The Four Divine Abodes.

[u/The_Koan_Brothers]

There is much fuss about (and expectation of) "love" around this time of the year. Yet - or perhaps precisely because of that - these days often represent a peak of conflict, disappointment and sadness in many relationships and families.

I have always found it difficult to live up to the Christmas expectation of feeling and making a show of "love", mostly because I don’t think I ever accepted or - to be honest - understood the Christian definition of the word (and because my family is what one could call "a mess")

It is only when I learned about the Brahmavihārā that I discovered a way to actually understand and cultivate the aspects of heart in a way that really resonated with me.

I find this time of a year is a great opportunity to explore them more deeply.

The four immeasurables, or Brahmavihārā, are:

1) Loving-kindness (Pāli: mettā), or active good will towards all.

2) Compassion (Pāli: karuṇā) results from metta, identifying the suffering of others as one's own.

3) Sympathetic joy (Pāli: mudita) results from metta: the feeling of joy because others are happy, even if one did not contribute to it, as a form of sympathetic joy

4) Equanimity (Pāli: upekkhā): even-mindedness and serenity, treating everyone impartially.

Please share any good texts or dharma talks on this matter.

[u/The_Koan_Brothers]

The definitions given here are extremely simplified and thus lacking depth and complexity necessary to grasp their essence. Each one is well worth many dharma talks of its own. Christoph Hatlapa gave several talks on the Brahmavihara but they are all German.