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.

1.  Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta  Brahmavihara)

Loving Kindness or Metta is love [without lust], friendliness or Loving Kindness.

1.1 Initiating Sharing Loving Kindness

Before practicing Loving Kindness Meditation, a meditator should contemplate the dangers of anger and the benefits of patience. One first contemplates the costs of anger to increase the desire for Loving Kindness practice and one’s level of patience. The main purpose of Loving Kindness Meditation is to eliminate anger and develop the virtue of patience. According to the Suttas, the greatest costs of anger are that:

Those with anger, overwhelmed by anger, and filled with anger can [ultimately] kill each other... 

 A. 20/511/ 278.

The meditator then contemplates the benefits of patience:

Patience is the superb Dhamma which checks the mind and completely destroys unwholesome deeds. The Tathagata [Lord Buddha] admires a person with the patience of an army as a Brahman. This virtue prevents destruction and brings enormous benefits both to oneself and to others. There is nothing more noble or holy than patience.   

D. 10/54/ 57.
Kh. 25/36/69.
S. 15/882/327.

1.2 Four Targets to Avoid When Initiating Sharing Loving Kindness

When a meditator understands the danger of anger and the benefits of patience, he or she needs to recognize four types of persons to avoid when initially practicing sharing the merit:

1. The most hated,
2. The one most loved,
3. Those who are neutral, 
4. Enemies.

In addition, one should not practice sharing Loving Kindness to one of the opposite sex or to those who are already dead. It is difficult for a beginning meditator to practice loving kindness by treating one who is hated as a loved one. Similarly, it is hard for a meditator to contemplate a loved one as neutral. If that person encounters hardships, the meditator will suffer. Treating neutral acquaintances as loved ones is also difficult. Also, when contemplating an enemy, thoughts of revenge are likely to arise. Finally, when targeting the opposite sex, sensual desire might arise. For all of these reasons, the sharing of loving kindness will not be successful. This actually happened. The son of a government official who had ordained asked a senior monk whom he should target for practicing loving kindness. The senior monk replied loved ones so he targeted his wife. The result was that he was inflamed all night with sensual desire for his wife but as a monk, he could not fulfill his desire.

1.3 Begin by Sharing Loving Kindness to Yourself

Meditators should practice loving kindness toward themselves before practicing on others, repeatedly reciting the following phrases until loving kindness comes into the mind:

May I be happy.  May I be without suffering.

or

May I be free from vengeance, free from doing harm, and free from suffering. May I be happy and keep myself far from all suffering.

Meditators should practice loving kindness towards themselves first and then toward others later. One will realize, “I love myself” and that all other beings love themselves as well. This forms the solid foundation for avoiding killing.

1.4 Sharing Loving Kindness with Loved Ones

When meditators have practiced self-directed loving kindness and achieved the realization that all beings love themselves as mentioned above, they next practice loving kindness towards their own loved ones and those respected such as a preceptors, teachers or benefactors, sharing merit and loving kindness as follows:

May this person be free from vengeance, free from doing any harm, and free from suffering. May he be happy and keep himself away from all suffering and danger. 

The meditator recites this repeatedly, one hundred times or one thousand times, until reaching attainment concentration (Appana-samadhi) or Metta-jhเna.

Even though meditators achieve attainment concentration through Loving Kindness Meditation directed towards loved ones, they must not be content with this. They must practice Loving Kindness Meditation towards every category of person, continuing sharing with friends, neutral persons and enemies and meditating for each group until loving kindness comes into the mind with the same quality for all four categories: oneself, loved ones and friends, neutral persons and enemies.

1.5 Meditators without Enemies

Meditators who do not have enemies or who are candidates for Buddhahood have a generous disposition. Even if someone tries to make them suffer, they do not get angry and do not feel ill will. They always forgive and share loving kindness for all beings equally. Such meditators do not need to choose groups with which to share loving kindness. They share equally with all because they are without enemies.

