The Four Immeasurables are
a series of virtues and Buddhist meditation practices designed to cultivate those virtues. They are also called the four sublime
attitudes, as they are good qualities to possess in god measure. They form a
sequence of Buddhist virtues recommended in the Brahmavihara Sutta.
-Metta/Maitri:
loving-kindness. “The wish that
all sentient beings, without any exception, be happy.”
-Karuna: compassion. “The wish for all sentient beings to be
free from suffering.”
-Mudita: sympathetic
joy. “The wholesome attitude of
rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of all sentient beings.”
-Upekkha/Upeksha:
equanimity, or learning to accept both loss and gain, praise and blame, success
and failure with detachment, equally, for oneself and for others. “To not distinguish between friend,
enemy or stranger, but regard every sentient being as equal. It is a clear-minded tranquil state of
mind, not being overpowered by delusions, mental dullness, or agitation.” The Four Immeasurables: Cultivating a Boundless Heart
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