddhimagga, we can take the front as the east. When practicing, first wish that all sentient beings, all breathing beings, all living beings, all beings with individuality, all beings with form, all females, all males, all saints, all worldlings, all heavenly deities, all human beings, and beings of the unfortunate destinies of existence in the east have no enmity, hatred, and distress, and are filled with inner joy. Next, we extend our wishes to the 12 categories of beings in the following directions in sequence: the west, namely, at our back, the north (our left hand side), the south (our right hand side), and the southeast, northwest, northeast, southwest, above, and under, totaling ten directions.
Practice Points
The purpose of contemplating the person we respect in Stage Two is to attain meditative concentration of loving-kindness. When short of time, it is fine to go from Stage One of practicing loving-kindness towards ourselves directly to Stage Three of expanding our objects of focus to infinity. By practicing once in the morning and once in the evening every day, various merits can be attained, such as being soft and gentle in body and mind, expanding our capacity of mind, and building extensive karmic affinities. Crucial as the practice of Stage One is, it should be practiced regularly to make it a habit. It not only allows our body and mind to attain calmness that facilitates our method of Dharma practice, but also helps us to relax, smile, and remain joyful when applied in our work and daily life. With our body, mind, and life filled with loving-kindness, our spiritual cultivation can be beneficial to ourselves and others.
We cannot use hatred to cease hatred, but using loving-kindness can. While cultivating loving-kindness, we are emitting loving-kindness to ourselves and others, and radiating loving-kindness to the twelve categories of beings in ten directions.
Cultivating the Second of the Four Immeasurable States of Mind: Compassion
A compassionate mind is one that cannot bear to see sentient beings to suffer, wanting to deliver them. Compassionate mind is the remedy to the mind of malice (vyāpada-citta), a mind that discriminates, loving only itself but not others, with an intention to harm sentient beings. Finding it unbearable to see sentient beings suffer and finding it unbearable to undergo suffering ourselves are interconnected. Therefore, the Buddha said that while cultivating compassion, we are actually leaving suffering behind; while eradicating our mind of malice towards sentient beings, we are in the process of being free from suffering. Practicing the meditation of compassion helps us untangle ourselves from ignorance and attachment, the root causes of samsara.
The cultivation of compassion is based on the insight into the true character of suffering, so it is crucial to raise the mind of renunciation to leave suffering behind. The practice of compassion is to deliver suffering sentient beings without discrimination, selectivity, or exclusivity. As stated in the Diamond Sutra, the highest practice of compassion sees no rescuer and the rescued.
Take the Buddha as our model
While cultivating compassion, we should take the Buddha as our model to practice immeasurable compassion. As seen in the Jataka tales, the Buddha in many of his past lifetimes sacrificed himself to save other beings, thereby attaining complete compassion. For instance, the Buddha had been a leader of monkeys who sacrificed himself for the sake of his troupe. In one of his lives as a human being, he encountered a tigress who was too weak to hunt after giving birth to her cubs. To prevent the cubs from starving to death, he offered his body to feed them, thereby accomplishing his cultivation in immeasurable compassion.
Recognize the enemy
The steps for cultivating compassion are the same as those for cultivating loving-kindness. While the immediate enemy that hinders our cultivation of a compassionate mind is the mind of malice, the secondary hindrance is self-pity, which weakens our mental strength, making it impossible to generate great compassion. Hence, we must never be self-pitying while practicing the contemplation of compassion.
Cultivate meditative concentration of compassion
Select a suffering person whom we respect, and the principle for this practice is identical to the one for cultivating the meditation of loving-kindness. Keep their suffering in mind and generate compassion towards them, wishing "may this virtuous person be free from pain and distress." Repeat this practice until the image of this person as our object of focus becomes clear and stable, as our feeling remains calm and steady.
Cultivate loving-kindness and compassion using wisdom
If we take those who live a comfortable life without any pain and distress as our object of focus to cultivate compassion, we should contemplate: all beings who haven't yet attained liberation are not exempt from the fate of falling into unfortunate destinies of existence; due to the negative karma they have created in samsara, they're still in danger of being reborn in the unfortunate destinies of existence; and all sentient beings, who haven't yet been free from the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death, deserve our compassion and sympathy.
The mind of compassion without malice, in its true sense, is achieved by developing the mind of renunciation without attaching to anything. Replete with a mind of renunciation, we're thus able to use non-discriminative wisdom to stay away from unwholesome dharmas and complete virtuous dharmas. Extending the range of our compassion requires us to apply wisdom. Loving-kindness may not be identical to compassion, but the two are inseparable. Moreover, we must cultivate loving-kindness and compassion with a mind of renunciation.