1.6 Elimination of Anger by contemplating Lord Buddha’s Teachings

Some meditators may try to share loving kindness and their merit with others, but cannot eliminate their anger for enemies. Here are some methods for calming anger. First, contemplate the teachings of Lord Buddha and try to understand their deeper meanings.

Hey, you, the short-tempered, Lord Buddha has already taught:

Monks, if thieves cut off your limbs with a double-handled saw, if one has an evil thought toward those thieves due to their evil mind, he is not one who follows the teaching of the Tathagata.

The Pali Tipitaka, Siamrat, book 12,
Sanyutta-Nikaya Mulapannasa, section 272, page 260.

If I am angry at the one who makes me angry, I will be less than him, but if I do not have anger, I will win the great war:

One who is angry in response to one who is angry first is less than him due to his angry response. One who is not angry in response to one who is angry first is the winner of the great war. One who stops anger with mindfulness [no angry response] is well behaved. He benefits himself and the other.

The Pali Tipitaka, Siamrat, book 15,
Sanyutta-Nikaya Sagathavagga, section 636 page 240.

An angry person is dishonorable like a useless stick on a funeral pyre:

Monks, [an angry person] is like a useless stick on a funeral pyre, burned at both ends with excrement in the middle which cannot be used for firewood in a house or in a forest. The Tathเgata means that the short-tempered person is like that.

The Pali Tipitaka, Siamrat, book 21,
Anguttara-Nikaya Catukkanipata, section 95 page 124.

If you are angry in response to the one who gets angry first, you will not win the great war and will be like a useless stick burned at both ends. If you are still angry, you are not one who follows Lord Buddha’s teachings. 

1.7 Elimination of Anger by Teaching Oneself

• When I ordained my parents and family who love me wept bitter tears. [I left the world to become a monk], so why can’t I leave anger which is the great destroyer? 
• By holding onto the anger that destroys morality, I am adoring it. Who could be so stupid?
• Anger tells me that others do savage things to me. Why do I long to do the same to them?
• If another wants to make me angry, he wants to make me unhappy. Why do I help him achieve his purpose by becoming angry?

When angry, I Suffer Myself

• I am to blame when I become angry. Whether or not I make the other person suffer, I suffer myself. I have violated myself with suffering due to anger.
• If the enemy is angry, why do I imitate him?
• The enemy uses my anger as bait to upset me. I must cut the anger completely, or I will have trouble I do not deserve.

1.8 Reflecting on the Law of Karma

If anger has not yet been calmed, consider that we all have our own Karma. Begin by considering your own Karma. Ask what benefit do I get from being angry with him? The Karma which I get from anger is the cause of my own destruction, isn’t it? I am the parent of my own Karma and the child of my own Karma. I am reborn in accordance with my own Karma.  Karma is my family. Karma is my refuge. Whatever Karma I have committed, I will reap the results.

My bad Karma cannot help me to achieve full enlightenment, or to attain personal enlightenment, or to become a Noble One. It cannot help me gain treasured states such as Brahman, King Sakka, a Universal Monarch (Cakkavatti) or the king of a country. On the other hand, my bad Karma can turn me away from religion and make me fall into lower states such as being a beggar or scrounger or get me reborn into suffering worlds such as hell. If I continue to commit such Karma, I will burn myself alive and ruin my reputation.

When considering yourself as the parent of your Karma, also consider that all others are the parents of their own Karma. For example, if someone is angry with you, what benefit will he gain? His Karma as a consequence of his anger will cause his own destruction. He is the parent of his own Karma. He is the child of his Karma. He will be reborn in accordance with his Karma. Karma is his family. Karma is his refuge. Whatever Karma he has committed, he will reap the result.

His bad Karma cannot help him achieve full enlightenment or personal enlightenment or become a Noble One. It cannot help him gain treasured states such as Brahman, King Sakka, a Universal Monarch (Cakkavatti) or the king of a country. On the other hand, his bad Karma can turn him away from religion and lead him to fall into lower states such as being a beggar or scrounger or get him reborn into suffering worlds such as hell. If he continues to commit such Karma, he will burn himself alive and ruin his own reputation.

