Comment: It sounds emotionally nice but what is stated above actually makes little or no sense. What is said is that you can develop a kind heart by thinking about the four thoughts that cannot be measured of love, compassion, joy and equanimity. Nothing beats developing a kind heart than to practice not harming all animals and humans through speech and actions by not killing, not beating, not berating, not stealing, not lying or deceiving. What is the use of contemplating the four immeasurable thoughts if you continue to persecute others through speech and action?
As the Buddha said, you cannot develop true equanimity by forcing or disciplining yourself nor by contemplating but true equanimity is the final result of the process of awakening that begins with mindfulness (to your daily activities that causes stress, restlessness and distraction eg stretching syllables, changing speed and loudness) leading to analysis of qualities (examination) leading to persistence leading to joy (joy is not something Dagpo can teach you but it is the automatic fruit of the acquisition of the first three factors of awakening) leading to calm of mind and body leading to concentration (unification of the mind) leading to equanimity.
Whilst there may be some use in contemplating about love, compassion, joy and equanimity (or rather being aware of one’s lack of), putting into practice love (concern for self and others), compassion (can you physically separate compassion from love? Are you guilty of not knowing what you say in speaking about compassion and love?).
Rather than developing a kind heart through meditating on thoughts of love, compassion, joy and equanimity, one develops a kind heart by practicing not killing (even mosquitoes or cockcroaches), not taking what is not given (not just stealing but asking for permission before you take a sweet from your friend’s table), not indulging in idle chatter, tale bearing and harsh speech (not just speaking angrily but all speech with stretching syllables, changes in speed and loudness is harsh).
Contemplating can only develop a kind heart if the person reflects on his speech and actions that he can see is harmful to himself and others and then he contemplates on how otherwise he should behave or speak (eg not stretching syllables, not changing speed and loudness). It is blind and courting insanity to imagine love, compassion, joy and equanimity as entities that one develops in isolation or separation from daily life.
The Buddha said great is the gain in concentration when it is perfected by virtue, great is the gain in wisdom when it is perfected by concentration. In other words you cannot have great concentration without great virtue and you cannot have great wisdom with great concentration. Therefore if you think of love, compassion, joy and equanimity as mysterious or elusive or desirable virtual entities in your minds that you must develop like you develop your biceps in a gym, then you may chasing the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, barking up a wrong tree. Get your basics right (true virtue or not killing, stealing, not lying, speech that is not harsh) allied with meditation to calm yourself, to stop all thinking, to reflect on your evil deeds and words and you will automatically develop great love, compassion, joy and equanimity.
EXACTLY WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE THOUGHTS OF LOVE, COMPASSION, JOY AND EQUANIMITY THAT YOU WANT OTHERS TO COMTEMPLATE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DEVELOP A KIND HEART MAY BE OBJECTIVELY KNOWN. IF THEY ARE IN TRUTH IMAGINED OR FALSE, BASED ON EMOTIONS THAT THEREFORE HAVE STRENGTH TO BE DEVELOPED THEN YOU ARE DELUDED AND MISLEADING OTHERS BECAUSE WHATEVER IS EMOTIONAL IS HARMFUL TO SELF AND OTHERS AND LEAD TO MADNESS.
TRUE LOVE, COMPASSION, JOY AND EQUANIMTY HAVE NO FORCE OR EMOTION IN THEM, IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DEVELOP IN ISOLATION AND IS MEASURELESS IN THE SENSE THAT THERE IS NO RESTRICTION (EG COMPASSION ONLY TO YOUR FRIENDS OR HUMANS BUT NOT ANIMALS). IF YOUR LOVE, COMPASSION, JOY AND EQUANIMITY HAVE FORCE, THEY APPLIES FORCE ON YOUR MIND AND THE RECIPIENT’S MIND CAUSING STRESS, RESTLESSNESS AND DISTRACTION AND YOU HAVE DEBTS NOT MERIT.
THUS YOU MAY SEE THAT THE APPROACHES OF THE VARIOUS TEACHERS OF BUDDHISM IN THIS WORLD IN THE PRESENT AND THE PAST DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM MY APPROACH. WHENEVER TWO APPROACHES OR VIEWS OR INTEPRETATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE BUDDHA TAUGHT EXIST, EITHER ALL OF THEM ARE WRONG OR ONLY ONE CAN BE CORRECT. THUS IF I AM CORRECT, THEY ARE WRONG OR ONE OF THEM IS RIGHT AND I AM WRONG.
Insight into Buddhism
RENOWNED spiritual master of Tibetan Buddhism, Venerable Dagpo Lama Rinpoche will be in Malaysia to give two “exceptional” teachings, organised by Kadam Tashi Choe Ling (KTCL).
Dagpo Rinpoche will explain how one can develop a kind heart through contemplating the four immeasurable thoughts of love, compassion, joy and equanimity in his first teaching to be held on March 10 and 11 at KTCL in Petaling Jaya.
