Four faces of love

The four brahmaviharas, the divine abodes as they are known in Buddhism, are metta (loving kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy) and upekkha (equanimity). The one who has managed to acquire these qualities will have attained a state wherein she stays calm and peaceful under any circumstance or provocation. It is an ideal state indeed, and everyone would love to get there, but how can one cultivate these super qualities? That the four divine abodes are known as core meditative practices indicates the key to achieving these qualities.

Metta is to meditate to send unconditional loving thoughts to oneself and all other beings for common benefit. Karuna is to focus on feeling compassion for self and others, to alleviate all kinds of suffering.

When you think deeply and feel happy at the success and happiness of others without feeling envious or jealous, and feel empathy, that is mudita. When you maintain even-mindedness by training yourself to have a neutral attitude free of bias, that is upekkha, equanimity, free of clinginess and aversions. Any kind of meditation that generates stillness, peace and calm enables the individual to find her centre and remain balanced, all-embracing and non-judgemental. A person of equanimity resides in the four divine abodes and can only behave in a positive manner, generating goodwill and love, peace and joy, free of conflict and misunderstandings. Hence, divine abodes or brahmaviharas are known as the four faces of love, a take on the four faces of Brahma.