When anyone commits such bad Karma, they throw the dust of anger in their own eyes, like a man who throws dust at another, but stands down wind.

1.9 Reflecting on Lord Buddha’s Conduct

Another way to calm anger is to recall Lord Buddha’s conduct in previous lives. As the Bodhisatta accumulating the thirty perfections for Four incalculable eons (Asankheyya) plus 100,000 eons (Kappa). He never became angry at any enemies. 

10. Reflecting on the Benefits of Loving Kindness

Another way to eliminate anger is to contemplate the benefits of loving kindness, reflecting on Lord Buddha’s words, “Monks, deliverance by loving kindness (Metta-cetovimutti) which a monk diligently develops will give eleven benefits:

1. Sleeping happily,
2. Waking up happily,
3. No nightmares,
4. Being loved by humans
5. Being loved by non-humans,
6. Being protected by Celestial Beings,
7. Fire, poisons or weapons will not harm the body,
8. The mind becomes concentrated quickly,
9. The face glows,
10. One will not die without mindfulness,
11. One will be reborn in the Brahman world if spiritual attainment is not achieved.”

Next, if still angry, the meditator should teach himself: I will be estranged from the benefits of loving kindness, why am I still angry? Thereafter, one should try to share loving kindness often in order to help others feel loving kindness in their minds. 

1.11 Universal Loving Kindness

Whenever a meditator tries to calm anger against an enemy by using methods like contemplating the sayings of Lord Buddha such as the Kakacupama Sutta, the meditator should extend the mind to that enemy with the same loving kindness as to loved ones, best friends and neutral acquaintances. The meditator continues sharing loving kindness until he is able to feel the same quality of loving kindness toward all four kinds of people. This is called Meditation to Universal Loving Kindness.

1.12 Universal Loving Kindness as a Counterpart Sign

Loving Kindness Meditation can be at either the access concentration (Upacara-samadhi) or counterpart sign (Patibhaga-nimitta) level. In other meditation methods such as Kasina, a counterpart sign is attained through Jhana using a learning sign called a Kasina sphere. In Loving Kindness Meditation, however, there is no visible counterpart sign. The meditator develops the ability to share Universal Loving Kindness to all and this ability is in itself, the counterpart sign.

When the meditator initially achieves Universal Loving Kindness, that is the Nimitta for this meditation. The meditator should continue to develop that Nimitta by practicing more diligently until reaching Attainment Concentration equivalent to the First Jhana. Doing this is called emancipation of mind by loving kindness (Metta-cetovimutti). 

1.13 Developing Emancipation of Mind through Loving Kindness (Metta-cetovimutti)

A. Sharing Universal Loving Kindness

1. Sabbe satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha  hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Beings be without vengeance, without ill will, without frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
2. Sabbe pana avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Breathing Beings be without vengeance, without ill will, without frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
3. Sabbe bhuta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Celestial Beings be without vengeance ...
4. Sabbe puggala avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, anigha hontu, Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Human Beings be without vengeance  ...
5. Sabbe attabhavapariyapanna avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, angiha hontu,
   Sukhi attanang pariharantu. May all Living Beings be without vengeance ...

The word Sabbe, means all without exception. Sabbe Sattเ means all beings without exception. Similarly, Sabbe Pana means all breathing beings without exception.

The word Avera means without vengeance. The word Abbyapajjha means without ill will or violence. The word Anigha means without mental or physical suffering. The words Sukhi Attanang Pariharantu mean to be happy and to maintain that happiness against all forms of danger. The meditator can choose to recite only some of these or to recite all of them if he wants to select only some chants, here are some examples:

Sabbe  Satta  Avera  Hontu  means, “May all beings be without vengeance.” A more modern version is, “May all beings who are brothers in the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death be happy and free from vengeance.”

Sabbe Satta Abyapajjha Hontu means “May all beings be without ill will.” A more modern version is, “May all beings who are brothers in the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death be happy and free from ill will.”

