Cattāri Brahmavihārā

This evening I decided to get in my run while in still had time. It was still hotter than expected and my plantar fasciitis has not completely gone away yet so my mind immediately became inflamed with a thousand anxious thoughts. As I ran down the street I marveled at how many others were doing the same. Predictably I was lusting after female joggers and ridiculing the men.

I was fortunate enough to realize that I couldn’t afford to let the kilesas run wild without being challenged so I reflected immediately that this jogging bag of skin would be dead soon enough just like all the others around me. In fact, I contemplated that I likely would be dead before the trees lining the street were gone.

Gaining some perspective I also returned to the thought that it is so foolish to compete one’s body to that of another. Neither are truly “ours” and they go the way of all material things, returning to the elements.

Finally, on my return home, I was about to rouse mudita for those who were running for their health. It only took the entire length of the run and the limp home but it happened no less.