He will also be conferring the Four-Arm Cherezig (Kuan Yin) initiation on March 11.
The second teaching/retreat to be held from March 13 to 18 in Sepang will be based on Dagpo Rinpoche’s commentary on the great lamrim treatise, “‘Lines of Experience” which includes all the essential teachings of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni.
He will explain the way to overcome sufferings and to attain stable happiness, not just for oneself but for all living beings. (The Buddha’s teaching is not directed at attaining stable happiness for self and others but it is the remainderless cessation of all desires, abandoning of all existence here or in formed or formless existence in heaven. Whoever teaches otherwise is not in accordance to what the Buddha taught that all is not self, all separate existence is suffering & unsatisfactory.)
How The Buddha Is Truly Honored:
The twin sala trees broke out in full bloom, though it was not the season. And the blossoms rained upon the body of the Tathagata and dropped and scattered and were strewn upon it. And celestial mandarava flowers and heavenly sandalwood powder from the sky rained down upon the body of the Tathagata. And the sound of heavenly voices and heavenly instruments made music in the air.
"Yet it is not thus, Ananda, that the Tathagata is respected, and honoured in the highest degree. But, Ananda, whatever a person, abides by the Dhamma, lives uprightly in the Dhamma, walks in the way of the Dhamma, it is by such a one that the Tathagata is respected, and honoured in the highest degree. Therefore, Ananda, thus should you train yourselves: 'We shall abide by the Dhamma, live uprightly in the Dhamma, walk in the way of the Dhamma.'"
In the same way you are a person of the world if you think that you worship the Buddha by marvelling at elaborate or ostentatious temples built in his name.
IN THE SAME WAY RELIGIOUS TEACHERS WHO MAKE MUCH ABOUT CULTIVATING LOVE, COMPASSION, JOY AND EQUANIMITY MAY BE GUILTY OF FOSTERING ATTACHMENT TO THIS WORLD THAT IS NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE BUDDHA'S MESSAGE OF DISPASSION AND UNBINDING.
The Buddha said the essence of his teaching is 'This is stress...This is the origination...This is the cessation...This is the way leading to the cessation of stress' not this is love, this is compassion, this is joy and this is equanimity. When you have reached the end of stress, something that is possible but never tasted by ordinary people, everything else will fall into place.
Then, the Blessed One disappeared and reappeared among the Bhaggas. He sat down and addressed the monks: "Monks, I will teach you the eight thoughts of a great person. "
"'This Dhamma is for one who is modest, not self-aggrandizing.' There is the case where a monk, being modest, does not want it to be known that 'He is modest.' Being content, he does not want it to be known that 'He is content.' Being reclusive, he does not want it to be known that 'He is reclusive.' His mindfulness being established, he does not want it to be known that 'His mindfulness is established.' Being endowed with discernment, he does not want it to be known that 'He is endowed with discernment.' Enjoying non-complication, he does not want it to be known that 'He is enjoying non-complication.'
No where does the Buddha mention thoughts of love, compassion, joy and equanimity in the the eight thoughts of a great man. Unless you are accusing him of being incomplete, not the knower of all, these are the only eight thoughts of a great man.
Love, compassion, joy and equanimity are fabrications or concepts of the mind and are therefore all false or deceptive derived from ignorance not enlightenment or knowing.
If there is depth in your love, compassion, joy and equanimity, it must be emotional or force driven and therefore false and stressful to yourself and others because whatever applies force to the mind is stressful, restless and distracting.
IF THERE IS IN TRUTH FORCEFUL STRETCHING OF SYLLABLES, CONSTANT CHANGES IN SPEED AND LOUDNESS IN THE TEACHER WHO TEACHES YOU HOW TO CULTIVATE LOVE, COMPASSION, JOY AND EQUANIMITY, HE IS EITHER A CONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS HYPOCRITE BECAUSE THE CONSTANT FORCEFUL STRETCHING, CHANGES IN SPEED AND LOUDNESS HARMS HIMSELF AND ALL WHO COME INTO CONTACT WITH HIM SO WHAT TRUE LOVE, COMPASSION, JOY AND EQUANIMITY IS HE TALKING ABOUT OR KNOW?
IT DOES NOT STOP THEM FROM PREACHING ABOUT LOVE AND COMPASSION BUT ANYONE WHO SPEAKS WITH STRETCHING OF SYLLABLES, CHANGES IN SPEED AND LOUDNESS (SOMETHING THAT CAN BE OBJECTIVELY PROVEN) DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE HIS STRETCHING, CHANGES IN SPEED AND LOUDNESS ARE MEANINGLESS (ONLY FOR SHOW) AND CONSTANTLY PERSECUTE OTHERS AND HIMSELF, SO WHAT COMPASSION AND LOVE IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
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