Sabbe Satta Anigha Hontu means “May all beings be without frustration.” A more modern version is, “May all beings who are brothers in the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death be happy and free from mental and physical suffering.”

Sabbe  Satta  Sukhi  Attanang  Pariharantu means “May all beings be happy and maintain their happiness.” A more modern version is, “May all beings who are brothers in the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death be happy and maintain themselves far from all suffering.

B. Sharing Universal Loving Kindness by status

There are seven specific categories for sharing Universal Loving Kindness with particular groups of beings:

1. Sabbe ittiyo avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Females be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.
2. Sabbe purisa avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Males be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.
3. Sabbe ariya avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Noble Ones be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.
4. Sabbe anariya avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Non-Noble Ones be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.
5. Sabbe deva avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu.  
   May all Celestial Beings be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.
6. Sabbe manussa avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Human Beings be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.
7. Sabbe vinipatika avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all Beings in Suffering Realms be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy, and maintain their happiness.

C. Sharing Universal Loving Kindness by direction

Sharing Universal Loving Kindness by direction is sharing with all the twelve types of beings in all the ten directions. The ten directions are: North, South, East and West, Northeast and Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, above and below. The ordering assumes one faces East where the morning sun rises:

1. Sabbe puratthimaya disaya satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all beings in the East be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.  
2. Sabbe pacchimaya disaya satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu.  
   May all beings in the West be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
3. Sabbe uttaraya disaya satta avera hontu. Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu, Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all beings in the North be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
4. Sabbe dakkhinaya disaya satta avera hontu. Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu, Sukhi attanang pariharantu.
   May all beings in the South be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
5. Sabbe puratthimaya anudisaya satta avera hontu. Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu, Sukhi attanang pariharantu.  
   May all beings in the Northeast be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
6. Sabbe pacchimaya anudisaya satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu. Anigha hontu, Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all beings in the Southwest be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
7. Sabbe uttaraya anudisaya satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu.  
   May all beings in the Northwest be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
8. Sabbe dakkhinaya anudisaya satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all beings in the Southeast be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
9. Sabbe hetthimaya disaya satta avera hontu, Abyapajjha hontu, anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
   May all beings in the Direction Below be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.
10. Sabbe uparimaya disaya satta avera hontu, Abbyapajjha hontu, Anigha hontu. Sukhi attanang pariharantu. 
    May all beings in the Direction Above be free from vengeance, ill will and frustration. May they be happy and maintain their happiness.

These ten directions are then repeated for all twelve types of beings listed above. The remaining types of beings are: Pana,  Bhuta,  Puggala, Attabhavapariyapanna, Aittiyo, Purisa, Ariya, Anariya, Deva, Manussa and Vinipatika. The recitation are the same, replacing the word Satta with Pana, Bhuta and so on.

1.14 Enemies of Loving Kindness

Any obstruction which makes loving kindness ineffective or blocks its development is called an enemy of loving kindness:

A. The near enemies

Near enemies are emotions such as lust, pleasure or love mixed with lust, which may be concealed within loving kindness. For example, too much loving kindness towards someone of the opposite sex may become love with lust without one even noticing. Lust can arise with loving kindness like an enemy hiding in ambush waiting to attack. A beginner must be very careful of this near enemy. Do not let loving kindness become love with lust.

B. The far enemies

The far enemies of loving kindness are vengeance, hatred and ill will. These opposites of Loving Kindness are easy to notice. When the mind is filled with Loving Kindness, ill will and its companions will not arise and if the mind is filled with ill will, loving kindness will not arise. This is like an enemy far away who is easy to recognize.

2. Compassion Meditation (Karuna-Brahmavihara)

2.1 Sharing Compassion Meditation

Compassion (Karuna) is wishing beings to be without suffering. The method for developing Compassion Meditation is the same as for loving kindness. The meditator only needs to make his or her mind sympathetic to others. For example, one may see a beggar, the poor, the homeless or the disabled and feel a desire to help. This is compassion. For Compassion Meditation, one shares compassion with those less fortunate. Here are some examples:

In English, one may wish, “Those beings are pitiable. Let us help them find release from their suffering.”

