CHAPTER 42
BRAHMAVIHĀRA - THE SUBLIME
STATES
"Rare is birth as a human being.
Hard is the life of mortals."
"Do not let slip this opportunity."
-- DHAMMAPADA
Man
is a mysterious being with inconceivable potentialities. Latent in him are
both saintly characteristics and criminal tendencies. They may rise to the
surface at unexpected moments in disconcerting strength. How they
originated we know not. We only know that they are dormant in man in
varying degree.
Within the powerful mind in this complex
machinery of man are also found a storehouse of virtue and a rubbish heap
of evil. With the development of the respective characteristics man may
become either a blessing or a curse to humanity.
Those who wish to be great, noble and
serviceable, who wish to sublimate themselves and, serve humanity both by
example and by precept, and who wish to avail themselves of this golden
opportunity as human beings, endeavour their best to remove the latent
vices and to cultivate the dormant virtues.
To dig up precious gems embedded in the earth
men spend enormous sums of money and make laborious efforts, and sometimes
even sacrifice their lives. But to dig up the valuable treasures latent in
man, only persistent effort and enduring patience are necessary. Even the
poorest man or woman can accomplish this task, for wealth is not an
essential prerequisite to the accumulation of transcendental treasures.
It is strange that the vices latent in man seem
to be almost natural and spontaneous. It is equally strange that every
vice possesses its opposite sterling virtue, which does not however appear
to be so normal and automatic, though still within the range of all.
One powerful destructive vice in man is anger
(dosa). The sweet virtue that subdues this evil force and sublimes
man is loving-kindness (mettā).
Cruelty (himsā) is another vice that is
responsible for many horrors and atrocities prevalent in the world.
Compassion (karunā) is its antidote.
Jealousy (issā) is another vice that
poisons one's system and leads to unhealthy rivalries and dangerous
competitions. The most effective remedy for this poisonous drug is
appreciative joy (muditā).
There are two other universal characteristics
that upset the mental equipoise of man. They are attachment to the
pleasurable and aversion to the non-pleasurable. These two opposite forces
can be eliminated by developing equanimity (upekkhā).
These four sterling virtues are collectively
termed in Pāli "Brahmavihāra" which may be rendered by Modes of
Sublime Conduct, Sublime States, or Divine Abodes.
These virtues tend to elevate man. They make
one divine in this life itself. They can transform man into a superman. If
all try to cultivate them, irrespective of creed, colour, race, or sex,
the earth can be transformed into a paradise where all can live in perfect
peace and harmony as ideal citizens of one world.
The four sublime virtues are also termed
illimitables (appamaññā). They are so called because they find no
barrier or limit and should be extended towards all beings without
exception. They embrace all living beings including animals.
Irrespective of religious beliefs, one can
cultivate these sweet virtues and be a blessing to oneself and all others.
1. METTĀ
The first Sublime State is Mettā (Samskrit-Maitri).
It means that which softens one's heart, or the state of a true
friend. It is defined as the sincere wish for the welfare and genuine
happiness of all living beings without exception. It is also explained as
the friendly disposition, for a genuine friend sincerely wishes for the
welfare of his friend.
"Just as a mother protects her only child even
at the risk of her life, even so one should cultivate boundless
loving-kindness towards all living beings" is the advice of the Buddha.
It is not the passionate love of the mother
towards her child that is stressed here but her sincere wish for the
genuine welfare of her child.
Mettā is neither carnal love nor personal
affection, for grief inevitably arises from both.
Mettā is not mere neighbourliness, for it makes
no distinction between neighbours and others.
Mettā is not mere universal brotherhood, for it
embraces all living beings including animals, our lesser brethren and
sisters that need greater compassion as they are helpless.
Mettā is not political brotherhood or racial
brotherhood, or national brotherhood, or even religious brotherhood.
Political brotherhood is confined only to those
who share similar political views, such as the partial brotherhood of
Democrats, Socialists, Communists, and so forth.
