Cattāri Brahmavihārā

My life has been incredibly hectic of late but there’s nothing unique about that in a city of 8 million people. Nonetheless, I have been able to maintain a more or less regular sitting practice where I average about 35 minutes of metta bhavana. The formal sitting practice has really been helped by instructions I’ve taken from a set of talks given by Ajahn Sujato as well as by instructions given by Bhante Vimalaramsi. I think the most intriguing (to me, that is) development by far, however, is the role that daily practice has been taking in my life.

Following the suggestions of Bhante Vimalaramsi to use certain “keys” in my daily life as spurs or reminders to practice has been endlessly helpful as I do find myself waiting in lines, on trains or buses for large portions of my days. Using these times as sticky notes to practice metta for myself and all the beings in my area has really opened my heart. Furthermore, I have begun to dedicate the time I spend washing dishes to cultivating metta specifically for my family which has, itself, had interesting consequences.

One incident in particular that attribute to my renewed focus upon metta and the brahma viharas occured just the other day on a cold, wind-swept platform waiting for a train. As I stood there in the bitter cold I realized that all around me were flying sea gulls and sparrows apparently impervious to the cold. But as I began to contemplate I realized that their suffering in the harsh winter weather must be immense–a fact to which my mind seemed to rebel. It was the avoidance of the fact of the suffering of other beings that struck me most about the entire experience. It was as if I didn’t want to believe that there could be such intense and seemingly meaningless suffering so close to me and my world.  It is my hope that, by way of the brahma viharas,  I can continue to open myself to the endless sufferings of self and other until I can understand the way to make an end of the mess of samsara. Sukhitaa hontu!