Ch1 Part 2 The 4 Immeasurables Flashcards
(400 cards)
1
Q
What is the purpose of using the immeasurables as basis for insight?
A
To realize three characteristics and achieve liberation
2
Q
What is examined when using jhāna for insight?
A
The five aggregates composing the meditative experience
3
Q
What understanding leads to stream-entry?
A
Seeing jhāna as impermanent, suffering, and selfless
4
Q
What are the three characteristics realized through insight?
A
Impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, selflessness
5
Q
What fetters are abandoned at stream-entry?
A
View of personal identity, doubt, clinging to rules and practices
6
Q
What happens to once-returners?
A
They reduce but don’t eliminate sensual attachment and ill-will
7
Q
What happens to non-returners?
A
They completely abandon sensual attachment and ill-will
8
Q
What is the difference between worldling and ārya practice?
A
Āryas combine immeasurables with insight wisdom
9
Q
What happens to worldlings who practice without wisdom?
A
Possible rebirth in Brahmā realm without liberation
10
Q
What happens to āryas reborn in Brahmā realm?
A
They continue insight practice and achieve arhatship
11
Q
What is necessary for liberation through the immeasurables?
A
Combining them with wisdom realizing emptiness
12
Q
What is objectless wisdom?
A
Wisdom that realizes emptiness of agent, object, and action
13
Q
What is the circle of three?
A
Agent, object, and action in any activity
14
Q
What does it mean to practice immeasurables with emptiness?
A
Realize all three aspects lack inherent existence
15
Q
What is the ultimate result of combining wisdom with immeasurables?
A
Complete liberation from suffering
16
Q
What is the difference between love and attachment according to the text?
A
Love is selfless concern; attachment is possessive and needy
17
Q
What are the characteristics of immeasurable love?
A
Seeks nothing for self; pleasure is in loving; stable regardless of treatment
18
Q
What are the characteristics of attachment?
A
Exaggerates qualities, creates neediness, makes demands
19
Q
What is the highest form of love?
A
Wishing beings the highest happiness and showing them the path
20
Q
What destroys the sense of possession in love?
A
Understanding selflessness
21
Q
What is the characteristic function of compassion?
A
Finding others’ suffering unbearable
22
Q
What is the manifestation of compassion?
A
Noncruelty and nonviolence
23
Q
What is the proximate cause of compassion?
A
Seeing helplessness in those overwhelmed by suffering
24
Q
What happens when compassion succeeds versus fails?
A
Success reduces cruelty; failure produces personal distress
25
What is universal about suffering?
All beings in saṃsāra are susceptible to various forms of duḥkha
26
What is the scope of immeasurable compassion?
Extends to all beings regardless of apparent happiness
27
What does compassion understand about wrongdoers?
Their actions stem from minds overwhelmed by ignorance
28
What is the characteristic of empathic joy?
Bringing joy
29
What is the function of empathic joy?
To oppose envy
30
What is the manifestation of empathic joy?
Abandonment of jealousy and boredom
31
What happens when empathic joy succeeds versus fails?
Success reduces jealousy; failure produces overexcitement
32
What expands through empathic joy practice?
Ability to see goodness in the world
33
What changes through cultivating empathic joy?
View shifts from seeing bleakness to seeing goodness
34
What is the scope of empathic joy?
Rejoicing in virtue and success of all others
35
What is the characteristic of equanimity?
Promoting balance toward beings
36
What is the function of equanimity?
Seeing equality in beings
37
What is the manifestation of equanimity?
Subduing anger and attachment
38
What is the fundamental understanding supporting equanimity?
Beings own their karma and its results
39
What question reflects proper equanimity?
Whose choice determines their happiness or freedom from suffering?
40
What happens when equanimity succeeds versus fails?
Success reduces anger and attachment; failure produces unknowing equanimity
41
What is unknowing equanimity based on?
Worldly indifference and apathy from householder life
42
What is the difference between equanimity and indifference?
Equanimity is balanced wisdom; indifference is uncaring apathy
43
What does understanding karma provide for equanimity?
Acceptance of results without blame or extreme emotional reactions
44
What is the steadiness that equanimity provides?
Tranquility amid changing circumstances and treatment
45
What does equanimity allow space for?
Appreciating everything without clinging
46
What is the proper response to insults according to equanimity?
Not taking them personally; seeing them as reflection of other's unhappiness
47
What is the proper response when help is rejected?
Remaining balanced without frustration or anger
48
What example illustrates equanimity with unreceptive people?
