Child:: [[Metta|Mettā]], [[Karuna|Karuṇā]], [[Upekkha|Upekkhā]] ## Brahma Vihāra (Holy Abiding) / Appamāṇa (Four Immeasurables) - Alternatively, called **appamaññā (Four immeasurables)** > [!tldr] Cultivating the 4 Qualities of [[loka|Brahma]] beings > 1. **[[Metta|Mettā]]** — **Loving kindness** — **==love without discrimination==** by seeing that **every being is in suffering of holding onto samsara** > 2. **Karuṇā** — **Compassion** — you **==_"care"_==** — **==wishing internally==** that let the being **be rid of the pain and suffering** of samsara (developed first) > 3. **Muditā** — **Appreciative joy** — feeling so happy when beings found relief from suffering (especially nibbana) > 4. **Upekkhā** — **Equanimity** — feeling totally equanimous (no "feeling" whatsoever) regardless of what happens ## Mettāsutta ![[Kp9 Mettāsutta#^aparimana]] ![[Kp9 Mettāsutta#^brahma-vihara]] ## Leading to [[Nibbana|Nibbāna]] ![[MN43 Mahāvedallasutta#^vimutti-1-metta]] ## Benefits of the Practice > [!success] 11 Benefits — In Mettāsutta ([AN11.15](https://suttacentral.net/an11.15/en/sujato)) > You sleep at ease. You wake happily. You don’t have bad dreams. Humans love you. Non-humans love you. Deities protect you. You can’t be harmed by fire, poison, or blade. Your mind quickly enters immersion. Your face is clear and bright. You don’t feel lost when you die. If you don’t penetrate any higher, you’ll be reborn in a Brahmā realm. > > _Sukhaṁ supati, sukhaṁ paṭibujjhati, na pāpakaṁ supinaṁ passati, manussānaṁ piyo hoti, amanussānaṁ piyo hoti, devatā rakkhanti, nāssa aggi vā visaṁ vā satthaṁ vā kamati, tuvaṭaṁ cittaṁ samādhiyati, mukhavaṇṇo vippasīdati, asammūḷho kālaṁ karoti, uttari appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokūpago hoti._ ## "Overpowering" Previous Bad Deeds > [!success] [[Brahma Vihara|4 Brahma Vihāra]] Overpowers Previous (Bad) Deeds — In Saṅkhadhamasutta ([SN42.8](https://suttacentral.net/sn42.8/en/sujato)) > That noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of **==love==** to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. > > _Sa kho so, gāmaṇi, ariyasāvako evaṁ vigatābhijjho vigatabyāpādo asammūḷho sampajāno paṭissato **mettāsahagatena** cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati._ > > Then that noble disciple is rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful. They meditate spreading a heart full of **==compassion==** … > _Sa kho so, gāmaṇi, ariyasāvako evaṁ vigatābhijjho vigatabyāpādo asammūḷho sampajāno paṭissato **karuṇāsahagatena** cetasā …pe…_ > > They meditate spreading a heart full of **==rejoicing==** … > _**muditāsahagatena** cetasā …pe…._ > > They meditate spreading a heart full of **==equanimity==** to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. > _**upekkhāsahagatena** cetasā …pe…._ > > Suppose there was a powerful **horn blower**. They’d easily make themselves heard in the four quarters. > _Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, balavā **saṅkhadhamo** appakasireneva catuddisā viññāpeyya;_ > > In the same way, when the heart’s release by equanimity has been developed and cultivated like this, **==any limited deeds they’ve done don’t remain or persist there==**.” > > _evameva kho, gāmaṇi, evaṁ bhāvitāya upekkhāya cetovimuttiyā evaṁ bahulīkatāya yaṁ **==pamāṇakataṁ kammaṁ== na taṁ tatrāvasissati, na taṁ tatrāvatiṭṭhatī**”ti._ ^sn42-8-overpower-bad-deeds ## Videos ![[Metta#^2fd4a1]] ![[Metta#^f4578f]] - [[(2022-08-18) (21-day Series) Brahma Vihara Meditation]] ## Notes - [[(2024-02-25) Vilas clarified on what is Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Upekkha]] ## Suttas - [[Kp9 Mettāsutta]] ([Chanting](https://youtu.be/u6kmvcuoBvo)) - vb13 Appamaññāvibhaṅga ([link](https://suttacentral.net/vb13)) - SN46.54 Mettāsahagatasutta ([link](https://suttacentral.net/sn46.54/en/sujato)) - Buddha on what's the fruits of the practice of the 4 Brahma Vihara (where arupa jhana is the lower fruits)