EQUANIMITY AND COMPASSION

PRELIMINARIES AND DEDICATION

In order to make the most out of the following analytical meditations, it is important to realise that one should not only observe the analytical mind, but also the emotions and feelings that come up. It is adviseable to read the pages on Meditation Theory (chapter on Vipashyana) and Meditation Practice if you are not used to (analytical) meditation..
It is strongly advised to start with a good motivation beforehand, to take a few minutes to calm down (doing e.g. a brief breathing meditation is very good) and to dedicate the positive energy afterwards.
For this, the following traditional prayers can be used, but feel free to use any other positive and unselfish thoughts:

Taking Refuge

I go for refuge to the Buddha,
I go for refuge to the Dharma,
I go for refuge to the Sangha. (3x)

Setting the Mind to Enlightenment

By virtue of giving and so forth,
may I become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. (3x)

4 Immeasurables

May all sentient beings have equanimity, free from attachment, aggression and prejudice.
May they be happy, and have the causes for happiness.
May they be free from suffering and causes for suffering.
May they never be separated from the happiness that is free from suffering. (3x)

7-Limbed Prayer

Respectfully I prostrate with body, speech and mind;
I present clouds of every type of offerings, actual and imagined;
I declare all the negative actions I have done since beginningless time,
and rejoice in the merit of all Aryas and ordinary beings.
Please teacher, remain until cyclic existence ends
and turn the wheel of Dharma for all sentient beings.
I dedicate the virtues of myself and others to the great Enlightenment.

Dedication

May the precious Bodhicitta
not yet born, arise and grow
may that born have no decline
but increase forever more.

EQUANIMITY: FRIEND, ENEMY, STRANGER

Visualise in front of you three persons: at the left a good friend, in the middle a stranger, to the right an enemy or someone you cannot stand.
- Concentrate on the friend in front and examine your feelings towards him or her.
- Now concentrate on the stranger and examine your feelings towards him or her.
- Now concentrate on the enemy and examine your feelings towards him or her.
- Return to the stranger and realise that this person can easily become your friend or enemy in the future.
- Next, look at the friend and realise that this person may become your enemy in the future when cheating or hurting you.
- Now, look at the enemy and realise that this person may become your friend in the future when helping you.
- Again look at your friend and try to strongly feel love and appreciation.
- Now look at the stranger and try to hold this feeling towards this person.
- Again look at your friend and try to strongly feel love and appreciation.
- Now try to hold this feeling while looking at the enemy; is it really impossible to feel some love and compassion for this person?
- Try to realise that all three, friend, stranger and enemy are completely equal in trying to become happy and trying to avoid suffering.

COMPASSION

- Do I want to suffer? Examine your feelings when thinking about suffering.
- Do others want to suffer?
- Do I wish anyone else to suffer?
- What is so special about me, that I protect myself and not others?
- Can I forgive my enemies for being imperfect humans, just like me?
- Compassion is the wish that others have no suffering.
- Do I really want my enemies not to suffer?
- Do I have the courage to help others in need?
- Do I have the courage to relieve the suffering of my enemies?
- Can I make others' wishes more important than my own?

" May I be a bridge and a ship for those who want to cross the water.
May I be an island for those who seek one, and a lamp for those desiring light,
May I be a bed for all who wish to rest, and a hand for those who need a help."

7-POINT MIND TRAINING TO GENERATE BODHICITTA

Note that these 7 steps take a long time, and it may be advisable to just meditate on one step per session in the beginning.

1. Equanimity (one can also use above meditation on friend, enemy and stranger)
- Friends may turn into enemies
- Enemies may become friends
- Strangers may become friends or enemies
- Where is the difference between these people but in my own mind?
2. All sentient beings have been my loving mother or a best friend, as I have lived innumerable lives
- Since beginningless time I have been reborn, in each of these lives I needed a mother
- I have lived countless lives, and always had some good friends
- Could not everyone have been my mother or my best friend?
3. Remember the kindness of your mother
- My mother carried me in her body for 9 months
- She fed me, washed me, kept me warm, cared for me when I was ill
- She may not be perfect, but do I never make mistakes?
- She made sure I received an education and taught me to take care of myself
4. Wanting to repay the kindness
- Would it not be great if I could repay her and all previous mothers' kindness?
5. Generate great love
- "May all mother sentient beings have happiness and the causes for happiness."
6. Generate great compassion
- "May all mother sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes for suffering."
7. Generating Bodhicitta
- "Instead of selfishly working for myself alone, I should work to bring all living beings happiness and release them from their suffering: therefore, may I become an omniscient Buddha, as he is the perfect doctor to cure the suffering of all my mother sentient beings."

4-POINT MIND TRAINING TO GENERATE BODHICITTA

The '4 Point Mind Training' is based on cultivating four realisations:

1. Equanimity
See above
2. Faults of self-cherishing
Meditate on karma, and the consequence that self-cherishing is the only cause of my problems.
3. Good qualities of cherishing others
Meditate on karma, and the consequence that cherishing others is the cause of all happiness.
4. Exchanging self & others
Being 'intelligently selfish'; try to imagine changing your own interests with someone else's and feel 'selfish' or cherishing for that person.

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