Hey all,

I'd like to share with you my usual practice for developing the Brahma-Viharas. Not sure if this is something already well-known (it is, I have to admit, a rather simple technique, but that's part of why I find it so useful), so if what I describe already seems obvious to you then pay no heed to this post and feel free to go about your day happily and with ease.

So one of the difficulties I've run into with the traditional way of developing the Brahma-Viharas involves the phrasing aspect of it. The recommended practice of going through a string of phrases in a certain order sometimes seems odd to me -- it's like I'm trying to fit my intentions through a rigid, computer-like Metta- or Karuna-, etc.-producing module whose individual components every now and again get dislodged or overly greasy, and I have to take time and effort away from the meditation itself in order to re-right that phrase so that it fits again into the flow of things (and it's the flow that really matters). Know what I mean? Now, this isn't to say that the phrasing practice is bonk, far from it -- if you get that module working then you can generate some great results, and what's more, you develop a very multi-faceted, well-rounded grasp of each individual Brahma-Vihara and, accordingly, each individual divine intention. It's also great that there are dozens of phrases you can choose from (as long as you know what you're developing is wholesome) that you can adjust to accord with the differences and quirks in your mood at the time you initiate the practice. I'd say that, compared to the simple practice I am about to lay out, the phrasing practice is likely superior in these aspects.

So here's what I do in my practice much of the time instead of the phrasing practice. One view of this approach is that it favors a rather free flow between the different Brahma-Viharas over a more rigid restriction to one of them, and you will have to judge for yourself whether that works for you. So let's start with Metta (usually that's what I start with -- but by no means is this necessary or, in some cases, even ideal). Like with the phrasing practice, I pick out a target person, beginning with someone near and dear to me, and steadily move farther "outward" as the session goes, depending on the success I'm having. At the end, though, if I'm looking to enter jhana, I might return once more to a particularly dear person, in order to initiate a sort of "launching" effect. Anyway, here's where the practice significantly differs: instead of formulating a phrase in my head, I start off by simply picturing that person. Once I see their face, I set about picturing them in a moment of happiness. This usually involves seeing a kind of "movement" in their being, a sighing almost, or a subtle ascension of some sort related to the experience of gladness. Usually obviously I am focused here on the appearance of their face and often their eyes. When first acclimating myself to a new target, the degree to which I "happify" their image is more subdued, more careful, but as the process gains momentum, it can grow into more of a full-fledged "rapturizing" of their image. In case I ever grow unsure as to where my intentions lie, I use meditation on the breath as an anchor throughout this practice, and I make a point to give myself some space and patience as I proceed, so as to minimize the desperation factor. The immediate benefit of this is that it allows me to see that yes, everyone really does wish to be happy; happiness is great! In fact, love and happiness are core foundations of a person's being; they are seen as fundamental forces that have played unmistakably into the shaping of their very physical structure, their very personality, but that sometimes are just lying dormant. As confidence on this matter increases, things can move more swiftly. Once I feel satisfied that I have seen them truly happy -- or, in other words, that I've really meant it -- then I either move on to the next target, continuing in Metta, or else, if gearing up into Karuna, then I make a small mental note of connecting that developed image of happiness with a "normal" image of them, even perhaps one where they are somewhat distressed. With Karuna there is a component of unbudgingness, of acknowledging things "as they are" no matter what it might mean -- the truth of suffering without judgment, without flinching: just the truth. Here you can focus on their image with a sense of them overcoming the obstacle of suffering, providing them with a kind of solidarity, or else you can incline yourself to seeing their image in relief of those obstacles. Focus on the overcoming aspect, and you stay in Karuna; focus on the relieving aspect, and you move up to Mudita. Focus on the whole process itself, and you're moving upward toward Upekkha. As you develop this, you can teach yourself to move back and forth between the different Brahma-Viharas (try not to shift too rapidly), and with that you gain a rather well-rounded grasp of the four inter-related divine intentions. As with the phrasing practice, you may come to a point where you start focusing on the feeling itself, and here you will be most likely be settling yourself into whichever of the Brahma-Viharas you feel particularly inclined to develop at the moment. Interestingly, I have often begun sessions with an idea of which Brahma-Vihara I "need" to develop, but found after practicing in this manner that one of the others was actually calling my name. So long as you don't find yourself favoring a particular abode every time you sit to meditate, I don't see why there would be anything wrong with this.

As far as I see it, the benefits of this practice (or at least those not yet mentioned) are as such; first, without having to focus on phrasing in your head, the session is generally more "quiet", which I feel allows for greater focus and for a generally more intuitive flow. Second, it directly acclimates you with how the different divine intentions are inter-related, not needing to be wholly differentiated, providing greater flexibility and transparency in implementing them into your daily life (and aren't those the things we need?). Lastly, it's somewhat easier to switch to the "focus on the feeling itself" phase once you've gotten your feet off the ground, so to speak, because it feels like you have less to "drop"; I've found in some cases it's almost like I haven't noticed it at all.

So there it is. I hope, if this method of practice isn't already well-known -- and there is undeniably an underlying element of it taking place whenever you do a phrasing practice anyway -- that this post is of benefit to people's practice. May you all develop the divine abodes in your practice so that, wherever you go, you are more ready and able to recognize for yourself a peaceful home in this life. Take care and practice well,

Kyle