Racial brotherhood and national brotherhood are
restricted only to those of the same race and nation. Some nationalists
love their race so much that sometimes they ruthlessly kill innocent men,
women and children because they unfortunately are not blessed with blond
hair and blue eyes. The white races have particular love for the white
skin, the black for the black, the yellow for the yellow, the brown for
the brown, the pale for the pale, the red for the red. Others of a
different complexion are at times viewed with suspicion and fear. Very
often to assert their racial superiority they resort to brutal warfare,
killing millions by mercilessly raining bombs from the sky above. The
pathetic incidents of the Second World War are striking examples which can
never be forgotten by mankind.
Amongst some narrow-minded peoples, within the
wider circle of their ancient nations, there exist minor circles of caste
and class where the so-called brotherhood of the powerful oppressors is so
limited that the oppressed are not even permitted to enjoy bare human
rights merely because of the accidents of birth or class. These oppressors
are to be pitied because they are confined to their water-tight
compartments.
Mettā is not religious brotherhood either.
Owing to the sad limitations of so-called religious brotherhood human
heads have been severed without the least compunction, sincere outspoken
men and women have been roasted and burnt alive; many atrocities have been
perpetrated which baffle description; cruel wars have been waged which mar
the pages of world history. Even in this supposedly enlightened twentieth
century the followers of one religion hate or ruthlessly persecute and
even kill those of other faiths merely because they cannot force them to
think as they do or because they have a different label.
If, on account of religious views, people of
different faiths cannot meet on a common platform like brothers and
sisters, then surely the missions of compassionate world teachers have
pitifully failed.
Sweet mettā transcends all these kinds
of narrow brotherhood. It is limitless in scope and range. Barriers it has
none. Discrimination it makes not. Mettā enables one to regard the whole
world as one's motherland and all as fellow beings.
Just as the sun sheds its rays on all without
any distinction, even so sublime mettā bestows its sweet blessings
equally on the pleasant and the unpleasant, on the rich and the poor, on
the high and the low, on the vicious and the virtuous, on man and woman,
and on human and animal.
Such was the boundless Mettā of the
Buddha who worked for the welfare and happiness of those who loved Him as
well as of those who hated Him and even attempted to harm and kill Him.
The Buddha exercised mettā equally
towards His own son Rāhula, His adversary Devadatta, His attendant Ānanda,
His admirers and His opponents.
This loving-kindness should be extended in
equal measure towards oneself as towards friend, foe and neutral alike.
Suppose a bandit were to approach a person travelling through a forest
with an intimate friend, a neutral person and an enemy, and suppose he
were to demand that one of them be offered as a victim. If the traveller
were to say that he himself should be taken, then he would have no
mettā towards himself. If he were to say that anyone of the other
three persons should be taken, then he would have no mettā towards
them.
Such is the characteristic of real mettā.
In exercising this boundless loving-kindness oneself should not be
ignored. This subtle point should not be misunderstood, for self-sacrifice
is another sweet virtue and egolessness is yet another higher virtue. The
culmination of this mettā is the identification of oneself with all
beings (sabbattatā), making no difference between oneself and
others. The so-called "I" is lost in the whole. Separatism evaporates.
Oneness is realized.
There is no proper English equivalent for this
graceful Pāli term Mettā. Goodwill, loving-kindness, benevolence
and universal love are suggested as the best renderings.
The antithesis of mettā is anger,
ill-will, hatred, or aversion. Mettā cannot co-exist with anger or
vengeful conduct. The Buddha states:
"Hatreds do not cease through hatreds:
through love alone they cease.
[1]"
Mettā not only tends to conquer anger but also
does not tolerate hateful thoughts towards others. He who has mettā
never thinks of harming others, nor does he disparage or condemn others.
Such a person is neither afraid of others nor does he instil fear into
any.
A subtle indirect enemy assails mettā in
the guise of a friend. It is selfish affection (pema), for
unguarded mettā may sometimes be assailed by lust. This indirect
enemy resembles a person who lurks afar in the jungles or hills to cause
harm to another. Grief springs from affection but not from mettā.
This delicate point should not be
misunderstood. Parents surely cannot avoid having affection towards their
children and children towards their parents; husbands towards their wives
and wives towards their husbands. Such affection is quite natural. The
world cannot exist without mutual affection. The point to be clarified
here is that unselfish mettā is not synonymous with ordinary affection.
