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Basic Buddhist Teachings 24 - The Four Immeasurable Minds (Part 1)
Loving kindness and compassion are not only means to extinguish the fire of anger within, but also bring peace and happiness to those around us: when anger is transformed, just through the breath—“breathing in, I am aware that anger makes me ugly; breathing out, I smile”—happiness spreads. Practicing loving kindness meditation, even for a moment, is enough for a monk to be worthy of the name of a true practitioner; maintaining mindful breathing together with compassion is a miraculous method to counteract anger and to nourish deep peace. Contemplating the Four Immeasurable Minds (loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity) must be deeply in touch with the suffering and happiness of the object, not just stopping at general wishes.
The Buddha pointed out seven disadvantages of holding on to anger:
- The face becomes ugly
- The body shrinks like a roasted shrimp
- Body and mind do not blossom
- One lives in poverty, both in wealth and happiness
- Speech is unwholesome
- One loses friends because others avoid them
- One is reborn in dark, disharmonious places
Eleven benefits of practicing loving kindness meditation:
- Sleep well
- Wake up refreshed and light
- Free from nightmares
- Loved and cherished by people
- Approached and liked by animals and even invisible beings
- Supported and protected by heavenly beings
- No fear of fire, poison, or weapons
- Easily enter meditative concentration
- Face always calm and serene
- At death, not confused, but clear-minded
- At the very least, reborn in the Brahma realms
To truly contemplate the Four Immeasurable Minds is to become one with the suffering and happiness of others, so that the energy of compassion—like the moonlight shining everywhere—penetrates, spreads boundlessly, and becomes compassionate action in daily life.