The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart

184 Pages·2010·1.878 MB·English

by  B. Alan Wallace, Zara Houshmand

PRACTICES TO
OPEN THEH EART
THEF OURI MMEASURABLES
PractitcoOe pse nt hHee art
B.A laWna llace
Edibtye d
,Z arHao ushmand
SnowL ioPnu blications
IthaNceaw,Y ork
Contents
Preface 8
1.I ntroduction 9
WhyP ractice? 9
TheF oundatoifEo tnh ics 16
TheA ffirmaotfiI onnt uiWtiisvdeo m 20
A Meditatointo hnJe e weilnt hLeo tus: 23
Oiyi MANIP ADMHED iyi
QuestiaonndRs e sponsesE:t hOiancn sd 25
theSe quenocfPe r actice
2.E nterSinagm atha Practice 31
BeginntihnMege ditation 33
RelaxatSitoanb,i alnidtV yi,v idness 34
QuestiaonndsR esponsOensB :r eaAtwha reness 40
TheM asteorfyA ttentMiionnd:f ulnaensds 46
Introspection
Samaasta Ch aat alfyosMrte ntaElv ents 50
Dealiwnigt Phr obleimnSs amaPrtahcati ce 52
3.T heP attho S amaAtnO hvaer:v iew 59
TheN inSet agoefst heP attho S amatha 59
TheA chievemoefSn ta matha 65
TheP rerequifsoAirct hesi evSinagm atha 68
FivOeb structtioPo rnosg riensS sa matha 73
TheF ivFea ctoorfSs t abilization 76
Ont heC hoicoefa nO bjeicntS amaPrtahcati ce 78
QuestiaonndsR esponsOensA :c hievSinagm ath8a0
BeyonSda matha 84
4.L oving-Kindness 87
MeditatLioovni:n g-KinfdonOren sess elf 90
ExtendtihnPegr actoifLc oev ing-Kindness 95
TheA dvantaogfea sL ayP ersionnt heP ractice9 7
ofL oving-Kindness
Loving-KinfdonOren ses'E sn emies 98
TheP robloefmR ighteAonugse r 107
PassiaonndP atieinncR ee spontsote h e 109
SourcoefSs u ffering
FindianL go vabQluea lity 112
Confusing AttwaicthLhmo evnitn g-Kindnes1s1 4
QuestiaonndsR esponsEense:m ies 116
andI nsight
TheA ttainmoefSn ta main tLohvai ng-Kindne1s2s1
5.C ompassion 127
QuestiaonndsR esponsCeast:h arLsoigsi,c , 133
andC ompassion
CompassifooarnS ufferPienrgs oMne:d itation1 35
ExtendtihnMege ditatoinCo onm passion 137
Intrusivientn hePesr sa ctoifCc oem passion 138
MeditatoinAo vnal okitestvhaeErm ab,o diment1 39
ofC ompassion
6.E mpatheJtoiyc 143
Rejoicini Ontgh erHsa'p piness 143
RejoiciinVn igr tue 145
7.E quanimity 149
EquanimiinTt hye ravaBduad dhism 149
EquanimiinTt iyb etBaund dhism 151
QuestiaonndsR esponsOensD :i stinguishi1n6g1
AttachmfernotAm f fection
8.T heE mpowermeonfIt n sight 163
FromI nsigthoat n U nmediaEtxepd erieonfc e 169
thUel timate
QuestiaonndsR esponsTehseU: r genacnyd 178
RariotfSy p iriAtwuaakle ning
Notes 185
Preface
Thet eachipnrgess enitnte hdib so otko oskh apdeu riano gn e­
weekr etrleeabdty A laWna llafcoear s malglr ouopff riends
int hes ummeorf 1 992ab,o vteh et owno fL oneP inien t he
Eastern SierrMao uNnetvaaidTnahs ei. n fortmaalltk hsaA tl an
gavwee rbea seidnp arotnp assafgreosBm u ddhaghsof siaf't h­
centucroym pendicuaml lTehdeP aotfPh u rtifiictoahno,ug h
hiisn terpretwaetriceol nesa irnlfyl uenbcyhe idts r ainiinn g
TibetaBnu ddhisTmh.ep assagienqs u estiroenl atteotd h e
cultivaotfsi aonm a(ptrhoano un"csehda -ma-otrma e"d)i,t a­
tivqeu iesceansci eti ss ometimkenso wna,n dt heF our
Immeasura(blceast vaamrtn:z.ylioa)vp:irn g-kincdonmepsass,­
sione,m pathejtoiyac,n de quanim.Ti hteysper actiocfe s,
smaatahndat h eF ouIrm measuraabrleve esr,dy i ffebruentt
profouncdolmyp lementthaereyym :i cdhe,e peann,dp rotect
eacoht heArl.s ion cludaerdeg uidemde ditattihoanAtsl an
leda,n dp ortioofnt sh ev erlyi vealnydw ide-ranggrionugp
discusstihoatntos o pkl ace.