A benevolent attitude is the chief
characteristic of inettā. He who practises mettā is
constantly interested in promoting the welfare of others. He seeks the
good and beautiful in all but not the ugliness in others.
Attendant blessings of Mettā
1. He who practises mettā sleeps
happily. As he goes to sleep with a light heart free from hatred he
naturally falls asleep at once. This fact is clearly demonstrated by those
who are full of loving-kindness. They are fast asleep immediately on
closing their eyes.
2. As he goes to sleep with a loving heart he
awakes with an equally loving heart. Benevolent and compas-sionate persons
often rise from bed with smiling faces.
3. Even in sleep loving persons are not
perturbed by bad dreams. As they are full of love during their waking
hours, they are peaceful in their sleeping hours too. Either they fall
into deep sleep or have pleasant dreams.
4. He becomes dear to human beings. As he loves
others, so do others love him.
When a persons looks at a mirror with a smiling
face, a similar face will greet him. If, on the contrary, he looks with a
wry face, he will see a similar reflection. The outside world reacts on
one in the same way that one acts towards the world. One full of faults
himself is apt to see the evil in others. The good he ignores. An English
poet -- Bolton Hall -- has put it beautifully: --
"I looked at my brother with the Microscope of
Criticism.
And I said 'How coarse my brother is!'
I looked at him through the Telescope of Scorn
And I said, 'How small my brother is!'
Then I looked in the Mirror of Truth
And I said, 'How like me my brother is!' "
Why should we see the ugliness in others when
there is evil in the best of us and good in the worst of us? It would be a
source of pleasure to all if we could see the good and beautiful in all.
5. He who practises mettā is dear to
non-humans as well. Animals are also attracted to him. Radiating their
loving-kindness, ascetics live in wild forests amidst ferocious beasts
without being harmed by them.
6. Owing to his power of mettā he
becomes immune from poison and so forth unless he is subject to some
inexorable Kamma.
As mettā is a constructive healthy force
it has the power to counteract hostile influence. Just as hateful thoughts
can produce toxic effects in the system, even so loving thoughts can
produce healthy physical effects. It is stated that a very generous and
devout woman named Suppiyā, who had a wound in her thigh, was healed on
seeing the Buddha. The peaceful thought vibrations of the Buddha and the
woman combined to produce this salutary effect.
When the Buddha visited His birthplace for the
first time, His son Rāhula, who was only seven years of age, approached
Him and spontaneously remarked: "O ascetic, even your shadow is pleasing
to me." The child was so much dominated by the Buddha's mettā that
he deeply felt its magnetic power.
7. Invisible deities protect him because of the
power of his mettā.
8. Mettā leads to quick mental
concentration. As the mind is not perturbed by hostile vibrations
one-pointedness can be gained with ease. With mind at peace he will live
in a heaven of his own creation. Even those who come in contact with him
will also experience that bliss.
9. Mettā tends to beautify one's facial
expression. The face as a rule reflects the state of the mind. When one
gets angry, the heart pumps blood twice or three times faster than the
normal rate. Heated blood rushes up to the face, which then turns red or
black. At times the face becomes repulsive to sight. Loving thoughts on
the contrary, gladden the heart and clarify the blood. The face then
presents a lovable appearance.
It is stated that when the Buddha, after
Enlightenment, reflected on the Causal Relations (Patthāna), His
heart was so pacified and His blood so clarified that rays of different
hue such as blue, yellow, red, white, orange, and a mixture of these
emanated from His body.
10. A person imbued with mettā dies
peacefully as he harbours no thoughts of hatred towards any. Even after
death his serene face reflects his peaceful death.
11. Since a person with mettā dies
happily, he will subsequently be born in a blissful state. If he has
gained the Jhānas (ecstasies), he will be born in a Brahma realm.
Power of Mettā
Besides these inevitable worldly blessings
mettā possesses a magnetic power. It can produce a good influence on
others even at a distance and can attract others to oneself.
Once when the Buddha visited a certain city,
many distinguished nobles came to welcome Him, amongst whom was a nobleman
named Roja, who was a friend of Venerable Ānanda. Seeing
him, Venerable Ānanda said: "It is very kind of you, Roja, to
have come to welcome the Buddha."
