Category Archives: Sublime states

Equanimity

Posted on April 2, 2023 by lynnjkelly

The fourth of the divine mind states that the Buddha recommended cultivating is Equanimity (upekkhā). From the Therigatha: If your mind becomes firm like a rock and no longer shakes In a world where everything is shaking Your mind will … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Karma, Mindfulness, Patience, Sublime states, Wisdom | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Joy

Posted on March 28, 2023 by lynnjkelly

Joy (muditā) is similar to compassion, but different; it is what goodwill (mettā) feels like when we encounter those who are happy rather than those who are suffering. What can joy be a remedy for? Craving gives rise to jealousy, … Continue reading →

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Compassion

Posted on March 23, 2023 by lynnjkelly

Sometimes people find compassion practice the easiest entry to practicing mettā more generally. As Thanissaro Bhikkhu said, compassion is an extension of  mettā that we feel when we encounter suffering. When we are confronted with suffering, especially in person, compassion … Continue reading →

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Mettā in practice

Posted on March 18, 2023 by lynnjkelly

Many Mahayana Buddhist chants include the blessing: “May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.” While we may not find these precise words in the Pali canon, it is an idea that permeates the Buddha’s teachings. We must … Continue reading →

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How the Divine Abodes Work

Posted on March 13, 2023 by lynnjkelly

Over the years, Thanissaro Bhikkhu has cleared up a lot of misunderstanding about what metta – and its companion mindstates – is and is not. The brahmavihāras, or sublime attitudes, are attitudes of goodwill, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity that you spread … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, Harmlessness, Mindfulness, Sublime states, The 8-fold path, Wisdom | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Giving makes the mind beautiful

Posted on February 16, 2023 by lynnjkelly

It’s worth thinking about the place that giving has in our lives. How important is it? How do we feel when we give something with no strings attached? How regularly do we practice generosity, and in what context? This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Generosity, Karma, Mindfulness, Sublime states | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Dhammapada verses 391 to 423

Posted on May 2, 2022 by lynnjkelly

Whoever does no ill Through body, speech, and mind, And is restrained in these three areas, I call a brahmin. (translated by Gil Fronsdal) This last chapter of the Dhammapada (the Brahmin) includes a long series of verses that end … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Dhammapada, Mindfulness, Perfections, Precepts, Sublime states, Wisdom | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Dhammapada verse 354

Posted on February 21, 2022 by lynnjkelly

The gift of Dharma surpasses all gifts. The taste of Dharma surpasses all tastes. The delight in Dharma surpasses all delights. The destruction of craving conquers all suffering. (translated by Gil Fronsdal) This classic verse describes the Dharma as the … Continue reading →

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Dhammapada verse 348

Posted on February 11, 2022 by lynnjkelly

Let go of the past, let go of the future, Let go of the present. Gone beyond becoming, With the mind released in every way, You do not again undergo birth and old age. (translated by Gil Fronsdal) This is … Continue reading →

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Dhammapada verses 304-305

Posted on December 7, 2021 by lynnjkelly

From afar, good people shineLike the Himalaya mountains.Close up, bad people disappearLike arrows shot into the night. Sitting alone, resting alone, walking alone,Untiring and alone,Whoever has tamed oneselfWill find delight in the forest. (translated by Gil Fronsdal) These verses close … Continue reading →

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