Buddha leaving the quarreling monks at Kosambī
49
How does insight into reality support equanimity?
Understanding no inherent 'I' or 'mine' releases craving and afflictions
50
What disturbs equanimity?
Grasping at I and mine in various situations
51
What is the four-part structure of Mahāyāna immeasurable verses?
Wish, aspiration, resolution, request for inspiration
52
What is the purpose of the four-part structure?
To gradually intensify the emotion
53
What does the resolution part commit to?
Taking responsibility to make the aspiration reality
54
What does the request for inspiration acknowledge?
Need for support from Buddha and spiritual mentor
55
What confidence does the four-part structure build?
Assurance that buddhas support our efforts
56
What is the difference between short and long versions?
Long version includes equanimity first; short version puts it last
57
What is emphasized by putting equanimity last?
Wish for others to be free from bias and anger
58
What is emphasized by putting equanimity first?
Preparation for generating bodhicitta
59
What does equanimity remove as preparation for bodhicitta?
Partiality that prevents equal compassion
60
What is impossible without equanimity?
Generating equal compassion for all beings
61
What is compassion a prerequisite for?
Generating bodhicitta
62
What is bodhicitta?
Mind aspiring to full awakening to benefit all beings effectively
63
How does love relate to the seven cause-and-effect instructions?
It's the fourth instruction, result of seeing all as mothers
64
How does compassion relate to the seven instructions?
It's the fifth instruction, leading to great resolve
65
What results from great resolve?
Bodhicitta - the sixth and seventh instructions
66
What is empathic joy's relationship to bodhicitta?
Rejoicing in others' temporal and ultimate happiness
67
What does empathic joy wish regarding liberation?
That beings never be separated from liberation's excellent bliss
68
What are the two aspects of Longchenpa's empathic joy?
Rejoicing in beings' current potential and wishing awakening joy
69
What does empathic joy recognize about buddha nature?
All beings have blissful, pure nature enabling awakening
70
What are the two interpretations of Asaṅga's equanimity?
Wishing equal benefit for all, or beings developing their own equanimity
71
What are Tsongkhapa's two aspects of equanimity?
Meditator's equanimity toward others, and others developing equanimity
72
What is equanimity as a calming attitude?
Helps harmonious living internally and with others
73
What does Maitreya require for true immeasurables?
Actual dhyāna accompanying them
74
What are the two purposes of Mahāyāna immeasurables?
Increasing bodhicitta and cultivating serenity
75
What is necessary for liberation through immeasurables?
Objectless wisdom realizing emptiness
76
What is the difference between preliminary and bodhisattva approaches?
Atiśa sees them as preliminary; Maitreya and Asaṅga as bodhisattva practices
77
What is the actual relationship between immeasurables and bodhicitta?
They strengthen previously generated bodhicitta
78
What is Vimalakīrti's description of bodhisattva love?
Love that is refuge, peaceful, according with reality, nondual, imperturbable
79
What characterizes love that is 'truly a refuge'?
Provides genuine safety and protection for all beings
80
What makes love 'peaceful'?
Freedom from grasping
81
What makes love 'not burning'?
Freedom from afflictions
82
What makes love 'according with reality'?
Equanimity in all three times
83
What makes love 'without conflict'?
Freedom from violence of afflictions
84
What makes love 'nondual'?
Involved neither with external nor internal
85
What makes love 'imperturbable'?
Carries through to completion
86
What makes love 'firm'?
Unbreakable resolve like diamond
87
What makes love 'pure'?
Purified in its nature
88
What makes love 'even'?
Equal aspirations
89
What is 'ārya's love'?
Love that has eliminated its enemy anger
90
What is 'bodhisattva's love'?
Love that continuously develops beings
91
What is 'Tathāgata's love'?
Love that understands reality
92
What is 'Buddha's love'?
Love that awakens beings from sleep
93
What is 'spontaneous love'?
Love fully awakened spontaneously
94
What is 'awakening love'?
Love that is unity of experience
95
What is love 'without presumption'?
Love that eliminated attachment and aversion
96
What is love as 'great compassion'?
Love that infuses Mahāyāna with radiance
97
What is 'never exhausted love'?
Love knowing all is empty and selfless
98
What is love as 'giving'?
Love bestowing Dharma gift without tight fist
99
What is love as 'ethics'?
Love improving unethical beings
100
What is love as 'patience'?
Love protecting both self and others
101
What is love as 'effort'?
Love taking responsibility for all beings
102
What is love as 'meditation'?
