Meditations on the Four immeasurables - the Divine Abidings or Brahma Vihara
Meditations and the 4 illuminating mental states At our recent yoga and meditation retreat, we chose the theme of the Four Immeasurables, also known as the Four Divine Abidings or the Brahma Vihara. This is a Buddhist teaching which resonates with the Yogic scriptures and other faith traditions. The Buddha taught that if one could master four foundational mental states, this would be sufficient for enlightenment. From a psychological perspective, these four mental states are antidotes to mental habits that cause anguish, anger, depression, despair, worry or jealousy. Much can be said about these states of mind, here are some short descriptions of the meditations we used to bring these states into mindful awareness. Loving Kindness (metta) Sit cross legged in a comfortable meditation position. Allow the body to relax. Bring attention first to the breath allowing tension to fade. When ready, start the following sequence within the mind. 1. You walk along a garden pa...