Protective Meditations

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13460
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Protective Meditations

Post by Sam Vara »

Recently on DW, someone mentioned the Theravadan practice of "Four Protective Meditations" which they do prior to settling down for their main sit. These are, I think,
1) The Buddha

2) Compassion

3) The Repulsiveness of the Body

4) Death.

Can any kind person tell me more about these? Are they exclusively Theravadan? Where do they come from? Canonical support or mentions? And, of course, any practical hints...
daverupa
Posts: 5980
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:58 pm

Re: Protective Meditations

Post by daverupa »

They are individually found in the Nikayas, but nowhere there collected as a set of four. There was a Tricycle article about them a while ago, and Bhikkhu Bodhi did a talk on each one.

I don't think Tricycle is free; I can't see most of it, anyway, but there it is for what it's worth.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13460
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Protective Meditations

Post by Sam Vara »

Many thanks Dave.
Ananda26
Posts: 171
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:41 pm

Re: Protective Meditations

Post by Ananda26 »

Sam Vara wrote:Recently on DW, someone mentioned the Theravadan practice of "Four Protective Meditations" which they do prior to settling down for their main sit. These are, I think,
1) The Buddha

2) Compassion

3) The Repulsiveness of the Body

4) Death.

Can any kind person tell me more about these? Are they exclusively Theravadan? Where do they come from? Canonical support or mentions? And, of course, any practical hints...
There is collection of Protective Verses which includes Long Discourse #32, The Atanatiya Protective Verses.
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: Protective Meditations

Post by Cittasanto »

Hi Sam Vara
The second one is Metta :)
I think they are called (individually) protections in some suttas but not set up as a group like the Brahmavihara's.
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
User avatar
Bhikkhu Pesala
Posts: 4644
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:17 pm

Re: Protective Meditations

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

The Four Protections are mentions in Practical Insight Meditatiton
  1. The Qualities of the Buddha (Buddhānussati), to overcome fear and give confidence
  2. Loving-kindness (mettabhāvanā) to overcome anger.
  3. The loathsome aspects of the body (asubha) to overcome lust and infatuation
  4. Recollection of Death (maranussanti) to overcome laziness and heedlessness
Whenever the mind gets out of balance, one can use the appropriate protection to bring it back to equanimity, before resuming the general and comprehensive technique of establishing mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna).
BlogPāli FontsIn This Very LifeBuddhist ChroniclesSoftware (Upasampadā: 24th June, 1979)
Post Reply