Brahmavihara

The brahmaviharas are four cultivated states in Buddhism: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. They are practices for relating to oneself and other beings without hostility or possessiveness.

Metta: Loving-kindness: an attitude of goodwill toward oneself and other beings. It is the first of the four sublime states and the wish that beings be well.
Loving-kindness meditation: A meditation practice that cultivates goodwill by directing wishes of well-being toward oneself and others. It is a common method for developing metta, often beginning with oneself or a trusted person.
Digha Nikaya: A collection of long discourses in the Pali Canon, a major early Buddhist scripture collection. Its discourses include instructions for pervading the world with the four sublime states.
Buddhist ethics: Buddhist teachings and practices concerning moral conduct, intention, and the reduction of suffering. The brahmaviharas give ethical life an orientation of goodwill and care for all beings.
Brahmā: A creator deity in Hindu traditions and a high-ranking celestial being in Buddhist cosmology. The name brahmavihara is traditionally linked to dwelling with Brahma, though the practice is not worship of him.
Karuna: Compassion: responsiveness to suffering joined with the wish that it end. It directs care toward beings experiencing pain or distress.
Compassion meditation: A contemplative practice that strengthens sensitivity to suffering and the wish to relieve it. It gives karuna a practical method, often using reflections on suffering.
Tevijja Sutta: A discourse in the Digha Nikaya that describes the four immeasurable states as a path to communion with Brahma. It presents the brahmaviharas as a contemplative answer to questions about reaching Brahma.
Compassion fatigue: Emotional and physical exhaustion associated with sustained exposure to others’ suffering and caregiving demands. Buddhist compassion practice distinguishes care from being overwhelmed by suffering.
Brahmaloka: A group of exalted realms in Buddhist cosmology associated with Brahma and refined states of existence. Early accounts connect cultivation of the four states with rebirth in Brahma’s realm.

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