"No, Venerable Sir, it is not out of any
reverence towards the Buddha that I have come to greet Him. We agreed
amongst ourselves that whoever would not go to greet the Buddha would be
fined 500 gold coins. It is through fear of the fine that I have come here
to welcome the Buddha", replied Roja.
Venerable Ānanda was slightly
displeased. He approached the Buddha and implored Him to preach the Dhamma
to Roja.
The Buddha instantly radiated mettā
towards Roja and retired to His chamber.
Roja's body was saturated with the mettā
of the Buddha. He was electrified, so to say, with the magnetic power of
Buddha's irresistible love. Just as a calf would run after its mother he
ran from cell to cell in the monastery inquiring where the Buddha was. The
monks directed him to the Buddha's chamber. He knocked at the door. The
Buddha opened it. In he went, saluted the Buddha, heard the doctrine, and
became a convert.
Such is the magnetic power of mettā
which everyone can exercise according to his ability.
On another occasion an intoxicated elephant was
driven towards the Buddha in an effort to kill Him. The Buddha calmly
radiated His love towards the elephant and subdued it.
A beautiful story may be cited to show how the
Bodhisatta as a boy extended his boundless mettā when his own
father ordered him to be killed. Young though he was, the Bodhisatta
thought to himself:--
"Here is a golden opportunity for me to
practise my mettā. My father stands before me, my good mother is
weeping, the executioner is ready to chop off my hands and feet. I, the
victim, am in the centre. Love I must all the four in equal measure
without any distinction. May my good father not incur any suffering
because of this ruthless act! May I become a Buddha in the future!"
In one of his previous births the Bodhisatta
was once practising the virtue of patience in a royal park. The king, a
drunkard, meaning to test his patience, ordered the executioner to beat
him and cut off his hands and feet. Still he practised patience. The
impatient king kicked him in the chest. Lying in a pool of blood, almost
on the verge of death, the Bodhisatta blessed the king and wished him long
life saying that men like himself never get angry.
[2]
A Bhikkhu is expected to practise mettā
to such an extent that he is forbidden to dig or cause to dig the ground
lest insects and other minute creatures die.
The high standard of mettā expected from
a Bhikkhu can be understood by the following admonition of the Buddha:--
"If bandits sever your limbs with a two-handled saw, and if you entertain
hate in your heart, you will not be a follower of my teaching."
Such enduring patience is extremely difficult.
But, that is the lofty ethical standard the Buddha expects from His
followers.
The Buddha Himself has set the noble example:
"As an elephant in the battlefield withstands
arrows shot from a bow," says the Buddha, "even so will I endure abuse;
verily most people are undisciplined.
[3]"
This chaotic, war-weary, restless world of
today, where the nations are arming themselves to their teeth, frightened
of one another, where human life is endangered by nuclear weapons which
may be released at any moment, is sorely in need of this universal
loving-kindness so that all may live in one world in perfect peace and
harmony like brothers and sisters.
Is it practically possible to exercise mettā
when one is threatened with devastating bombs and other destructive
weapons?
Well, what can powerless people do when bombs
rain from above? Can they avert such a catastrophe?
Buddhist mettā is the only answer to
such deadly bombs when one is faced with inexorable death.
If all warlike nations could be prevailed upon
to substitute this spiritual mettā for the destructive weapons of
materialism and rule the world not with might and force but with right and
love, then only would there be genuine peace and happiness in this world.
Leaving the almost unpractical major issues
aside, it is advisable to be concerned with oneself and the rest of
mankind in cultivating this sweet virtue of mettā to the best of
one's ability.
How to Practise Mettā
A few practical hints are given below to
practise this meditation on loving-kindness.
Mettā
should be practised first towards oneself. In doing so a person should
charge his mind and body with positive thoughts of peace and happiness. He
should think how he could be peaceful, happy, free from suffering, worry
and anger. He then becomes the embodiment of loving-kindness.