Love refraining from indulgence in tastes
103
What is love as 'wisdom'?
Love causing attainment at proper time
104
What is love as 'skillful means'?
Love with manifestation for every occasion
105
What is love that 'hides nothing'?
Love pure in motivation
106
What is love 'without deviation'?
Love acting from decisive motivation
107
What is love as 'high resolve'?
Love without afflictions
108
What is love 'without deceit'?
Love that is not artificial
109
What is love as 'happiness'?
Love introducing beings to Buddha's happiness
110
What is the great compassion of bodhisattvas?
Giving all accumulated virtue to all beings
111
What is the great joy of bodhisattvas?
Being joyful without regret in giving
112
What is the equanimity of bodhisattvas?
What benefits both self and others
113
What is special about tantric love?
Wishes beings to have special sublime bliss
114
What is special sublime bliss?
Bliss arising in tantric practice used to realize emptiness
115
Why does tantra emphasize blissful wisdom?
It leads to penetrating wisdom eradicating defilements
116
What is tantric empathic joy?
Wishing beings bliss of liberation meaning full awakening
117
What is necessary for liberation's bliss?
Freedom from afflictions through bodhicitta and emptiness
118
What are the two aspects of Yamāntaka equanimity?
Freedom from subject-object dualism and eight worldly concerns
119
What is freedom from apprehender-apprehended?
Direct realization of emptiness
120
What characterizes nondual perception of emptiness?
No feeling of 'I am perceiving emptiness'
121
What is the water-into-water analogy?
Subject and object experienced inseparably
122
Why does Yamāntaka emphasize wisdom?
As wrathful Mañjuśrī, Buddha of Wisdom
123
What are the eight worldly concerns?
Gain-loss, fame-disrepute, praise-blame, pleasure-pain
124
Why are eight worldly concerns difficult to overcome?
Require wisdom directly realizing emptiness
125
What can meditative absorption not do?
Completely eradicate worldly concerns from mind
126
What is required for complete freedom from worldly concerns?
Wisdom directly realizing emptiness
127
What is the significance of contemplating others' kindness?
Opens heart by recognizing incredible kindness received
128
What kindness have all beings shown?
As parents in past lives and through current life labors
129
What does recognizing kindness accomplish?
Makes concern for others' wellbeing arise automatically
130
How does kindness recognition affect relationships?
Changes feelings toward dear ones, neutral people, and enemies
131
What is the relationship between protecting self and others?
By protecting oneself through practice, one protects others through example
132
How does self-protection protect others?
Serene conduct develops others' confidence and inspiration
133
How does protecting others protect oneself?
Cultivating immeasurables develops dhyānas leading to insight and liberation
134
What is the Buddha's teaching about hatred never allaying hatred?
Only nonhatred (compassion) can allay hatred - this is the ageless law
135
What thoughts perpetuate hatred?
'He abused me, struck me, defeated me, robbed me'
136
What is Anuruddha's approach to harmony?
Maintaining physical, verbal, and mental acts of love openly and privately
137
What is Anuruddha's attitude toward preferences?
Setting aside personal wishes to do what others wish
138
What does Anuruddha mean by 'different in body, one in mind'?
Unity of purpose despite individual differences
139
What is the analogy of mother with four children?
Young child (love - nurturing), sick child (compassion - healing), youth (empathic joy - celebrating), independent adult (equanimity - letting be)
140
What is the proper understanding of this analogy?
Different attitudes appropriate for different situations, not hierarchy
141
What are the three essentials for divine abode practice?
Joyous effort (beginning), taming hindrances (middle), absorption (conclusion)
142
What is the example of Aṅgulimāla?
Murderous bandit transformed by Buddha's love, showing love's power
143
What was King Prasenajit's amazement?
Buddha tamed with love what force and weapons could not
144
What protection does love provide against spirits?
Buddha taught love sūtra to stop spirits disturbing disciples' meditation
145
What is the elephant and Devadatta story?
Wild elephant released to harm Buddha was calmed by Buddha's love
146
How was Sāmāvati protected?
Love meditation protected her from jealous husband's actions
147
What is required for love in dangerous situations?
Cannot be done from fear or anger but from understanding and compassion
148
What are the three abandonments through love?
Temporary (antidote to anger), suppression (dhyāna), eradication (insight basis)
149
How does temporary abandonment work?
Using love to replace anger when it arises
150
How does abandonment by suppression work?
Dhyāna on love suppresses five hindrances through concentration
151
How does abandonment that eradicates work?
Using love absorption as basis for insight leading to arhatship
152
Why do masters encourage immeasurables at session start?