ChapOtneer
Introduction
WHY PRACTICE?
Buddhipsrta ctsitcaern tost wail tehao pff aibtuhwt,i tahc are­
fuolb servaotfoi uoron w ne xperieAnmcoen.gt hmea nyf ac­
etosf e xperietnhcawete c ana ttetnodB, u ddhipsamy ssp e­
ciaalt tenttioto hnpe h enomenoofsn u ffertihnfegi :rN sotb le
TruthI.ti sa goodp lacteos taarntd i tg rabosu ra ttention.
Mosotf u sc anr elattote h oeb servatthiatothn e irses uffering.
Thev erfye rtqiulees tiisow,nh y? Whmaatk euss p ronteo
sufferIifInf ga?lo lffm y bikaen ds crampye k neea,n dt hen
askw hyI 'ms ufferiitna'gf s,a irtlryi vqiuaels tiBounti. fI a m
sitthienrgie n o neo ft hmeo sbte autipflualco enst hpel anet,
healtwhiyt,ah f ulble l,al nyds tiIl'lmu nhapptyh,et nh qeu es­
tiobne comveesr iyn teresWthinagt.'g so inogn ?W hys hould
unhappinaersissW eh?y i st herseu fferoiftn hgem indT?h e
questailosnbo e comienst erewshteinnd gi sharmaonndcy o n­
fliacrti isner elationwsihtoihtp hse r peWohpaltce a.u stehse
sufferoifin ngt erpercsoonnfalolir ci tn ternaticoonnafll ict?
Whyc anw'etj usgte ta lonIgt?'a sn othweary o fa skitnhge
seconNdo blTer utWhh:a ti st hseo urocfes uffering?
10 ThFeo uIrm meaasbulres
Althoutghhe arreme y riacdo ndittihoangtsi vrei steoc on­
fliacntdi nterdniaslt rmeasnsyo, f t heex ternfaalc taorrneso t
realelsys enttoit ahlse u ffertihnawgte e xperieTnhciiessn. o t
tod evaltuheee x ternfaalc tobrustt,h i en ternfaalc taorrmeso re
essentAinadtl h.o ugmha nye xterfnaaclt aorrebs eyonodu r
contrtohlie,n terfnaaclt hoarpsp iolffye mro rep ossibfiolri ty
transmutation.
Whati se ssenttiota hli s suffWehraitin sgi ?n variably
preseansta sourocfet hes ufferwien egx perieAnsct eh?e
Buddhwaa sp ursuitnhge sqeu estihoend sr,e wt hec onclu­
siofnr ohmi osw ne xperitehnaccete rtfauinnd amenatfafll ic­
tioonfst hmei nda rteh seo urocfet hdei strweese sx perience,
whethienrs olitourdi eno, u rr elationwsihtoihtp hse pre ople
andt hee nvironmTehnemt o.s tf undamenotfta hle saef flic­
tioinssd elusiWoen a.r ea ctivmeilsyc onstrrueianlgia tnyd,
thamte sses thinFgrso mt uhips. acmtiisvceo nstruocft ion
realairtiyos teh edri stortoifo ntmshi en dT.h eS anskwroirtd
fomre ntaalf flicitski lo.neI sti sar elatteotd h ew ordk li?ta,
whicmhe antso t wiosrtt ob ew arpeAds.w el oooku to nt he
world thrtohuewg ihn doowf o urm inds,o mehotwh ewi n­
dowg etwsa rpeWdh.a tw ea rsee eiinsrg e albiuttayt ,w isted
realaintdyw ,er espotnoid it n a nu nstraightforTwhaer d way.
