Developing and Cultivating A Mind of Loving-kindness and Practicing the Way to the Ascetic

(1) In that case, Monk, you should train yourself thus: My mind will be firm and well settled internally. Arisen evil unwholesome states will not obsess my mind: Thus should you train yourself.

When, Monk, your mind is firm and well settled internally, and arisen evil unwholesome states do not obsess your mind, then you should train yourself thus: I will develop and cultivate the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, make it a vehicle and basis, carry it out, consolidate it, and properly undertake it.

Thus should you train yourself.

When, Monk, this concentration has been developed and well developed by you in this way, then you should train yourself thus: I will develop and cultivate the liberation of the mind by compassion... the liberation of the mind by sympathetic joy... the liberation of the mind by equanimity, make it a vehicle and basis, carry it out, consolidate it, and properly undertake it.

Thus should you train yourself.

(2) He sees himself purified of all these evil unwholesome states, he sees himself liberated from them. When he sees this, joyfulness is born in him. When he is joyful, joy is born in him; in one who is joyous, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil feels pleasure; in one who feels pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated.

He resides filling one quarter with a mind filled with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he resides filling the all-encompassing world with a mind filled with loving-kindness, abundant, distinguished, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will.

He resides filling one quarter with a mind filled with compassion… with a mind filled with sympathetic joy… with a mind filled with equanimity… abundant, distinguished, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will.

Suppose there were a pond with clear, agreeable cool water, transparent, with smooth banks, delightful. If a man, scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, came from the east or from the west or from the north or from the south or from where you will, having come upon the pond he would quench his thirst and his hot-weather fever.

So too, Monks, if anyone from a clan of nobles goes forth from the home life into homelessness, and after encountering The Teachings and Discipline proclaimed by The Tathāgata, develops loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, and thereby gains internal peace, then because of that internal peace he practices the way proper to the Ascetic, I say.

(3) Just as if a mighty trumpeter were with little difficulty to make a proclamation to the four quarters, so by this cultivation and development, Vāsettha, by this liberation of the mind through loving-kindness,... through compassion,...through sympathetic joy,. . . through equanimity, he leaves nothing untouched, nothing unaffected in the sensuous sphere.

(4) Monks, when the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness has been pursued, developed, and cultivated, made a vehicle and basis, carried out, consolidated, and properly undertaken, eleven benefits are to be predicted.

What eleven?

(1) One sleeps well;

(2) one awakens with joy;

(3) one does not have bad dreams;

(4) one is pleasing to human beings;

(5) one is pleasing to spirits;

(6) heavenly beings protect one;

(7) fire, poison, and weapons do not injure one;

(8) one’s mind quickly becomes concentrated;

(9) one’s facial complexion is serene;

(10) one dies unconfused; and

(11) if one does not penetrate further, one fares on to the Brahmā world.

When, Monks, the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness has been repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, made a vehicle and basis, carried out, consolidated, and properly undertaken, these eleven benefits are to be predicted.

(Reference: AN 11.15)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the eleven benefits of developing the mind with loving-kindness.

In other parts of The Buddha’s Teachings, he shares that loving-kindness should be developed to abandon ill will. It is through eliminating anger/hatred/ill will that the mind experiences the benefits of:

1.) one sleeps well;

2.) one awakens with joy;

3.) one does not have bad dreams;

4.) one is pleasing to human beings;

5.) one is pleasing to spirits;

6.) heavenly beings protect one;

7.) fire, poison, and weapons do not injure one;

8.) one’s mind quickly becomes concentrated;

9.) one’s facial complexion is serene;

10.) one dies unconfused; and

11.) if one does not penetrate further, one fares on to the Brahmā world.

The Buddha not only describes cultivating loving-kindness but he also describes the cultivation and development of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. These four mental states are known as “The Brahmā-vihāras”.

Detailed explanation of The Brahmā-vihāras is available in this same book series found in Chapter 14 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).