The power of loving-kindness and compassion is especially effective in the desire realm (kāmadhātu), because sentient beings in the desire realm are in great need of loving-kindness and compassion. Meditation of loving-kindness and compassion makes our good deeds more powerful as we go further into the beautiful realm of virtues by integrating loving-kindness and compassion into our mind.
Cultivating the Third of the Four Immeasurable States of Mind: Appreciative Joy
Appreciative joy, the third immeasurable state of mind, can cure the feeling of envy as practitioners rejoice in all good. When practicing it, we will become even clearer about the close relationship between aversion and greed, because envy arises from aversion, whose root cause is greed. It is greed that leads to envy. When greed arises, people tend to be miserly, and miserly people cannot overcome envy.
Miserliness and envy
Miserliness begets envy, and the latter begets the former. It is just like an external entanglement turning into an internal one, and then the internal entanglement forms into an external one. As they intertwine, we are constantly creating our own afflictions. Only repentance and modesty, the true merit, can solve it. Without understanding this true merit, we have no way of attaining the benefit. Cultivating immeasurable appreciative joy will make our mind see with more clarity, learning to let go envy and miserliness.
The practice of "exchanging self with others"
How do we overcome the entanglement of miserliness, envy, greed, and aversion that intertwines internally and externally? In the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, Shantideva introduced the practice of "exchanging self with others." By practicing exchanging self with others, taking others as self, envy will not arise as we see others' merit as our own.
Mind on protecting others
The practice of appreciative joy greatly helps the practice of meditative concentration, cessation, and contemplation. This is the essence of the bodhisattva path. Although immeasurable appreciative joy is not included in the Ten Perfections (dasa pāramiyo), they are all related to it.
The reason we protect ourselves is that sentient beings become miserly for "things to protect." If there is nothing to be protected from, then there is no need to protect ourselves; only without miserliness can we truly protect others without self-concern.
The sequence for cultivating the meditation of appreciative joy
When practicing the meditation of appreciative joy (muditā), we should note not to first take ourselves as the object of focus, but instead think of someone who is worth learning from in terms of spiritual cultivation. When practicing, we can contemplate someone who is virtuous, meritorious, and filled with Dharma joy, such as a monastic teacher or a lay practitioner, wishing them, "May this person not lose the merits they have achieved." The following steps in this practice is identical to loving-kindness meditation, in which we break through our mental restrictions, and eventually extend the objects of focus, that is, to sequentially contemplate five people we feel close to, five people we feel neutral towards, and five people we dislike, and wish that they will not lose the merits and virtues accomplished. Lastly, we give such wishes to the 12 categories of beings in ten directions.
In our life, we can practice the appreciative-joy meditation at any time and place. When seeing others doing well or being diligent in their practice, we can praise them and rejoice at their achievement. When we find joy in others' delight, we'll feel happy, too. Thus, our jealousy is progressively dissolving.
Cultivating the Last of the Four Immeasurable States of Mind: Equanimity
Immeasurable equanimity is the ultimate of the Four Immeasurables. Equanimity is a mind in balance that neither clings, resists, nor wavers. The Buddhist concept of equanimity (upekṣā) has two connotations, meaning either a sensation or a mentality. The former refers to the sensation of neither-pain-nor-pleasure, while the latter is the focal point of the equanimity meditation. Equanimity as a mentality means to feel neutral towards sentient beings. In such cessation of aversion and attachment, equanimity can be a remedy for cravings and greed, which are the root cause of samsara.
The imminent enemy of equanimity is craving, while its secondary enemy is practicing equanimity lacking in wisdom but involving ignorance. Equanimity, in its true sense, does not entail ignoring everything, but, instead, means to use wisdom to understand dependent arising. Equanimity rises from "contemplation," which is to clearly see the arising and changing of all phenomena, while recognizing their true nature. We must realize that what we are experiencing is all the effect caused by our own physical, verbal, and mental activities in this or previous lives, and that we are the recipients of our karma. Unless we've attained supreme liberation, our karma will follow us.
Neither clinging nor rejecting
As we cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy, we wish all beings to be happy and free from suffering, and we rejoice at their accomplishments. These practices are indeed beneficial to self and others. However, in terms of the ultimate truth (paramattha), if we still have "expectations" and the notions of "self" and "sentient beings," we are still bound to samsara without liberation. The aim of spiritual cultivation is to attain wisdom, which is to cultivate the insight into dependent arising, thereby leading us to comprehend the Middle Way (madhyamāpratipada). As we understand the Middle Way, we'll be able to neither cling to likable objects, nor reject unlikable ones. Having the eternalist view or having the seeds of eternalism (sassatavāda) in our mind leads us to become attached to the objects we like; on the other hand, we reject the objects we dislike because we have the annihilationist view or have the seeds of annihilationism (ucchedavāda) in our mind. Without understanding the Middle Way, our mind cannot see things equally. In order to make our mind of equanimity unwavering, we must let go of all notions revolving around "mine." We can start with small and easy steps, and progressively move on to tackle the objects we are deeply attached to. As we keep practicing letting go of the notions of "my" and "self" little by little, equanimity will constantly abide in our mind, with impartiality of mind manifesting more and more.