Mind imbued with them is tranquil and spreads peace
153
What is the mother-child analogy in both traditions?
Best available example of unconditional love and gratitude
154
How does Pāli tradition use the analogy?
See beings as children, cultivate parental love
155
How does Sanskrit tradition use the analogy?
See beings as mothers, feel gratitude and wish to repay kindness
156
What makes this analogy imperfect but useful?
It's the closest worldly example to illustrate unconditional love
157
What does immeasurable mean in terms of object?
Directed toward immeasurable number of beings
158
What does immeasurable mean in terms of mind?
Free from limitations of desire-realm consciousness
159
What does immeasurable mean in terms of scope?
Extends to all beings regardless of their treatment of us
160
What does immeasurable mean in terms of quality?
Pure, impartial, and unconditional
161
What is the object of divine abodes?
Single being or as many beings as we think of
162
Why start with specific individuals?
To make emotions heartfelt rather than merely intellectual
163
What happens if you start with 'all beings'?
Love becomes only intellectual, not felt
164
What is easy versus difficult in practice?
Easy to think of distant beings; difficult to feel for those we encounter
165
What is the progression from specific to universal?
Begin with individuals, extend in stages to become immeasurable
166
What makes emotions genuine?
Developing them toward specific people we know
167
What prevents the four immeasurables from becoming mere intellectual concepts?
Practicing them toward specific individuals we encounter daily
168
What is the relationship between formal meditation and daily life practice?
Maintaining peaceful mind between sessions increases power during meditation; meditation permeates mind after sessions
169
What creates the momentum for spontaneous love?
Regular practice until the mind becomes absorbed in the experience itself
170
What is the difference between reciting formulas and genuine experience?
Formulas are tools; genuine practice transforms the mind into the corresponding mental attitude
171
What should you do when meditation becomes mechanical?
Change to your own words and contemplate specific types of happiness you wish for others
172
What visualization technique deepens love meditation?
Imagine the person in ordinary confused state, then visualize them free from specific miseries with particular opportunities
173
What is the purpose of contemplating others in different states?
To make the meditation detailed and personal, opening your heart to the experience of love
174
What happens when love feeling arises strongly?
It gains momentum and the meditation carries on by itself without needing formulas
175
What characterizes mature love practice?
Moving from conceptual recitation to absorbed experience of radiating love
176
What is the proper way to use meditation instructions?
As stepping stones toward direct experience, not as ends in themselves
177
What prevents love from becoming sentimental?
Maintaining focus on genuine benefit rather than pleasant feelings
178
What is the role of patience in developing the immeasurables?
Essential for gradual training and not expecting instant transformation
179
What should motivate continued practice when progress seems slow?
Understanding that transformation takes time and each session builds foundation
180
What is the sign that barriers are truly broken down?
Equal love arising spontaneously for all types of people
181
What practical benefit comes from breaking down barriers?
Ability to respond with love regardless of how others treat you
182
What daily life situation tests your barrier breakdown?
Encountering someone who usually triggers negative reactions
183
What should you remember when facing difficult people?
They have been your loved ones countless times in past lives
184
What contemplation helps with stubborn resentments?
Reflecting that the person's harmful actions will bring them future suffering
185
What is the proper response when someone rejects your kindness?
Maintain love without attachment to results
186
What does it mean to love without agenda?
Offering genuine care without expecting specific responses
187
What prevents love from becoming possessive?
Understanding that love seeks nothing for yourself
188
What is the pleasure of genuine love?
The joy found purely in loving, not in being loved back
189
What makes love strong and stable?
Independence from your mood or others' treatment of you
190
What readiness does genuine love maintain?
Willingness to help while respecting others' autonomy
191
What does love refuse to do?
Coerce others to fulfill your expectations
192
What understanding transforms romantic attachment?
Recognizing its basis in exaggeration and projection
193
What characterizes attachment's emotional patterns?
Neediness, possessiveness, demands, and high expectations
194
What complications does attachment create?
Emotional neediness and possessiveness leading to suffering
195
What does selflessness understanding do for love?
Demolishes any sense of possession
196
What does love infused with selflessness realize?
No independent soul or essence in persons to love or be loved
197
What does the highest love wish for beings?
The highest happiness and showing them the path to suffering's end
198
What enables looking at suffering without despair?
Compassion that opens the heart to universal experience
199
What scope does immeasurable compassion have?
From smallest inconvenience to extreme pain to emotional misery
200
What does compassion understand about happy-appearing people?
