6.3 | Meditation on Mettā | 3

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Meditation on Mettā

There are various ways of practising mettā-bhāvanā, the meditation on universal love. Three of the principal methods will be explained here.

These instructions, based on canonical and commentarial sources, are intended to explain the practice of mettā-meditation in a clear, simple and direct way so that anyone who is earnest about taking up the practice will have no doubts about how to proceed.

For full instructions on the theory and practice of mettā-bhāvanā the reader is referred to the Viśuddhimagga, Chapter IX.

Method 3

According to the cosmology of Buddhism there are numberless world- systems inhabited by infinitely varied categories of beings in different stages of evolution.

Our earth is only a speck in our world-system, which again is a minute dot in the universe with its innumerable world-systems.

Towards all beings everywhere one should radiate thoughts of boundless love. This is developed in the next method of practice, the universalization of mettā.

The universalization of mettā is accomplished in these 3 specific modes:

1. generalised radiation (anodhiso-pharaṇa),
2. specified radiation (odhiso-pharaṇa),
3. directional radiation (disa-pharaṇa).

According to the Paṭisaṁbhidā-magga,

the generalised radiation of mettā is practised in 5 ways,
the specified radiation in 7 ways, and
the directional radiation in 10 ways.

These 10 directional ways may be combined with the 5 categories of general radiation and with the 7 categories of specified radiation, as we will show.

In each of these modes of practice, any of the 4 phrases of the standard mettā formula - “May they be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily” - may be used as the thought of radiation.

Thus 4 types of thought applied to 5, 7, and 120 objects of mettā amount to 528 modes of radiation. Any of these can be used as a vehicle for attaining absorption (jhāna) through the technique of mettā-bhāvanā. (See Vism IX.58.)

Generalised Radiation

The 5 ways of generalised radiation are as follows:

1. “May all beings (sabbe sattā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

2. “May all those that breathe (sabbe pāṇā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

3. “May all creatures (sabbe bhūtā) be free from hostility, free from affliction. free from distress; may they live happily.”

4. “May all those with individual existence (sabbe puggalā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

5. “May all those who are embodied (sabbe attabhāvapariyapannā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

Specified Radiation

The 7 ways of specified radiation are as follows:

1. “May all females (sabbā itthiyo) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

2. “May all males (sabbe purisā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

3. “May all the Noble Ones (sabbe ariyā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

4. “May all worldlings (sabbe anariyā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

5. “May all gods (sabbe devā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

6. “May all human beings (sabbe manussā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

7. “May all those in states of woe (sabbe vinipātikā) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

Directional Radiation

The 10 ways of directional radiation involve sending thoughts of mettā to all beings in the 10 directions. This method, in its basic form, is applied to the class of beings (sattā), the first of the five generalised objects of mettā.

But it can be developed further by extending mettā through each of the 5 ways of generalised radiation and the 7 ways of specified radiation, as we will see.

A

1. “May all beings in the eastern direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

2. “May all beings in the western direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

3. “May all beings in the northern direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

4. “May all beings in the southern direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

5. “May all beings in the north-eastern direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

6. “May all beings in the south-western direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

7. “May all beings in the north-western direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

8. “May all beings in the south-eastern direction be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

9. “May all beings below (in the downward direction) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

10. “May all beings above (in the upward direction) be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

B. 1–10. “May all those that breathe life in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

C. 1–10. “May all creatures in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

D. 1–10. “May all those with individual existence in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

E. 1–10. “May all those who are embodied in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

F. 1–10. “May all females in the eastern direction .. . above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

G. 1–10. “May all males in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

H. 1–10. “May all Noble Ones in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

I. 1–10. “May all worldlings in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

J. 1–10. “May all gods in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

K. 1–10. “May all human beings in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

L. 1–10. “May all those in states of woe in the eastern direction… above be free from hostility, free from affliction, free from distress; may they live happily.”

Explanation

In this technique of universalizing mettā,

each of the 5 categories of generalised radiation refers to the total dimension of animate, sentient, or organic existence, belonging to the 3 mundane spheres, namely,

the kāma-loka, the sphere of sensory existence where desire is the primal motivation;
the rūpa-loka, the realm of the radiant Brahma gods with subtle form; and
the arūpa-loka, the realm of the formless beings with pure mental life.

Whether it is a “being,” or that which “breathes,” or a “creature,” or that which has “individual existence,” or that which “is embodied

- all refer to the totality of animate existence, the distinction being that each term expresses comprehensively a certain aspect of life in its entirety.

While visualising each category one should keep in mind the specific aspect expressed by its designation.

If one trains the mind in the manner of a “mental drill” after having exercised it with the first 2 methods, the meaning of the 5 unspecified or generalised terms will become clear.

By the time one has completed the 2 methods, the consciousness will be sufficiently developed and all-embracing.

And with such a consciousness, when each of these universal concepts is grasped, the universalization becomes effortless.

It may be pointed out that visualisation of each of these is no longer of individual objects, but of a concept which is total and all-embracing.

The radiation in this case becomes a “flowing out” of love in abundant measure towards the conceptualised mental object - all beings, all creatures, etc.

Each of the 7 categories of specified radiation comprehends a part of the total range of life, and in combination with the others expresses the whole.

Itthi refers to the female principle in general, incorporating all females among the devas, human beings, animals, demons, spirits and denizens of hell.

Purisa means the male principle evident in all the spheres of existence,

and both itthi and purisa together comprehend the entirety.

Again, from another angle, the Ariyas or the spiritually transformed seers, and the Anariyas or worldlings bound to the wheel of becoming, comprehend the totality.

Ariyas are those who have entered the transcendental path;

they are to be found in the human world and the celestial worlds and therefore they constitute the tip of the pyramid of sentient existence.

Worldlings are in all the spheres of existence and constitute the body of the pyramid from the base to the tip, so to say.

Likewise, the 3 categories of deva, manussa and vinipātika - gods, human beings, and those fallen into states of woe - comprehend the totality in terms of cosmological status.

Devas, the radiant celestial beings, comprise the upper layer, human beings the middle layer, and vinipātikas the lower layer of the cosmological mound.

The “mental drill” in terms of directional radiation, the radiation of mettā to the above 12 categories of beings in the 10 directions, makes the universalization of mettā a most exhilarating experience.

As one mentally places oneself in a particular direction and then lets love flow out and envelop the entire region, one literally transports the mind to the finest heights leading to samādhi, concentrated absorption of the mind.

When one projects this total wish for others to dwell happily, free from hostility, affliction and distress, not only does one elevate oneself to a level where true happiness prevails,

but one sets in motion powerful vibrations conducing to happiness, cooling off enmity, relieving affliction and distress.

It will be seen, therefore, that universal love simultaneously infuses well-being and happiness and removes the mental and physical suffering caused by the mental pollutants of hostility, enmity and anger.