Four Divine Abidings (Brahmavihara)

Here are the definitions of each Divine Abiding (Brahmavihara):

1. Loving Kindness (Metta): Wishing love and support for all beings.
2. Compassion (Karuna): Seeing, hearing of or recalling those who suffer and wishing to release them from suffering.
3. Sympathetic Joy (Mudita): Seeing or knowing about other beings with happiness then sharing in their joy, congratulating and wishing them continued success.
4. Equanimity (Ubekkha): Making the mind neutral after helping those with suffering, when one cannot help them further, becoming neither happy nor sad.

Benefits of the Four Divine Abidings

General Benefits

There are two general benefits of Brahmavihàra Meditation: Vipas-sana-sukha and Bhavasampatti.

Vipassanasukha is the happiness derived from Insight Meditation. Each one of the Four Divine Abodes is a basic foundation for the development of insight.

The second general benefit of Brahmavihàra Meditation is Bhava-sampatti or successful rebirth into higher realms. Brahmavihàra practice can lead to rebirth in the Pure Form Realm of the Brahman World.

Individual Benefits

In addition, each of the Four Divine Abodes has its own benefit: Loving Kindness eliminates Ill-will, Compassion eliminates Cruelty, Sympathetic Joy eliminates Aversion, and Equanimity eliminates Lust.

Phra Maha Sariputta Thera has said:

... The way to get rid of Ill will (Byapada) is emancipation of the mind by loving kindness (Metta-cetovimutti),

... The way to get rid of cruelty (Vihimsa) is emancipation of the mind by compassion (Karuõà-cetovimutti),

... The way to get rid of aversion (Arati) is emancipation of the mind by sympathetic joy (Mudita-cetovimutti),

... The way to get rid of lust (Raga) is emancipation of the mind by equanimity (Upekkha-cetovimutti).

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