Shielded by loving-kindness, he cuts off all
hostile vibrations and negative thoughts. He returns good for evil, love
for anger. He becomes ever tolerant and tries his best not to give
occasion for anger to any. Himself beaming with happiness, he injects
happiness into others not only inwardly but also outwardly by putting his
mettā into practice in the course of his daily life.
When he is full of peace and is free from
thoughts of hatred, it is easy for him to radiate loving-kindness towards
others. What he does not possess he cannot give to others. Before he tries
to make others happy he should first be happy himself. He should know the
ways and means to make himself happy.
He now radiates his loving-kindness towards all
his near and dear ones individually and collectively, wishing them peace
and happiness and freedom from suffering, disease, worry and anger.
Diffusing his thoughts of loving-kindness
towards his relatives and friends, he radiates them also towards neutrals.
Just as he wishes for the peace and happiness of himself and of his near
and dear ones, even so he sincerely wishes for the peace and happiness of
those who are neutral to him, wishing them freedom from suffering,
disease, worry and anger. Finally, though this is somewhat difficult, he
should radiate his mettā in the same way towards those (if any) who
are inimical to him. If, by practising mettā, he could adopt a
friendly attitude towards those thought to be inimical towards him, his
achievement would be more heroic and commendable. As the Buddha advises
--"Amidst those who hate let him live free from hatred."
Starting from himself he should gradually
extend his mettā towards all beings, irrespective of creed, race,
colour, or sex, including dumb animals, until he has identified himself
with all, making no distinction whatever. He merges himself in the whole
universe and is one with all. He is no more dominated by egoistic
feelings. He transcends all forms of separatism. No longer confining
himself to water-tight compartments, no longer influenced by caste, class,
national, racial, or religious prejudices, he can regard the whole world
as his motherland and all as fellow beings in the ocean of life.
2. KARUNĀ
The second virtue that sublimes man is
compassion (karunā). It is defined as that which makes the hearts
of the good quiver when others are subject to suffering, or that which
dissipates the sufferings of others. Its chief characteristic is the wish
to remove the woes of others.
The hearts of compassionate persons are even
softer than flowers. They do not and cannot rest satisfied until they
relieve the sufferings of others. At times they even go to the extent of
sacrificing their lives so as to alleviate the sufferings of others. The
story of the Vyāghri Jātaka
[4] where the
Bodhisatta sacrificed his life to save a starving tigress and her cubs may
be cited as an example.
It is compassion that compels one to serve
others with altruistic motives. A truly compassionate person lives not for
himself but for others. He seeks opportunities to serve others expecting
nothing in return, not even gratitude.
Who needs compassion?
Many amidst us deserve our compassion. The poor
and the needy, the sick and the helpless, the lonely and the destitute,
the ignorant and the vicious, the impure and the undisciplined are some
that demand the compassion of kind-hearted, noble-minded men and women, to
whatever religion or to whatever race they belong.
Some countries are materially rich but
spiritually poor, while some others are spiritually rich but materially
poor. Both these pathetic conditions have to be taken into consideration
by the materially rich and the spiritually rich.
It is the paramount duty of the wealthy to come
to the succour of the poor, who unfortunately lack most of the necessaries
of life. Surely those who have in abundance can give to the poor and the
needy their surplus without inconveniencing themselves.
Once a young student removed the door curtain
in his house and gave it to a poor person telling his good mother that the
door does not feel the cold but the poor certainly do. Such a kindhearted
attitude in young men and women is highly commendable.
It is gratifying to note that some wealthy
countries have formed themselves into various philanthropic bodies to help
under-developed countries, especially in Asia, in every possible way.
Charitable organizations have also been established in all countries by
men, women and students to give every possible assistance to the poor and
the needy. Religious bodies also perform their respective duties in this
connection in their own humble way. Homes for the Aged, Orphanages and
other similar charitable institutions are needed in under-developed
countries.
The beggar problem has still to be solved in
some countries where begging has become a profession. Out of compassion
for the unfortunate beggars this problem has to be solved satisfactorily
by the respective Governments as the existence of beggars is an insult to
any self-respecting nation.
