Chintamani

Chanting the Four Brahmavihārā

The brahmavihārā (sublime attitudes, literally "abodes of brahma") are a series of four virtues and the meditation practices to cultivate them. They are also known as the four immeasurables or four infinite minds.

The brahmavihara are excellent objects of meditation. They are very accessible and quickly lift the spirits. These qualities can be antidotes to difficult emotions. The brahmavihara are tools for working with the mind to let go of reactivity and difficult mindstates and establish stability and wellbeing.

The Brahma-vihara are a pre-Buddhist concept, to which the Buddhist tradition gave its own interpretation. Brahman, in Hinduism, is a concept of God as being “the energy of the universe, all pervading.” Brahma-vihara means abode of Brahman. When we are embodying the brahmaviharas we are living with Brahman, moving with the energy of the universe. Some Buddhist sects believe that practicing the brahmaviharas will literally cause us to be reincarnated as gods in a god realm. Others believe that "abodes of Brahman" are words to describe higher states of spiritual awareness we can experience now. When we practice the brahmaviharas with earnestness, we will establish ourselves deeply within those qualities and abide in them.

The Brahmavihārā are expressed in Sūtra 1:33 in The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali. This Sūtra is very practical and applicable in our day-to-day lives.

My paraphrase:

We can cultivate an undisturbed calmness of mind by practicing:

1) genuine well wishes towards all

2) compassion for the suffering of others

3) sympathetic joy for the blessings and achievements of others

4) focusing on our peace of mind and good works, even when others behave poorly.

What others do is their business.

Each of these qualities deserves its own deep dive. Let's focus this post on chanting this Sutra. We will be chanting in the vedic cadence. You don't need to understand the science behind chanting to gain the benefits. Just play with it. 😁