They still live under control of ignorance, afflictions, and polluted karma
201
What response should compassion avoid?
Medicating distress experienced when seeing own or others' suffering
202
What should compassion do instead?
Open heart to universal experience and reach out directly or indirectly to others
203
What extension should compassion have?
Not limited to those evidently suffering but extends to those seeming happy yet under control of ignorance, afflictions, polluted karma
204
What should compassion understand about blame?
Doesn't blame others for their suffering but realizes it was caused by mind overwhelmed by ignorance
205
What should compassion understand about perpetrators and victims?
Both beings controlled by karma thus both worthy of compassion whether perpetrator or victim of harm
206
What response does compassion offer to suffering?
Reaching out directly or indirectly to help
207
What limitation should compassion accept?
Understanding that helping has natural limits
208
What prevents compassion from becoming overwhelming?
Maintaining focus on helping rather than personal emotional reaction
209
What distinguishes compassion from pity?
Compassion actively wishes to remove suffering; pity may be passive
210
What empowers compassion practice?
Understanding that all beings have potential for liberation
211
What does empathic joy recognize about success?
It reflects positive causes and creates future happiness
212
What perspective does empathic joy bring to worldly achievements?
Seeing them as steps toward greater spiritual progress
213
What does empathic joy do when witnessing virtue?
Celebrates others' positive actions and their karmic results
214
What future orientation does empathic joy have?
Rejoicing in others' past successes and future virtuous actions
215
What does empathic joy understand about others' happiness?
It reduces their suffering and increases their potential
216
What does empathic joy do for your own mind?
Fills it with delight and counteracts jealousy
217
What expansive quality does empathic joy develop?
Ability to see goodness in the world rather than focusing on problems
218
What shift does empathic joy create in perception?
From seeing bleakness to seeing the many ways people help each other
219
What does empathic joy rejoice in regarding spiritual progress?
Others' development of wisdom, compassion, and liberation
220
What does equanimity understand about results?
They arise from causes beings themselves created
221
What does equanimity eliminate regarding depression?
Seeing that misfortune results from one's own actions and will pass
222
What does equanimity eliminate regarding elation?
Understanding that success is a passing result of actions
223
What does equanimity promote instead of blame?
Accepting results while creating causes for different future
224
What does equanimity provide in the face of insults?
Understanding that words reflect the speaker's unhappiness
225
What does equanimity offer when help is rejected?
Peaceful letting be while keeping the door open for future opportunities
226
What wisdom supports equanimity development?
Insight into the nature of reality and lack of inherent self
227
What does grasping at 'I and mine' create?
Disturbance sending the mind into clinging, animosity, and resentment
228
What does understanding 'no I or mine' accomplish?
Releases craving and other afflictions, allowing equanimity to arise
229
What is the essential insight for equanimity?
There is no independently existing self to be helped or harmed
230
What balance does equanimity maintain?
Equal concern for all beings' welfare without favoritism
231
What does equanimity not interfere with?
Natural caring and appropriate action
232
What does equanimity prevent?
Emotional reactivity that clouds wise judgment
233
What does equanimity enable?
Clear seeing of situations without personal agenda
234
What steadiness does equanimity provide?
Maintaining beneficial intentions regardless of circumstances
235
What is the first part of the Mahāyāna four immeasurables formula?
How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and its causes
236
What does the aspiration part express?
May they have happiness and its causes
237
What does the resolution part commit to?
I shall cause them to have happiness and its causes
238
What does the inspiration request acknowledge?
Guru Buddha, please inspire me to be able to do so
239
What effect does the four-part structure have?
Gradually intensifies the emotion from wish to commitment
240
What support does the inspiration request provide?
Feeling backed by buddhas who have perfected this ability
241
What confidence does this structure build?
Trust that the resolution can be fulfilled with proper guidance
242
What happens when aspiration takes root?
It grows into resolution to get involved and make it reality
243
What feeling might arise with grand resolutions?
Sense of inadequacy to fulfill such vast commitments
244
What remedy does seeking inspiration provide?
Connection with enlightened support and encouragement
245
What positioning of equanimity emphasizes peace?
Placing it last emphasizes wish for others to be free from bias
246
What positioning of equanimity emphasizes preparation?
Placing it first prepares for the seven cause-and-effect instructions
247
What does equanimity first remove?
Partiality that renders equal compassion impossible
248
What is equal compassion prerequisite for?
Generating bodhicitta effectively
249
What does bodhicitta aspire toward?
