Loving kindness developed for 7 years

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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befriend
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Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by befriend »

In anguttara nikaya in the book of the sevens sutta 62 "do not be afraid of merit" Buddha says he cultivated a mind of loving kindness for seven years, as a consequence he was a great brahma, he was sakka ruler of the devas and also a wheel turning monarch the lord jambudipa a head anointed Khattiya the sovereign among human beings. He exercised rulership by Dhamma over this sphere of the earth. This i hope is good evidence that metta does not lead to the infernal realms even if you are not a stream winner yet.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Dhammanando
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by Dhammanando »

befriend wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:15 am This i hope is good evidence that metta does not lead to the infernal realms even if you are not a stream winner yet.
I don't think it offers any support for either of the competing opinions on this matter, for it concerns a bodhisatta. Though not a sotāpanna, a bodhisatta is by nature free from the possibility of rebirth in any of eighteen "inauspicious states" (abhabbaṭṭhānāni), one of which is hell.

http://aimwell.org/DPPN/bodhisatta.html ... ttasCareer
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by salayatananirodha »

befriend wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:15 am In anguttara nikaya in the book of the sevens sutta 62 "do not be afraid of merit" Buddha says he cultivated a mind of loving kindness for seven years, as a consequence he was a great brahma, he was sakka ruler of the devas and also a wheel turning monarch the lord jambudipa a head anointed Khattiya the sovereign among human beings. He exercised rulership by Dhamma over this sphere of the earth. This i hope is good evidence that metta does not lead to the infernal realms even if you are not a stream winner yet.
Sādhu, sādhu, sādhu.

Staying at Savatthi. "Monks, if someone were to give a gift of one hundred serving dishes [of food] in the morning, one hundred at mid-day, and one hundred in the evening; and another person were to develop a mind of good-will — even for the time it takes to pull on a cow's udder — in the morning, again at mid-day, and again in the evening, this [the second action] would be more fruitful than that [the first].

-- Okkha sutta

"If one were to develop even just one whiff of a heart of good will, that would be more fruitful than... if one with a confident mind were to undertake the training rules...

-- Velāma sutta
I host a sutta discussion via Zoom Sundays at 11AM Chicago time — message me if you are interested
befriend
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by befriend »

He may have been teaching it to non bodhissatvas? :shrug:
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by santa100 »

The many benefits of cultivating metta. Obviously the benefits should be proportional to the degree/intensity of the cultivation:
AN 11.16 wrote:Monks, for one whose awareness-release through good will is cultivated, developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken, eleven benefits can be expected. Which eleven?

"One sleeps easily, wakes easily, dreams no evil dreams. One is dear to human beings, dear to non-human beings. The devas protect one. Neither fire, poison, nor weapons can touch one. One's mind gains concentration quickly. One's complexion is bright. One dies unconfused and — if penetrating no higher — is headed for the Brahma worlds.
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by befriend »

I don't know how one could function in daily life without metta. Sounds painful. I don't care what the divine realms to the infernal says I'm doing metta.
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by salayatananirodha »

It's difficult because it goes against what our minds naturally incline to. But it's extremely important and beneficial.
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by befriend »

Venerable Dhammanando I find it odd that there are competing opinions. If a run of the mill person practices even the noble eightfold path but does not attain stream entry there is still the possibility of them going to hell even after practicing the 8 fold path on earth. There is no guarantee of what the last thought moment will be even if one lives a good life or bad life. A bad man may be reborn in heaven depending on what kammic thought arises at the time of death. Being so how would buddha precisely declare a run of the mill person WIll be reborn in hell animal or ghost realm after exhausting his lifespan in the brahma realm. buddha taught the devas and at least brahma as I know so there is hope for a deva to attain stream winner.
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by befriend »

