Chapter 22 - The Four Immeasurable Minds Flashcards
What do the Four Immeasurable Minds represent in a person?
- the very nature of enlightenment
enumerate:
Four Immeasurable Minds
- love
- compassion
- joy
- equanimity
explain:
Love / 1st IM
4
- intention and capacity to offer joy and happiness
- requires deep looking and listening so we know how to make others happy
- we all need it
- to love = to understand
explain:
Compassion / 2nd IM
4
- intention and capacity to relieve and transform suffering and lighten sorrows
- needs mindful breathing, deep listening, looking deeply
- contains deep concern
- “the ocean of tears cannot drown us if karuna is there”
karuna, associated with Avalokiteshvara
explain:
Joy / 3rd IM
2
- not true love if it doesn’t bring joy
- small things can bring tremendous joy
ex: eyes in good condition to see blue sky, violets, children, trees etc
mudita, joy contains happiness and happiness contains joy
explain:
Equanimity /4th IM
a.k.a. Letting Go, upeksha
4
- non-attachment, non-discrimination, even-mindedness
- not true love if it has attachment, discrimination, prejudice or clinging
- has Wisdom of Equality (knowing all are equal inherently)
e.g. not having a favourite child - prevents possessiveness
Why are the Four Immeasurable Minds called “immeasurable”?
- they grow in us every day until they embrace the whole world
through practice!
Thay says of the Four Immeasurable Minds that this address is much greater than a five star hotel. What else?
- “It is a 1000 star dwelling”
What is the primary meaning of love in Buddhism?
- friendship
What was the Buddha’s attitude towards other religions?
2
- we should preserve the roots of our own spiritual traditions
- he instructed Brahmans in their own language i.e. “Brahmaviharas” - being with God
“If you are cut off from your roots, you cannot be happy”
What is love without understanding?
- not true love
What do we have to do to become one with, understand and truly love someone?
2
- put ourselves “into the other’s skin”
- then… no self… and no other!
“With compassion in our heart, every thought , word and deed can bring about a miracle.” What can one thought do in more detail?
karuna
- reduce a mother’s suffering and bring joy
one thought can be like one deed because thoughts always lead to words and actions
“With compassion in our heart, every thought , word and deed can bring about a miracle.” What can one word do in more detail?
karuna
5
- give comfort and confidence
- destroy doubt
- help someone avoid a mistake
- reconcile a conflict
- open door to liberation
“With compassion in our heart, every thought , word and deed can bring about a miracle.” What can one deed do in more detail?
karuna
2
- save a life
- help another take advantage of a rare opportunity
According to Shakyamuni, who will be the Buddha of the next eon?
Maitreya, the Buddha of Love
Why is the Buddha’s smile possible, even though the world can seem grim?
2
- he knows how to take care of and transform suffering
- he has enough understanding, calmness and strength - so the suffering does not overwhelm him
enumerate:
The Buddha’s Four Recommendations for Enlightenment
- Four Immeasurable Minds
- Seven Factors of Awakening
- Four Noble Truths
- Noble Eightfold Path
enumerate:
Seven illnesses curable by Four Immeasurables
- anger
- sorrow
- insecurity
- sadness
- hatred
- loneliness
- unhealthy attachments
How do we uphold equanimity with the Wisdom of Equality ?
4
- we don’t discriminate or create boundaries between self and others
- we don’t put self or others first
- we remain impartial in a conflict, even if deeply concerned
- we put ourselves “into the other’s skin” to understand and love them
How is love a sick word in modern English?
- love can also mean appetite or desire
ex: I love hamburgers
We have to use language more carefully
Without equanimity, how could our love become possessive?
i.e. not true love
2
- we rob our beloved of liberty, seeking only to satisfy ourself first
- we create a prison and wrongly label it love
ex: putting a breeze in a tin can kills it
we don’t understand their aspirations, needs, difficulties
To translate mudita, why are “sympathetic joy” and “altruistic joy” too simplistic?
3
- they discriminate between self and other
- deeper definition = joy filled with peace and contentment
- we can rejoice when we see others happy and in our own wellbeing as well
How can we feel joy for another if not for ourselves?
define:
Four Immeasurable Minds
- four aspects of True Love within ourselves and everything
exemplify:
love without understanding
- offering someone something they dislike can cause suffering
ex: Thay and durian fruit