As the materially rich should have compassion
on the materially poor and try to elevate them, it is the duty of the
spiritually rich, too, to have compassion on the spiritually poor and
sublime them though they may be materially rich. Wealth alone cannot give
genuine happiness. Peace of mind can be gained not by material treasures
but by spiritual treasures. Many in this world are badly in need of
substantial spiritual food, which is not easily obtained, as the
spiritually poor far exceed the materially poor numerically, as they are
found both amongst the rich and the poor.
Even more than poverty sickness prevails
throughout the world. Many are physically sick, some are mentally sick.
Science provides effective medicine for the former but not for the latter,
who very often languish in mental hospitals.
There are causes for these two kinds of
diseases. Compassionate men and women must try to remove the causes if
they wish to produce an effective cure.
Effective measures have been employed by
various nations to prevent and cure diseases not only of mankind but also
of animals. The Buddha set a noble example by attending on the sick
Himself and exhorting His disciples with the memorable words:
"He who ministers unto the sick ministers unto
me."
Some selfless doctors render free services
towards the alleviation of suffering. Some expend their whole time and
energy in ministering to the poor patients even at the risk of their
lives.
Hospitals and free dispensaries have become a
blessing to humanity but more are needed so that the poor may benefit by
them. In underdeveloped countries the poor suffer through lack of medical
facilities. The sick have to be carried for miles with great inconvenience
to the nearest hospital or dispensary for medical treatment. Sometimes
they die on the way. Pregnant mothers suffer most. Hospitals,
dispensaries, maternity homes, etc. are essential needs in backward
village areas.
The lowly and the destitute deserve the
compassion of wealthy men and women. Sometimes servants and workers are
not well paid, well fed, well clothed and more often than not they are ill
treated. Justice is not meted out to them. They are neglected and are
powerless as there is nobody to plead for them. Glaring cases of inhuman
cruelty receive publicity in some exceptional cases. Many such cases are
not known. These unfortunate ones have no other alternative but to suffer
meekly even as Mother Earth suffers everything in silence. When the grief
is unbearable, they commit suicide in utter desperation.
The vicious, the wicked, and the ignorant
deserve compassion even, more than those who suffer physically as they are
mentally and spiritually sick. They should not be condemned and despised
but sympathised with for their failings and defects. Though a mother has
equal compassion towards all her children still she may have more
compassion towards a sick child. Even so, greater compassion should be
exercised towards the spiritually sick as their sickness ruins their
character.
The Buddha, for instance, had great compassion
towards the courtesan Ambapāli, and towards Angulimāla the murderer. Both
of them later became His converts and underwent a complete reformation in
character.
We must understand that greatness is latent in
all however wicked they may be. Perhaps one appropriate word at the right
moment may change the whole outlook of a person.
The Emperor Asoka perpetrated many crimes, so
much so that he was stigmatized Asoka the Wicked. Later the words from a
young novice -- "Diligence is the path to the deathless" -- produced such
a great change in him that he became Asoka the Righteous (Dharmāsoka).
The Buddha's advice is to shun the company of
the foolish. That does not mean that the good should not associate with
them so as to reform them. People avoid those who suffer from contagious
diseases. But compass-sionate physicians, attend on them so as to heal
them. Otherwise they might die. In the same way the wicked may die
spiritually if the good are not tolerant and compassionate towards them.
As a rule the Buddha went in search of the
poor, the ignorant and the vicious, but the good and the virtuous came in
search of the Buddha.
Like mettā (loving-kindness), karunā
(compassion) should also be extended without limit towards all
suffering and helpless beings, including dumb animals and fertile eggs.
To deny the rights and privileges of mankind on
account of caste, colour, or race is inhuman and cruel. To feast on the
flesh of animals by killing or causing them to be killed is not human
compassion. To rain bombs from above and ruthlessly destroy millions of
men, women and children is the worst form of cruelty that deluded man has
ever perpetrated.
Today this pitiless, vengeful world has
sacrificed the most precious thing on earth -- life -- at the altar of
brute force. Whither has compassion fled?
The world needs today compassionate men and
women to banish violence and cruelty from the face of the earth.
Buddhist compassion, it should be noted,
does not consist in mere shedding of tears and the like, for the indirect
enemy of compassion is passionate grief (domanassa).