Full awakening to benefit all sentient beings more effectively
250
What state must precede bodhicitta generation?
Equanimity free from attachment and aversion toward all beings
251
What does love represent in the seven instructions?
Result of seeing all beings as mothers and recognizing their kindness
252
What does compassion lead to in this sequence?
Great resolve and bodhicitta commitment
253
What does empathic joy encompass in bodhicitta context?
Wishing beings temporal happiness and ultimate liberation
254
What does empathic joy want beings never separated from?
Fortunate rebirths and liberation's excellent bliss
255
What does the progression to bodhicitta accomplish?
Working for others' welfare in both temporal and ultimate dimensions
256
What meditation approach transforms the mind?
Generating the mental attitude corresponding to the words
257
What meditation approach should be avoided?
Focusing on definitions and reciting them mechanically
258
What is the goal in immeasurable meditation?
Imbuing your mind with the actual emotion
259
What should happen to the meditation object?
Transformation of your mind into that mental attitude
260
What example illustrates proper approach?
Using love - try to imbue mind with love rather than meditate on love as object
261
What prevents meditation from becoming mere study?
Emphasis on feeling generation over intellectual understanding
262
What makes meditation practice authentic?
Genuine transformation of mental states
263
What should drive meditation technique?
Desire for actual inner change
264
What validates meditation progress?
Spontaneous arising of the intended mental state
265
What is the ultimate meditation validation?
Behavior naturally expressing the cultivated attitudes
266
What stages should meditation progression follow?
Specific individuals to all beings in stages
267
Why avoid immediate focus on all beings?
Love becomes only intellectual without heartfelt development
268
What comparison illustrates this principle?
Easy to wish distant beings well; difficult to feel love for daily contacts
269
What makes emotions immeasurable and heartfelt?
Beginning with specific individuals and gradually extending
270
What prevents superficial spiritual practice?
Authentic engagement with people you actually encounter
271
What is required for genuine universal love?
Foundation built through specific relationships
272
What makes spiritual practice real versus idealistic?
Application to challenging personal relationships
273
What test reveals authentic development?
Your response to people who usually trigger you
274
What prevents spiritual bypassing?
Honest work with difficult personal relationships first
275
What validates universal love claims?
Demonstrated love for specific challenging individuals
276
What does Longchenpa emphasize about empathic joy?
Its relationship to sentient beings' buddha nature
277
What does empathic joy want beings to experience?
The joy of awakening
278
What does empathic joy recognize about potential?
Beings already have blissful, pure nature enabling awakening
279
What does this recognition create?
Immediate basis for rejoicing in others' spiritual potential
280
What does empathic joy celebrate in the present?
The existing capacity for enlightenment in all beings
281
What does this perspective do for practice?
Makes empathic joy more accessible and immediate
282
What does recognition of buddha nature provide?
Reason to rejoice even when others seem far from awakening
283
What does Asaṅga's first interpretation of equanimity emphasize?
Wishing all beings receive equal benefit
284
What does Asaṅga's second interpretation emphasize?
Beings freeing their own minds from bias and developing equanimity
285
What does Tsongkhapa add to equanimity understanding?
Both meditator's equanimity toward others and others developing equanimity
286
What calming effect does equanimity have?
Helps live harmoniously within hearts and together with others
287
What does equanimity provide for relationships?
Foundation for balanced, non-reactive interactions
288
What does equanimity offer communities?
Basis for harmony free from favoritism and conflict
289
What social benefit does equanimity cultivation have?
Reduces polarization and promotes understanding
290
What does Maitreya require for true immeasurables?
Accompaniment by actual dhyāna states
291
What dual purpose do Mahāyāna immeasurables serve?
Increasing bodhicitta and cultivating serenity
292
What prevents immeasurables from being merely devotional?
Development to dhyānic levels
293
What meditation depth validates immeasurable practice?
Achievement of concentrated absorption
294
What does dhyānic development add to immeasurables?
Stability, power, and transformative capacity
295
What is essential for combining wisdom with immeasurables?
Viewing agent, objects, and actions as empty of true existence
296
What is the 'circle of three' in emptiness context?
Agent performing action, object receiving action, action itself
297
What does taking love as example illustrate?
Emptiness of meditator, beings loved, and act of loving
298
What does objectless wisdom realize?
No inherently existent object to grasp
299
What does wisdom combined with immeasurables lead to?
Liberation from cyclic existence
300
What happens without wisdom combined with immeasurables?
Only rebirth in Brahmā realm within cyclic existence
301
What makes the difference between liberation and rebirth?
