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Mettā and the Brahmavihāras

เมตตาและพรหมวิหาร

Mettā is goodwill without conditions: what it is, how to cultivate it step by step, the four brahmavihāras, and the Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta verse by verse.

14 articles

From the books Mettā in Depth: Toward a Lasting PracticeGood Dhamma, Happy Life

  1. What Is Mettā? And the Three Kinds of Love

    Mettā is true love, goodwill that arises without conditions, rooted in non-anger. Craving-love and household love are false love, because they cling.     pp. 1–18

  2. Mettā and Patience, the Bases of Social Harmony, and the Near Cause of Mettā

    Mettā and patience share one essence, adosa, non-anger. Mettā put into action is saṅgahavatthu, and its near cause is seeing the goodness in all beings.     pp. 19–26

  3. The Five Factors of a Mettā Practitioner, the Qualities Needed, and the Benefits of Mettā

    Cultivating mettā brings 11 benefits, such as sleeping and waking happily. It asks for faith, good health, honesty, effort and right understanding.     pp. 27–41

  4. Cultivating Mettā Meditation

    Mettā meditation begins with loving-kindness toward yourself, then extends to someone you revere, a neutral person and an enemy, until the mind grows soft.     pp. 42–53

  5. Tips for Mettā Meditation and the Heart of Mettā

    Before spreading mettā, make it arise in your own heart: calm and soften the mind, then send it out. Plus the two essentials of mettā.     pp. 54–71

  6. Cultivating the Brahmavihāras

    The brahmavihāras are the sublime abodes: mettā, karuṇā, muditā and upekkhā. Each has a near cause, a far enemy and a near enemy; train them in order.     pp. 72–85

  7. Cultivating the All-Purpose Meditations (the Four Protective Meditations)

    The four protective meditations are recollection of the Buddha, unattractiveness, recollection of death and mettā, developed constantly to guard the mind.     pp. 86–101

  8. The Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta in Depth

    The Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta is the discourse the Buddha taught 500 monks to cultivate mettā and ward off harm from non-humans, with a translation and verse 1.     pp. 102–114

  9. The Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta in Depth: Verses 2–5

    Verses 1–3 of the Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta give 15 qualities of one who wishes to cultivate mettā; verses 4–5 spread mettā without borders or measure.     pp. 115–135

  10. The Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta in Depth: Verses 6–10

    Verses 6–10 of the Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta teach boundless mettā like a mother's for her only child, kept mindfully in every posture as the brahmavihāra.     pp. 136–151

  11. Answering Doubts in the Practice of Mettā Meditation

    Wanting mettā's results without making its causes, and practicing stressed, is craving; being happy at every step of the practice is wholesome desire.     pp. 152–169

  12. Answering Doubts About Mettā: Lust, Selfishness, Liberation of Mind and the Perfection of Mettā

    Lust is the near enemy of mettā. If lust arises, develop mettā for yourself until it is true mettā, then for elders, teachers and parents you respect.     pp. 170–179

  13. Afterword: Life Is Nature, and the Three Foundations of Happiness

    Human happiness rests on three foundations, the natural environment, our fellow human beings and the activities of life, and mettā is what connects them.     pp. 180–187

  14. The Brahmavihāras Dispel Anger

    The brahmavihāras dispel anger, since mettā exists to cure it. Learn the ten grounds that feed anger and when to use each brahmavihāra. Good Dhamma, Happy Life     pp. 37–41