Compassion embraces all sorrow-stricken beings,
while loving-kindness embraces all living beings, happy or sorrowful.
3. MUDITĀ
The third sublime virtue is muditā. It
is not mere sympathy but sympathetic or appreciative joy which tends to
destroy jealousy, its direct enemy.
One devastating force that endangers our whole
constitution is jealousy. Very often some cannot bear to see or hear the
successful achievements of others. They rejoice over their failures but
cannot tolerate their successes. Instead of praising and congratulating
the successful, they try to ruin, condemn and vilify them. In one way
muditā is concerned more with oneself than with others as it tends to
eradicate jealousy which ruins oneself. On the other hand it aids others
as well since one who practises muditā will not try to hinder the
progress and welfare of others.
It is quite easy to rejoice over the success of
one's near and dear ones, but rather difficult to do so over the success
of one's adversaries. Yes, the majority not only find it difficult but
also do not and cannot rejoice. They seek delight in creating every
possible obstacle so as to ruin their adversaries. They even go to the
extent of poisoning, crucifying, and assassinating the good and the
virtuous.
Socrates was poisoned, Christ was crucified,
Gandhi was shot. Such is the nature of the wicked and deluded world.
The practice of mettā and karunā
is easier than the practice of muditā which demands great personal
effort and strong will-power.
Do the Western nations rejoice over the
prosperity of the Eastern and the Eastern over the prosperity of the
Weostern? Does one nation rejoice over the welfare of another nation? Is
one race happy over the growing prosperity of another race? Does even one
religious sect, which stands for the cultivation of morals, rejoice over
the spiritual influence of another sect?
One religion is jealous of another religion,
one part of the globe is jealous of another part of the globe, one
institution is jealous of another institution, one business firm is
jealous of another business firm, one family is jealous of another family,
unsuccessful pupils are jealous of successful pupils, sometimes even one
brother or sister is jealous of another brother or sister.
This is the very reason why individuals and
groups should practise appreciative joy if they wish to sublime themselves
and be internally happy.
The chief characteristic of muditā is
happy acquiescence in others' prosperity and success (anumodanā).
Laughter and the like are not the characteristics of muditā
as exhilaration (pahasa) is regarded as its indirect enemy.
Muditā
embraces all prosperous beings and
is the congratulatory attitude of a person. It tends to eliminate any
dislike (arati) towards a successful person.
4. UPEKKHĀ
The fourth sublime state is the most difficult
and the most essential. It is upekkhā or equanimity. The etymo-logical
meaning of the term upekkhā is "discerning rightly," "viewing
justly" or "looking impartially," that is, without attachment or aversion,
without favour or disfavour. (See pp. 523-524 and 596-597).
Equanimity is necessary especially for laymen
who have to live in an ill-balanced world amidst fluctuating
circumstances.
Slights and insults are the common lot of
mankind. The world is so constituted that the good and the virtuous are
often subject to unjust criticism and attack. It is heroic to maintain a
balanced mind in such circumstances.
Loss and gain, fame and infamy, praise and
blame, pain and happiness are eight worldly conditions
[5] that affect all
humanity. Most people are perturbed when affected by such favourable or
unfavourable states. One is elated when one is praised, and depressed when
blamed and reviled. He is wise, says the Buddha, who, amidst such
vicissitudes of life, stands unmoved like unto a firm rock, exercising
perfect equanimity.
The Buddha's exemplary life offers us
worldlings an excellent example of equanimity.
There was no religious teacher in the world who
was so severely criticised, attacked, insulted and reviled as the Buddha,
and yet none so highly praised, honoured and revered as the Buddha.
Once when He went in quest of alms, He was
called an outcast by an impertinent brahmin. He calmly endured the insult
and explained to him that it is not birth that makes one an outcast but an
ignoble character. The brahmin was converted.
Inviting him to a house for alms, a certain man
entertained the Buddha with the filthiest language, current in His time.
He was called 'swine', 'brute', 'ox', etc. But He was not offended. He did
not retaliate. Calmly He questioned His host what he would do when guests
visited his house. He replied that he would prepare a feast to entertain
them.