Tibetwaonr df ora na depotr,h ighrleya libzeeidn (gd rang
sromneagn)ss t raingohttt w,i sted.
Thef undamenptraolb liesmd elusiAosJn e.s ussa i"dF,a ­
thefro,r gitvhee mf,o trh edyo n otk noww hatt heayr ed o­
ing1.H "e p uth ifsi ngreirg ohntt hbeu ttoTnh:ec rucpiraolb ­
lemi st hawte d on'ktn oww hatw e'rdeo inAgn.d f rom this
delusiootnh,et rw istionftg hsem indo ccusre:l fcirsahv ing,
hostialgigtrye,s sainodan m ,y riaodt hedre rivaatffilviec tions.
Isi tp ossitbolb eef reoeft hesseo urcoefss u fefrinogra, r e
thesyi mplpya ratn dp arcoefbl e inhgu manI?si tp ossitbol e
bef reoeft hemn,o tb yr eprestshienmgo rb yt akianv ga ca­
tioonrr espfirtoetm h emb,u tb yt otailrlrye,v ocably eradicat­
ingt hesien ternsaolu rcoefas ffl ictiIotin sa? n e xtraordinary
questiaoq nu,e sttihoBenu ddhpau rsufeodyr e arAsn.df rom
Introduc1t1i on
hiosw ne xperiheend cree wt hceo nclusYieso,in ti: sp ossible.
Ands ow ee ngagwei tthh feo uNro blTeru thssu:f rfientgh,e
sourocfes ufferliinbge,r aftrioomtn h es ourocfes ufrfieng,
andf inatlhlpeya ,t thot halti beraTthieorne.ho ann gtsh ree st
oft htea le.
Ift hreo optr obliesdm e lusitohnet,nh reo oatn tidmoutset
bes omethtihnagmt e ettsh adte lushieoanod n T.h e raonotti ­
dotfeo rd elusiiospn r obabnloytl oving-kinLdonveisnsg.­
kindnecsasns ervaest haen tidfoothrea treidn,d ifferoern ce,
self-centebruettd hnreeo sosat,n tidfootdree lusiisot nh ree ­
alizaotfii onns igOhftt h.te w ow ingosfe nlightenment, com­
passiaonndw isdomt,h ew isdoomf i nsigihstt h eo net hat
meetdse lushieoanod n T.h iissw hyB uddhipsrta ctpilcaec es
som uche mphasoinst hceu ltivaotfii nosni g(hvtiy npaaa)s.
Delustioank veasr iofuosr mbsu,kt e yt ot heaml ilsa ni llu­
siocno ncernoiunrog w ne xistencew-ewa hroe A. f ruitful
hypothe(sniodsto gmat hawte m ustb elieivste h)a wte a re
falsceolnys truing oaussr osmeeltvheisen xgi stiinndge pen­
dently, autonsoempoaursalftyre,olt myh ee nvironmaenndt
froomt hesre ntibeenitn gTsh.il si tetgloes truggtlherso ugh
lifree,a chfionargl glo odt hinagnsd p ushianlgbl a dt hings
awayI.n sofaaswr e b uyi nttoh ifsa lcsoen struocftr ieoanl ity,
theinm plicwieth layv ael ready bound toocu ornsfellivcets.