Presence or absence of emptiness realization
302
What does preliminary versus bodhisattva practice mean?
Different masters emphasize different roles for immeasurables
303
What does Atiśa's approach emphasize?
Four immeasurables as preparation for bodhicitta generation
304
What do Maitreya and Asaṅga emphasize?
Development as practices of bodhisattvas
305
What doesn't the bodhisattva emphasis mean?
That immeasurables are developed only after becoming bodhisattva
306
What is the actual relationship to bodhicitta?
Immeasurables strengthen previously generated bodhicitta
307
What does Vimalakīrti's love description emphasize?
Qualities of mature bodhisattva love
308
What makes bodhisattva love 'truly a refuge'?
Provides genuine safety and protection for all beings
309
What characterizes love that is 'peaceful'?
Freedom from grasping and attachment
310
What makes love 'not burning'?
Freedom from afflictions and agitation
311
What makes love 'according with reality'?
Equanimity and consistency across all times
312
What characterizes 'nondual' love?
Involvement neither with external nor internal projections
313
What makes love 'imperturbable'?
Carrying through to completion regardless of obstacles
314
What gives love 'diamond' firmness?
Unbreakable high resolve
315
What makes love 'pure'?
Purification in its essential nature
316
What characterizes 'even' love?
Equal aspirations for all beings
317
What is 'ārya's love'?
Love that has eliminated its enemy anger
318
What distinguishes 'bodhisattva's love'?
Continuously develops living beings
319
What characterizes 'Tathāgata's love'?
Understanding of reality
320
What defines 'Buddha's love'?
Causes beings to awaken from sleep of ignorance
321
What is 'spontaneous love'?
Fully awakened spontaneously without effort
322
What characterizes 'awakening love'?
Unity of experience
323
What is love 'without presumption'?
Has eliminated attachment and aversion
324
What is love as 'great compassion'?
Infuses the Mahāyāna with radiance
325
What is 'never exhausted love'?
Knows all is empty and selfless
326
What is love as 'giving'?
Bestows Dharma gift without teacher's tight fist
327
What is love as 'ethics'?
Improves unethical living beings
328
What is love as 'fortitude'?
Protects both self and others
329
What is love as 'joyous effort'?
Takes responsibility for all living beings
330
What is love as 'meditative stability'?
Refrains from indulgence in tastes
331
What is love as 'wisdom'?
Causes attainment at the proper time
332
What is love as 'skillful means'?
Has manifestation suited for every occasion
333
What is love that 'hides nothing'?
Pure in motivation
334
What is love 'without deviation'?
Acts from decisive motivation
335
What is love as 'high resolve'?
Without afflictions
336
What is love 'without deceit'?
Not artificial
337
What is love as 'happiness'?
Introduces beings to Buddha's happiness
338
What is Vimalakīrti's definition of great compassion?
Giving of all accumulated roots of virtue to all living beings
339
What is the great joy of bodhisattvas according to Vimalakīrti?
To be joyful and without regret in giving
340
What is bodhisattva equanimity according to Vimalakīrti?
What benefits both self and others
341
What distinguishes tantric love in Cakrasaṃvara sādhana?
Wishes beings to hold special sublime bliss
342
What is special about sublime bliss in tantric context?
Arises in tantric practice and is used to realize emptiness
343
Why does tantra emphasize blissful wisdom?
Specializes in development leading to penetrating wisdom
344
What is natural about tantric love emphasis?
Wishing beings can generate bliss leading to wisdom eradicating defilements
345
What does tantric empathic joy focus on?
Wishing beings never separated from liberation's bliss meaning full awakening
346
What is essential for liberation's bliss to arise?
Being free from afflictions and their associated defilements
347
What does tantric equanimity in Cakrasaṃvara wish?
Beings free from afflictions through bodhicitta and emptiness realization
348
What does Yamāntaka love emphasize?
Beings endowed with great bliss
349
How does great bliss function in Yamāntaka practice?
Melting subtle drops produces bliss used to manifest clear light mind
350
What can clear light mind accomplish?
When realizing emptiness, quickly eradicates even subtle defilements
351
What are the two aspects of Yamāntaka equanimity?
Freedom from subject-object preconceptions and eight worldly concerns
352
What does freedom from apprehender-apprehended mean?
Direct nondual realization of emptiness
353
What characterizes nondual emptiness perception?
No appearance of apprehending mind and apprehended object
354
What is the water-into-water analogy?
Subject and object experienced inseparably
355
Why does Yamāntaka emphasize this wisdom?