In Pali, one may recite:

Ayang satto dukkha muccatu.  May this being be free from suffering,

or

Sabbe satta dukkha muccantu.  May all beings be free from suffering.

Even if one cannot see a suffering person with his eyes during meditation, he can call to mind the image of someone suffering from the past. If one waits to see suffering before practicing compassion, he will encounter difficulty and it will not be appreciated if he stands and practices Compassion Meditation while others are suffering. Therefore, the meditator should imagine people from the past during meditation. This is the first type of Compassion Meditation.

Second, a meditator can practice Compassion Meditation for people who have happiness but always commit unwholesome actions. For these people, one recites, “Let us have sympathy. Although these people are happy in the present, they will soon reap great suffering in the nether worlds for their unwholesome acts.”

Third, one can practice Compassion Meditation for those who always do good deeds, but always face obstruction. For this Compassion Meditation, one recites, “Let us have sympathy. Even though they try to commit wholesome acts, they still have trouble due to their past Karma.” As long all beings continue in the circle of life, their unwholesome deeds will follow them. No one can escape from the unwholesome actions they have committed. “Let us have sympathy.”

Fourth, after one has meditated compassion practicing the three types above, he next meditates compassion for himself, his loved ones, those he respects, neutral acquaintances and hated enemies, always developing equal compassion for all these categories of people. This is called developing Universal Compassion.

If a meditator practices such Universal Compassion Meditation on his enemies, anger might arise, if so, he should stop targeting those people until he becomes more sympathetic, then he can start practicing for those people again. He should do this repeatedly until he can practice on all types of people equally. Eventually, the mind will become filled with sympathy and concentration will become stable. This is called emancipation of mind through compassion (Karuna-cetovimutti). The meditator can then share Universal Compassion, which is called Universal Brahmavihara Meditation. 

2.2 Enemies of Compassion

A. The near enemy

The near enemy of compassion is sorrow, mental suffering or sadness. For example, when a loved one or loved possession is taken away, compassion may become sorrow and mental suffering. If one practices Compassion Meditation on those who are very pitiable until tears fall from the eyes, such tears are indicators of sorrow arising unnoticed. Compassion may become sorrow. This implies that the mind has not reached concentration, because sorrow is an obstacle to compassion. The meditator must be careful to not let compassion become sorrow.

B. The far enemy

The far enemy of compassion is cruelty which is the opposite of sympathy. When the mind is filled with compassion, cruelty cannot arise. If cruelty is present, compassion cannot arise. Therefore, during Compassion Meditation, the meditator should not be concerned that compassion might become cruelty. One needs only to be careful that the near enemy of sorrow is not concealed. When the mind contains cruelty, it is very easy to detect. 

3. Sympathetic Joy Meditation (Mudita-Brahmavihเra)

1. Sharing Sympathetic Joy

Sympathetic joy (Mudita) is sharing in others’ happiness, pleasure and good feeling, expressing congratulations for their success and accomplishments. It is the opposite of jealousy. Sympathetic Joy Meditation should begin with a loved one [because it arises easily] first, upon having good news from a loved one. Here are some examples in Pเli and English [the meditator mentally recites]:

Modati vatayang satto aho sadhu aho sutthu. This being [person] is so happy. Congratulations.

or

Ayang satto yathaladdhasampattito ma vigacchatu. May this being [person] not lose his or her wealth. If there are two or more persons:

Ete satta yathaladdhasampattito ma vigacchantu.  May these beings [persons] not lose their wealth.

or

Sabbe satta yathaladdhasampattito ma vigacchantu.  May all beings not lose their wealth.

Second, one should practice Sympathetic Joy Meditation on oneself. Third, one practices on those far away. Fourth, one practices Sympathetic Joy Meditation with an enemy. If one practices sympathetic joy for an enemy and anger arises, one should stop until sympathetic joy for loved ones is stronger, and then start practicing sympathetic joy for enemies again. A meditator should repeat this procedure until they fully attain Jhana called emancipation of mind via Sympathetic Joy Meditation (Muditเ-ceto-vimutti). After that, the meditator can share Universal Sympathetic Joy. The details are as explained for the previous two Divine Abiding Meditations. 

