THE
BRAHMĀ-VIHĀRAS

Cultivating Healthy Mental States: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity

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As you learn and implement The Teachings of Gotama Buddha, you will need to cultivate the healthy mental states of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity to attain Enlightenment.

These four (4) mental states are often referred to as “The Brahmā-vihāras”.

The Four (4) Brahmā-vihāras are:

1.) Loving-kindness (Pāli: mettā) is active goodwill towards all beings without judgment. A genuine interest in seeing all beings be well.

2.) Compassion (Pāli: karuṇā) is concern for the misfortunes of others.

3.) Sympathetic joy (Pāli: muditā) is joy for others’ success, even if you did not contribute to it.

4.) Equanimity (Pāli: upekkhā) is mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation; treating everyone impartially.

These mental states can be cultivated through meditation and in your daily life. Your intentions, speech, and actions should emanate from these mental states.

Loving-kindness is the remedy for anger, hatred, ill will, hostility, aggression, and other harsh intentions, speech, and actions. Loving-kindness also helps eliminate judgment of others looking down on them with arrogance or conceit. A Practitioner can train the mind to treat all beings in a polite, kind, friendly, and respectful way, without judgment.

Compassion is the remedy for lack of care, indifference, worry, and anxiety.

Sympathetic joy is the remedy for envy, jealousy, and pride.

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Equanimity is the remedy for an overactive mind that has restlessness and worry, it helps to cultivate patience. Equanimity will also assist a Practitioner to eliminate measuring and comparing beings treating all beings equally.

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