As wrathful form of Mañjuśrī, Buddha of Wisdom
356
What are the eight worldly concerns?
Attachment/aversion to gain/loss, fame/disrepute, praise/blame, pleasure/pain
357
Why are worldly concerns difficult to counteract?
Body and mind are in desire realm
358
What can meditative absorption do regarding worldly concerns?
Suppress but not completely eradicate them
359
What is required to eradicate worldly concerns?
Wisdom directly realizing emptiness
360
What does equanimity wish regarding material concerns?
Freedom from delight in money, possessions, praise, approval
361
What does equanimity wish regarding painful experiences?
Freedom from dejection about poverty, blame, bad reputation, unpleasant experiences
362
What wisdom does freedom from worldly concerns represent?
Supreme wisdom realizing emptiness
363
What do the four immeasurables provide for all people?
Tranquil mind that spreads peace to those around
364
Why do Theravāda masters encourage immeasurable practice?
As preparation for mindfulness or insight meditation sessions
365
Why do Mahāyāna masters encourage immeasurable practice?
As foundation for every meditation session
366
What creates peaceful meditation environment?
Mind imbued with four immeasurable thoughts
367
What ripple effect do the immeasurables have?
Spreading peace to community and environment
368
What makes the mother-child analogy valuable?
Best available example of unconditional love and gratitude
369
What does Pāli tradition emphasize in this analogy?
Seeing beings as children and cultivating parental protection
370
What does Sanskrit tradition emphasize?
Seeing beings as mothers and feeling gratitude for their kindness
371
Why is this analogy imperfect but useful?
Closest worldly example to illustrate unconditional love
372
What does contemplating others' kindness accomplish?
Changes feelings about others and opens the heart
373
What fact does kindness contemplation reveal?
We have been, are, and will continue receiving incredible kindness
374
What kinds of people have shown kindness?
Dear ones, neutral people, hostile people, friends, strangers, enemies
375
What two types of kindness do all beings show?
As parents in previous lives and through current life labors
376
What does recognition of kindness make automatic?
Concern for others' wellbeing and wishing them happiness
377
What does kindness awareness eliminate?
Sense of isolation and self-importance
378
What relationship between protecting self and others does the Buddha teach?
By protecting oneself, one protects others; by protecting others, one protects oneself
379
How does self-protection protect others?
Practicing mindfulness leads to arhatship; serene conduct inspires others' virtue
380
What do others gain from seeing serene conduct?
Development of confidence, inspiration, heavenly rebirth, liberation practice
381
How does protecting others protect oneself?
Cultivating immeasurables develops dhyānas used as basis for insight and arhatship
382
What does the commentary explain about this relationship?
Meditator abandoning worldly pursuits protects self; others seeing this develop virtue
383
What verse does the Buddha quote about hatred?
'He abused me, struck me, defeated me, robbed me' - harboring such thoughts perpetuates hatred
384
What is the fixed and ageless law?
Hatred is never allayed by hatred; only nonhatred (compassion) can allay it
385
What perpetuates cycles of hatred?
Dwelling on past hurts and wanting revenge
386
What breaks cycles of hatred?
Responding with compassion instead of retaliation
387
What does Anuruddha say about living with other monks?
'It is a gain for me to live with such companions in the holy life'
388
What acts of love does Anuruddha maintain?
Physical, verbal, and mental acts of love both openly and privately
389
What consideration guides Anuruddha's actions?
'Why should I not set aside what I wish to do and do what these venerable ones wish to do?'
390
What does Anuruddha say about unity?
'We are different in body, but one in mind'
391
What would result from practicing like Anuruddha?
Harmony with family, colleagues, and community members
392
What is the mother with four children analogy?
Young child (love-nurturing), sick child (compassion-healing), healthy youth (empathic joy-celebrating), independent adult (equanimity-letting be)
393
What does this analogy illustrate?
Different attitudes appropriate for different situations
394
What caution accompanies this analogy?
Don't think equanimity is superior; all four are needed depending on circumstances
395
What does the analogy teach about skillfulness?
Appropriate response depends on the situation and person's needs
396
What are the three essentials for divine abode practice?
Joyous effort (beginning), taming hindrances (middle), meditative absorption (conclusion)
397
What is crucial when beginning practice?
Joyous effort and enthusiasm
398
What is important during middle phase?
Applying antidotes to overcome hindrances
399
What is essential at the conclusion?
Achievement of meditative absorption
400
What progression do these essentials represent?
Complete development from initial enthusiasm to mastery