The sequence of practicing equanimity meditation
One unique way to practice equanimity is to start it with contemplating a person we feel neutral towards. Since we are neither familiar nor unfamiliar with that person, we're therefore less likely to form a preference and prejudice toward them. We can practice by contemplating, "This person's painful and pleasant feelings are the effect of their karmic activities, not something they can decide for themselves." We should realize that all sentient beings receive karmic effects as a result of their karmic activities, and that they cannot decide for themselves which form of body they will be born into, nor can they decide the sensations they are to feel; each sentient being is the subject of their karma. Due to their karma and habitual tendencies, they are sometimes upbeat and sometimes upset. Then, from the people we feel intimate, neutral, and hostile towards, we select five persons from each category to contemplate, and ourselves are the last object to contemplate.
Equanimity as the supreme accomplishment of spiritual cultivation
In the meditative concentration of equanimity, only the sensation of neither pleasure nor pain allows our mind to remain unmoving, because only by remaining unaffected by external phenomena can one keep purity of mind. The experience and realization of "no-self" can lead us to attain ultimate equanimity, thereby liberating ourselves. As we take sentient beings as our object of focus in equanimity meditation, its relationship with liberation as well as the merit of this practice will become more and more apparent in the course of our cultivation. The pure equanimity attained in concentrative meditation, especially the kind in the Fourth Dhyana, and the equanimity attained by buddhas and arhats, as Ven. Dhammadipa describes, is "the supreme accomplishment of spiritual cultivation."
Equanimity facilitates the practice of loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy; when the meditation of the latter three is accomplished, the equanimity meditation can be accomplished as well. Cultivating equanimity is of true benefit to self and others. Without realizing the significance of equanimity, no matter what kind of practice we adopt, we will not be able to enter deep meditative concentration, fulfill the merit of samadhi, perceive the true character of all dharmas, and attain ultimate liberation.
Although equanimity is the culmination and ultimate of the Four Immeasurables, Ven. Dhammadipa emphasized that the mind of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and that of equanimity are mutually integrating and reinforcing. The mind of equanimity fully contains and pervades the other three minds, just as the minds of loving-kindness, compassion, and appreciative joy permeate the mind of equanimity.
Conclusion: the Dharma approach to loving self and others
"We learn to take care of ourselves by learning the Four Immeasurables. To facilitate our practice, we must first learn to love ourselves. So, start by loving ourselves, learn to cherish our own life, and then extend it to others." Ven. Dhammadipa pointed out that no matter what Dharma approach we adopt – be it Buddha's name recitation, Chan practice, vipassana, ānāpānasmṛti – without such cultivation, it is hard for our practice to be effective. If we want our practice to benefit self and others, we must practice to emit and develop love towards ourselves, and further radiate it to others.As Ven. Dhammadipa emphasized, "The four immeasurable minds of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity, together, constitute Mahayana bodhisattva practice through the ladder of mundane virtues, a consistent completion of the three disciplines of morality, meditation, and wisdom, as well as the fulfillment of the Ten Perfections." Cultivating and practicing the Four Immeasurables represents a balanced integration of compassion and wisdom, also as the Middle Way, starting from purification of self, thereby bringing sentient beings to spiritual maturation, dignifying the world and its land.
Reference:
Ven. Dhammadipa. (2004). The Four Immeasurable Minds. (四無量心)，Publisher Gaya (香光書香出版社).
Ven. Dhammadipa. (2015). The Four Immeasurable Minds — the Most Beautiful Spiritual Practice. (四無量心——最美麗的修行) The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation.
Related articles:
An Introduction to the Four Immeasurable States of Mind
A Brief Introduction to the Mettā Sutta
Ven. Dhammadipa on Cultivation of Four Immeasurable States of Mind
Zen Master Thầy Nhất Hạnh — Sowing the Seeds of Mindfulness with Compassion
His Holiness the Dalai Lama — Healing People's Mind with Loving-kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, and Equanimity
Resource: Issue 460 of Humanity Magazine (December 2021), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Original Chinese text: Qiu Huimin (邱惠敏)
Photo credit: Jean Li, Liang Jung-nan (梁忠楠)
Translation: Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown, Chang Chia-cheng (張家誠)