"Well, what would you do if they did not
partake of it?" questioned the Buddha.
"In that case we ourselves would partake of the
feast."
"Well, good brother, you have invited me to
your house for alms. You have entertained me with a torrent of abuse. I do
not accept it. Please take it back," calmly replied the Buddha.
The offender's character was completely
transformed.
"Retaliate not. Be silent as a cracked gong
when you are abused by others. If you do so, I deem that you have already
attained Nibbāna although you have not realized Nibbāna.
[6]"
Such is the advice of the Buddha.
These are golden words that should be given
heed to in this ill-disciplined world of today.
Once a lady of the court induced some drunkards
to revile the Buddha so much that Venerable Ānanda, His attendant
disciple, implored the Buddha to leave the city and go elsewhere. But the
Buddha was unperturbed.
Another woman feigned pregnancy and publicly
accused the Buddha of having placed her in that condition. A woman was
killed by His rivals and the Buddha was accused of murder. His own cousin
and disciple Devadatta made an unsuccessful attempt to crush Him to death
by hurling a rock from a cliff. Some of His own disciples accused Him of
jealousy, partiality, favouritism, etc.
On the other hand many sang the praises
of the Buddha. Kings prostrated themselves before His feet and paid the
highest reverence.
Like the Mother Earth the Buddha suffered
everything in silence with perfect equanimity.
Like a lion that does not tremble at every
sound, one should not be perturbed by the poisoned darts of uncurbed
tongues. Like the wind that does not cling to the meshes of a net, one
should not be attached to the illusory pleasures of this changing world.
Like the lotus that is unsoiled by the mud from which it springs, one
should live unaffected by worldly temptations, ever calm, serene and
peaceful.
As with the first three virtues so also
upekkhā has for its direct enemy attachment (rāga) and for its
indirect enemy callousness or unintelligent indifference.
Upekkhā
discards clinging and aversion. An impartial attitude is its chief
characteristic. He who practises equanimity is neither attracted by
desirable objects nor is averse to undesirable objects.
His attitude towards the sinner and saint will
be the same, for he makes no distinction.
*
Mettā
embraces all beings, karunā embraces sufferers, muditā
embraces the prosperous, and upekkhā embraces the good and the bad,
the loved and the unloved, the pleasant and the unpleasant.
He who wishes to be divine in this life
itself may daily cultivate these four sublime virtues which are dormant in
all.
He who wishes to perfect himself and
compassionately work for the welfare of all beings in the course of his
countless births in Samsāra may strenuously develop the ten Perfections
(Pāramī) and ultimately become a Sammā Sambuddha, a Supremely
Enlightened One.
He who wishes to eradicate his passions and put
an end to suffering by realizing Nibbāna at the earliest possible
opportunity may diligently follow the unique Noble Eightfold Path which
still exists in its pristine purity.
The Buddha exhorts:
"Suppose, O monks, this mighty earth were one
mass of water and a man were to throw down thereon a yoke with one hole.
Then comes a wind from the east and wafts it west, and a wind from the
west wafts it east; a north wind wafts it south, and a south wind wafts it
north. Then once at the end of a hundred years a blind turtle push his
neck through that yoke with one hole whenever he popped up to the surface
at the end of a hundred years?
"It is unlikely, lord, that the blind turtle
would do that.
"It is just as unlikely, O monks, that one will
get birth in human form; just as unlikely that a Tathāgata should arise in
the world, an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One; just as unlikely that the
Norm (Dhamma) and Discipline (Vinaya) proclaimed by a
Tathāgata should be shown in the world.
"But now indeed, O monks, this state of human
birth is won, and a Tathāgata has arisen in the world, and the Norm and
Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata is shown in the world.
"Wherefore, O monks, ye must make an effort to
realize: This is ill, this is the cause of ill, this is the cessation of
ill, this is the way leading to the cessation of ill.
[7]"
[1]
Dhammapada, v. 5.
[2] See p. 589
[3] Dhammapada v.
320.
[4] See p. 569,
chapter 41.
[5] See Chapter 43.
[6] See Dhammapada v.
124
[7] Kindred Sayings,
v. p. 334
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