Four Immeasurable Minds: Loving-kindness

One of the practices of bodhisattvas, beings who seek awakening for themselves and all beings, is the Four Immeasurable Minds.

The first mind is that of loving-kindness, which is offering happiness to others. The second is the mind of compassion, which is the intention and wish to relieve the suffering of others. Third is joy, which is felt when beings experience happiness. And fourth is equanimity: being neither averse to nor attached to anything. We should understand that we cannot cause others to transcend suffering or to feel happiness or joy, but we can still have the wish that all beings will be able to accomplish such freedom and joyfulness.

Loving-kindness is the practice of selflessness, where we constantly seek to benefit others and to help others to find happiness. When we wish to hurt another, we are experiencing anger. Waiting for an opportunity to inflict harm on that person, we are experiencing animosity. When animosity continues for a long time it becomes hostility. When we act upon these thoughts through speech or actions, the hostility becomes cruelty. To counter these destructive emotions, we need loving-kindness.

To offer happiness to others, we need to know what they want, and for this we need to listen and understand. If someone tells us that they do not need or want something but we insist on giving it to them, we are only offering frustration and irritation, not happiness. If they wish for nothing, then giving them nothing is the offering of happiness. We should try to give others what they wish for as long as it is not harmful, even if what they like is something we do not. Our personal desires or opinions simply usually do not reflect what other people want.

So often in our wish to make others happy, we project what we like onto them. Our intentions may be good, but without wisdom the best of intentions can backfire, exasperating others and disappointing ourselves. To offer happiness, we need to set aside the thinking that others wish for what we wish and, instead, provide other people with what they truly wish for.

The Light of a Buddha

King Ajatasatru invited the Buddha to preach and offered as a token of his piety several tens of thousands of lamps. At the time, an old woman (named Nanda) who had been begging, and had only managed to collect two coins, bought some oil with them and offered it all in a small lamp to the Buddha. [With this offering she vowed to eliminate the darkness of the sufferings of all people.] Old and hungry, she later collapsed and died.

By the next morning the many lamps offered by the king had already burned themselves out, but the lamp of the poor old woman was still burning with increasing brilliance. When it proved impossible to extinguish it, the Buddha explained that it was so because of the donor’s extremely fervent faith and transcendental vow. ‘The light of a Buddha can never be extinguished’ said the [Buddha] who then predicted that she would attain Buddhahood.

~ Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, pg. 557-558  

The Eight Sufferings, Part Two

The fifth suffering is separation from loved ones. As much as we may love our parents or children, we find ourselves forced to leave them when our work takes us elsewhere. Sometimes we are separated from those we love because of war or disaster. We are forced to leave those we love. It is difficult to describe such suffering. When we are dying, we not only have to leave those we love. For some, having to leave their possessions is almost as painful.

The sixth suffering is association with those we dislike. In school, as children we had to change classes, it seems that we always ended up being separated from our friends and sitting next to those we did not like. This was so uncomfortable. When we have someone we dislike at work, have people who are jealous of us, or try to take advantage of us, we suffer. Although we hope to never see them again, it seems that we constantly encounter them. And each time we see them something always happens and we have so many afflictions. This happens all too often in our lives.

The seventh suffering is unfulfilled desires. Wanting to go east, we go west. We want to do something or meet someone, but things do not work out. It seems things just do not go as we wish. Even those who are wealthy or powerful often fail to get what they want.

The eighth suffering is that having to do with the five aggregates. This is the origin of our suffering. The power of the five aggregates is very strong and thus they cover our self-nature making our mind unclear so we cannot tell right from wrong. This brings us infinite suffering. The five aggregates are form (body), feeling (totality of the mind), and perception, impulse, and consciousness (mental functions).

The five aggregates lead us to have the mind of greed, anger, and ignorance. Because of the first seven suffering, the five aggregates occur. Because of the five aggregates, the first seven sufferings occur.

Thus, the eight sufferings are like a circle—continuous and never-ending—unless we practice. Practice will enable us to see through and break free.

The Eight Sufferings, Part One

The Buddha often spoke of the Eight Sufferings, which arise from contact with unpleasant things. 

The first suffering is birth. When the baby is still in the mother’s womb, it is very painful. When the mother swallows something hot, the baby feels the heat. When the mother swallows something cold, the baby feels that as well. When the mother eats too much, the baby feels like it a weight is pushing in on it.

The second suffering is aging. Everyone who undergoes aging suffers. When we want to see something, we cannot see clearly. Wanting to hear something, we cannot hear it well. When we want to eat, there are many foods we can no longer eat. Food we can eat doesn’t taste as good as it used to. When we want to walk, our legs are weak. We feel the heat and cold more than those who are younger. When the weather changes, our joints are painful.

The third suffering is sickness, which affects everyone. When we are sick, whether we are wealthy or poor, we suffer. We may have the best food, but we cannot eat it. We may have a wonderfully comfortable bed, but we cannot sleep. We have no energy. We are very uncomfortable and need to take much medicine. We may need medicine for pain, but not be able to afford it or not have any when we need it. From day to night, we may cry out for help, but no help comes. The Chinese say “even a brave hero fears sickness.” There is no way to avoid the suffering.

The fourth suffering is death. When we are dying, we want to speak but speech is often difficult and others cannot understand us. Our throat may be dry, or our mind may not be clear. We want to sleep but our sleep is erratic. We are in pain and cannot find comfort. We want to die, but although our breath is weak, we cannot die. When we see our loved ones, we feel such suffering.

These are four sufferings that as beings in the cycle of rebirth, we all encounter. Through our practice, we work to understand why suffering arises and how to end it.

What to Chant When a Pure Land Buddhist is Dying

Question: When a Pure Land Buddhist is dying should the Amitabha Sutra be recited or a tape of the sutra played or is it better just to nianfo due to simplicity?

Response: It is extremely difficult for us to concentrate when we are dying. Consider how difficult it is for us now, when we are healthy and not in pain or facing death.

The following is some excellent advice on supportive chanting from the Amitabha Pureland website:

According to Master Yin Guang, the thirteenth patriarch of the Pure Land school, the short chanting form of “Amituofo” should be used. This will help the patient to more easily register this name in the most subtle consciousness, at a time when both mind and body are very weak.

It would be wise to ask the patient which is preferred—“Amituofo” or “Namo Amituofo.” In this way, the patient can comfortably and silently chant along with the group. To go counter to the patient’s likes and habits may destroy his or her concentration. People should not chant too loudly so as not to use too much energy and shorten the time they can chant. On the other hand, they should not chant in too low a voice or the sound might not register in the patient’s mind. Also, they should not speak to one another while in the room.

Chanting should neither be too loud or soft, slow or fast. Each utterance should be clear and distinct, so it can be heard clearly and penetrate deep into the patient’s consciousness. One warning: if the patient is too weak or is in coma, he may have difficulty hearing the chanting. In such a case, someone should chant close to the patient’s ear to help the patient to keep a clear, steady mind.