If a deva or brahma had the right kamma at his moment of death couldn't he be reborn as a human? As a juxtaposition if some devas and brahmas aren't stream winners or bodhissatvas wouldn't that mean they will all be reborn in a woeful plane in there next life?
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by Zom »

if some devas and brahmas aren't stream winners or bodhissatvas wouldn't that mean they will all be reborn in a woeful plane in there next life?
Commy explains it as "in some future lives these brahmas/devas will fall into woeful planes, not exactly after their present state".
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by befriend »

please attain stream winner! Or become a human again! https://discourse.suttacentral.net/uplo ... 9994d7.pdf
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by budo »

befriend wrote: Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:30 pm Venerable Dhammanando I find it odd that there are competing opinions. If a run of the mill person practices even the noble eightfold path but does not attain stream entry there is still the possibility of them going to hell even after practicing the 8 fold path on earth. There is no guarantee of what the last thought moment will be even if one lives a good life or bad life. A bad man may be reborn in heaven depending on what kammic thought arises at the time of death. Being so how would buddha precisely declare a run of the mill person WIll be reborn in hell animal or ghost realm after exhausting his lifespan in the brahma realm. buddha taught the devas and at least brahma as I know so there is hope for a deva to attain stream winner.
You have to account for karma that's been building up and conditioning for infinite amount of lives. He may be a bad man now, but maybe he saved thousands of lives several lifetimes ago. Moggalana was brutally murdered despite being an Arahant, because he killed his parents in a previous life.

There is no safe harbour unless one attains stream entry. Therefore the people who do not meditate and just follow Buddhism without meditation are wasting their time, when they die their memories will become inaccessible as well. Your cetana may have lead to Buddhism in previous lifetimes, the cetana-kamma you possess did exist during the time of the Buddha, maybe it took the form as an animal or as a person on the other side of the planet, who knows, either way, the only safe harbour is stream entry.
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Re: Loving kindness developed for 7 years

Post by auto »

http://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/pts ... re.pts.htm
..
In bygone days, monks,
there was a teacher named Sunetta,[21]
a course-setter,
who was free from all lustful passions.

Now he had many hundreds of disciples,
to whom he taught the doctrine of fellowship in Brahma's world.[22]
And all they who grasped the word taught by Sunetta,
in its fullness,
on the breaking up of the body after death,
were reborn in the realm of bliss,
the Brahma-world.

But of those who did not grasp the word in full,
some, after death,
were reborn into the fellowship of the devas
who have power over others' creations,
some among the devas who delight in creating,[23]
some among the Tusita devas,
some among the Yama devas,
some among the devas of the Thirty,
some in the company of the Four Royal devas,
some among wealthy nobles,
some among wealthy brahmans
and some among wealthy householders.

Now Sunetta, the teacher, thought thus:
"It is not seemly
that I should have precisely the same mode of existence
as my disciples after death.
What if I were to make amity[24] become
to a perfect degree!"

And Sunetta, the teacher,
cultivated the thought of amity
for seven years,
and then for seven world-cycles
returned not to this world.
Then when the world rolled on, he arose in the sphere of Radiance;
then when the world rolled back,
he arose in Brahmā's empty palace.
Then, monks, he became Brahmā,
the conqueror,
unconquered,
all-seeing,
all-powerful.
Thirty-six times he was Sakka, the deva-king.
Many time seven he was a Wheel-turning rajah,
just,
righteous,
conquering the fur ends of the earth,
bringing stability to the country,
possessing the seven gems.[25]

Yet, monks,
although Sunetta lived so long
and lasted such a time,
he was not freed from birth,
old age and death,
from weeping and lamentation,
from pain,
grief
and tribulation.


And what is the reason?
It was by not being awake to,
by not penetrating four conditions.
What four?
Monks, it was by not being awake to,[26] by not penetrating [69] Ariyan right conduct;
it was by not being awake to,
by not penetrating Ariyan concentration;
it was by not being awake to,
by not penetrating Ariyan wisdom;
and it was by not being awake to,
by not penetrating Ariyan release.


Monks, it is just this:
when Ariyan right conduct
is awakened[27] and penetrated,
when Ariyan concentration
is awakened and penetrated,
when Ariyan wisdom
is awakened and penetrated,
and when Ariyan release
is awakened and penetrated,
the craving for life is cut off,
the cord[28] that binds one to becoming
is destroyed
and there is no more coming-to-be.'
Thus spake the Exalted One.
And when the Wellfarer had so spoken, the Teacher spoke again, and said:[29]
'Right conduct, concentration, wisdom, full release:
These things [in men] were woken by famed Gotama.
Thus, Dhamma realizing, th'Awake[30] spake to the monks,
He, the ill-ender, teacher, seer, completely cool.'[31]
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