2. The Enemies of Sympathetic Joy

A. The near enemy

The near enemy of sympathetic joy is pleasurable happiness. It is similar, for example, when a meditator hears that a neutral acquaintance has good luck or accomplishment, the meditator will naturally congratulate those people. This is sympathetic joy. However, if this happens to a loved one or friend, the meditator might become too happy. This is pleasure, not sympathetic joy. Pleasure is being overly happy. With pleasure, the mind can easily fall out of concentration. Thus, the meditator should be careful to avoid feelings of extreme pleasure or happiness.

B. The far enemy

The far enemy of sympathetic joy is dislike or jealousy. This is the opposite of sympathetic joy. This is easy to detect. When practicing Sympathetic Joy Meditation, dislike or jealousy will not arise. The meditator does not need to be concerned. One should only be careful that the near enemy of excessive pleasure might arise and be concealed in sympathetic joy.

Sympathetic joy can help a meditator attain the Third Level of Jhana. Loving kindness, compassion and sympathetic joy can all help the meditator reach the Third Jhana but the Fourth Jhana can only be attained with equanimity and one-pointedness. As long as the mind still has the joy and happiness attained by sympathetic joy, it cannot step up to the Fourth  Jhana.

4. Equanimity Meditation (Upekkha-Brahmavihเra)

Upekkha or Equanimity, means feeling even mindedness or neutrality for all beings through contemplating that all beings are dependent on their own Karma. Experiencing happiness is because of good Karma and experiencing trouble is because of bad Karma. When there is no way to help, the meditator should practice Equanimity by sharing merit with all beings until the mind becomes neutral. This is the Fourth Jhana.

The meditator must first attain the Third Jhเna before practicing Equanimity Meditation. The meditator must become skillful in the Third Jhana by contemplating Loving Kindness Meditation, Compassion Meditation and Sympathetic Joy Meditation as described before. These are all cruder levels of concentration, because joy and happiness are still present. Equanimity is more peaceful and refined.

Equanimity regarding neutral beings neither liked nor disliked, will come easily. Thus, an ancient instructor said, “How does a monk with equanimity share in a direction? When he shares equanimity to all beings and sees a disliked or liked person, he becomes neutral.” Thus, the meditator should practice equanimity on neutral persons first. Later, when the mind becomes more stable, the meditator can practice on loved ones and then enemies. When the meditator can share equanimity equally to all kinds of people including himself, then he can practice Universal Equanimity Meditation.

When the meditator repeatedly shares Equanimity, his mind will become more stable and the Fourth Jhana with Equanimity for all beings will be attained.

1. Enemies of Equanimity

A. The near enemy

The near enemy of Equanimity is being neutral without knowledge [being neutral to everything without judgment of what should or should not be]. This is the near enemy. Being neutral without understanding what is good and bad is disinterested now-involvement. When practicing equanimity, the meditator must be careful to avoid Equanimity with ignorance.

B. The far enemies

The far enemies of Equanimity are lust, anger and enmity. They are the opposites of equanimity. They are easy to spot. During the practice of Equanimity Meditation, one need not be concerned about lust, anger or enmity arising, but he should be careful to avoid equanimity with ignorance.

Benefits of the Four Divine Abidings

General Benefits

There are two general benefits of Brahmavihara Meditation: Vipassana-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 Brahmavihara Meditation is Bhavasampatti or successful rebirth into higher realms. Brahmavihara 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:

Brahmavihara	Eliminates
Loving Kindness	Ill-will,
Compassion	Cruelty,
Sympathetic Joy	Aversion,
Equanimity	Lust.

Phra Maha Sariputta Thera has said:

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

... The way to get rid of cruelty is emancipation of the mind by compassion (Karuna-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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