A Pause for Mettā: Loving- kindness

My great thanks to Andrew Olendzki and Dharma.org for a great chart (a .pdf) of the aspects of the Buddhist Divine Abidings (Brahma-vihāras).

Here is what we find for Mettā, the first of them:

Characteristic (lakkhana):

• promoting welfare (hit-ākāra-ppavatti)

Function (rasa):

• to prefer welfare (hit-ūpasaṃhāra)

Manifestation (paccupaññhāna):

• removal of annoyance (āghāta-vinaya)

Proximate Cause (padaññhāna):

• seeing the loveability of beings (sattānaṃ manāpa-bhāva-dassana)

Succeeds when it (sampatti):

• makes ill-will subside (vyāpād-ūpasama)

Fails when it (vipatti):

• produces sentimentality (sineha-sambhava) [a.k.a. selfish affection]

The Way to Purity (visuddhi-magga):

• for one who has much ill-will (vyāpāda-bahulassa)

Near Enemy (āsanna-paccatthika):

• attachment (rāga)

Far Enemy (dūra-paccatthika):

• ill-will (vyāpāda)

Like a Mother with a Son (yathā mātā puttaṃ):

• who is a baby, for she wants him to grow & thrive (abhivuḍḍhi-kāmā).

I also came across this quote from Thanissaro Bhikkhu (a .pdf):

Because emotions contain these elements of thought, evaluation, and perception— they’re not totally preverbal, as we sometimes assume—we can thus use our knowledge of karma and fabrication to shape these elements in the direction we want. Our knowledge of the what and why of the brahmaviharas helps us master the how.

I especially appreciate that last line, affirming the value of understanding the concepts – even though they are mere concepts – and context of the Buddhadharma. (see also this collection of quotes)

Some other resources:

The Visuddhimaga, in German and Pali (there is no English version currently available that I know of – but here is the Google Book with part of it). Chapter 9 is on the Brahma-viharas. Also of interest, generally, are these many great talks by Thanissaro Bhikkhu and Gil Fronsdal, may we all benefit and aspire to instruct with such wisdom.