Valentine's Day meditation

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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retrofuturist
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Valentine's Day meditation

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

(Extract from SN 46.54 Mettam Sutta - http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .wlsh.html ...)

"And how, monks, does a monk cultivate the heart's release by loving-kindness?[1] What is its goal, its excellence, its fruit and its outcome?

"In this case, monks, a monk cultivates the enlightenment-factor of mindfulness accompanied by loving-kindness and similarly the enlightenment-factors of investigation-of-states, energy, rapture, tranquillity, concentration, equanimity, accompanied by loving-kindness which is based on detachment, dispassion, leading to maturity of surrender. If he wishes to dwell perceiving the repulsive in what is not repulsive, he dwells thus perceiving the repulsive. If he wishes to dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in what is repulsive, he dwells thus perceiving the unrepulsive. If he wishes to dwell perceiving the repulsive both in what is repulsive and what is not repulsive, if he wishes to dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in both..., he dwells thus. If he wishes, avoiding both the repulsive and unrepulsive, to dwell equanimous,[2] mindful and clearly aware,[3] he dwells thus, equanimous, mindful and clearly aware, or, attaining the heart's release called 'beautiful'[4] he abides there. I declare that the heart's release by loving-kindness has the beautiful for its excellence. This is the attainment of a wise monk who penetrates to no higher release.[5]

:heart:

Notes
1.The four Brahma-vihaaras ("divine abidings"), also called the four "boundless (appamañña) states," are: 1. Loving-kindness (mettaa), 2. Compassion (karu.naa), 3. Sympathetic Joy (muditaa), 4. Equanimity (upekkhaa).
2.Upekha, the adjective from upekkhaa. "Equanimous" is a rare word in modern English, but is less misleading than "indifferent." It is used by the Ven. Ñanamoli in The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga) (Colombo 1956).
3.Sato sampajaano. The old rendering (introduced by T. W. Rhys Davids) "mindful and self-possessed" dies hard, but is far too vague, if not positively misleading. The real meaning of sampajaana is "clearly aware": see BD [Buddhist Dictionary (2nd ed.), by Ven. Nyaa.natiloka, Ven. Nyaa.naponika (ed.) (Colombo 1972)] s v. sampajañña.
4.Subha. This is explained in MN 77 as being associated with the fourth (lower) jhaana (SN 40.9, n. 2).
5.Cf. VM IX, 76: "If unable to reach higher than the attainment of loving-kindness and attain Arahantship, then when he falls from this life, he reappears in the Brahma world as one who wakes up from sleep."

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
culaavuso
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Re: Valentine's Day meditation

Post by culaavuso »

Great idea for a post, retrofuturist. Valentines day this year is a particularly good day for practice since it is the same day as Magha Puja. Perhaps it would also be helpful to remember the Ovāda Pāṭimokkha Gatha.
Khantī paramaṃ tapo tītikkhā
Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ vadanti buddhā,
Na hi pabbajito parūpaghātī
Na samaṇo hoti paraṃ viheṭhayanto.
Forbearance is the best austerity,
"Nibbana is Supreme", said the Buddhas.
He is not one gone forth who harms another.
He is not a recluse who molests others.

Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ,
Kusalassa upasampadā,
Sacittapariyodapanaṃ:
Etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what is meritorious,
To purify one's own mind:
This is the the Buddhas' teaching.

Anūpavādo anūpaghāto
Pāṭimokkhe ca saṃvaro
Mattaññutā ca bhattasmiṃ
Pantañca sayan'āsanaṃ.
Adhicitte ca āyogo:
Etaṃ buddhāna sāsananti.
Not insulting, Not harming,
Restraint in line with the monastic rules (Patimokkha)
Moderation in food,
Dwelling in a secluded place,
Devotion to mindful intent by means of meditation:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
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Pondera
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Re: Valentine's Day meditation

Post by Pondera »

Bump.
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
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