IfI -thien dependent, auAtloanno-maopupsr oaancoht her
persoInd ,os on ota sa statriocc kb,u tw itah l ootf d esires
concernmiyno gw nw ell-baenidnt gh feu lfilolfmm eynh ta p­
pineAsnsd.i ft hpee rswohno mI a pproahcahsa s imiplraor­
gramw,e h avaec onflriicgfthr to tmh set aIrftt h.e irseaw hole
roomf ulolfp eoplteh,pe roblienmc reapsreosp ortionately.
Wew oulbde h appiweirt hotuhtad te lusiaonndi, n siigsh t
aw ayt oc urti gthhtr ouigtIh.t d oesnh'atp petnh roufgahi th
ina nyd ogmao rb eliseyfs tebmu,ti ti ss omethiwnegc an
knowe xperienwtiitahlolauynt ys hadoowfa d oubItn.s ight
isam odeo fe xperitehnaccteu ttsh routghhde e lusiinocno m­
patiwbilteth h aetx perieanncdte h,ce u tteidnggoe f B uddhist
practiinmc eed itatiisto hnce u ltivaotfii nosni gWhhta.tk ind
12 ThFeo uIrm meaasbulres
ofi nsigThhtee? m phasiisos n r ealiztihneng a tuorfes elIff.
we don't ienxa iustto nomosuesl,f -sufifsiocliaettnihtoe nn,
howd ow ee xisAtn?dh owc ant hibse come mtohraesni mply
ap hilosophical cHoonwcd loueisstib oenc?o maen i nsight?
We cultitvahteien sigthhtr ouagv he rcyl oisneq uiirnyt o
then atuorfeo uro wnb einagn de xperieMnicned.f ulneisss
essenhteiraelT. h icsa refeuxlp loralteiaodtnso a v iviudn,­
mediateexdp erioefnp chee nomeonfao :u ro wnm entsatla tes,
ourf eelianngdds e siroeusrp, e rceptoifoo unrb odya ndt he
environmIetln eta.d tsoa realizatthiatothn i "sI "w eh ave
beecnl ingtiofn ogsr o l ondgo esne'xtia stat l llt.s'n ott hawte
don ote xist-twhoautlb de a s ilcloyn clusiont-hbatutht i s
partic"uIlt"ah ra wte s ensaess eparaantdea utonomoiuss
simpnloyn exisTtheinst .l eigtodt oleens o te xistth:oe n et hat
triteobs e i nc harge haansadr eahla rtdi mteh,oe n et hagte ts
sof earafnudlt riteops l udgo wni tesm otioTnhses. e nsoefi t
definietxeilsymt oss,gt r osswlhye nw ef eeelg otisotria cra­l
roganbtu,tt hisse nshea sn om orer efertehnatin fI t rubley­
lievIew de rNea poleaonnd e xpecteevde ryotnose a lumtee
ass uchT.h es enswee h avoef o uro wns elviesjs u satsd e­
ludebde,c autshee irsen or eferTehneit d.e iast oi nquicraer e­
fulinltyo o uro wne xperieonucroe w,n w ilmle,n taslt ates,
feelipnagssht,i stofruyt,ud rees iroeusrw, h olsee nsoefw ho
wea re-ansde ef ooru rselwvheest htehre riesa nys ubstan­
tiarle ferteotn hti sse nsoef" 1A.n"d i fw ed or ealtihzaent o
sucshe lefx iswthse,r aer wee t hen?
Theriesa sttoorlyod fT songkhawphao,l iviendf ifteenth­
centuTriyb eHte.w ast eachtionag g rouopf m onksa bout
justth iusn derstanodfti hneeg m ptinoefse sg oa,n da mong
thigsr ouwpa sa m onkf rom dtihset orfiN catr thawnhgow as
listevneirnaygt tenetliySv.o metimetsh,e iriseaf c ertraaipn­
porbte tweteena chaenrds tudeinttp',os s sitbhlaejt u shte ar­
ingt hew ordcsa nh avae vergyr eapto wefro trr ansforma­
tioTnso.n gkhawpaas j ushto minign o nh isp ointth,a tth e
selafsw es ensietd oenso te xiswth,e nt hem onks uddenly
grabbheidcs o llaasir f h e'bde ehni bty a jolotfe lectricity.