Karuna/metta sought

[KIM Jae-sung(Jung Won)]

Dear Jan Filipsky;

My name is Jae-sung Kim.
May I give you some information about your question ?
You can check the meaning of original Paali text. I hope you have better
understanding on Brahmavihaara meditation through another translation.

On  Fri, 15 May 1998 10:45:19 +0200 $B!$ (BJan Filipsky <filipsky at SITE.CAS.CZ> wrote ;

> Dear Netters,
> I wonder if any of the Buddhologists on the list could exercise his/her
> karuna and metta and provide me with a textual reference to the following extract:
>
> "In a recommended meditation exercise, the meditator is asked to pervade the
> four directions successively with thought charged with friendliness, compassion, sympathetic
> joy, and impartiality by considering all beings as one considers oneself and by
> having thought that by being large, sublime, immesurable, generous, and nonviolent, pervades the
> whole universe."
> Cited by Narayan Champawat, Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), in: Ian P. McGreal
> (ed.),  Great Thinkers of the Eastern World, Harper Collins, New York 1995,
> p. 165.
> The wording doesn't sound very clear to me - especially the part "by having
> thought that by being large... pervades" seems ambiguous in the subject. Who or what "pervades the
> universe", the meditator or his thought? Maybe the Pali text would sound better. Can anybody help?
> Gratefully Yours, J.F.
> Jan Filipsky, Oriental Institute, Pod vodarenskou vezi 4, 182 08  Praha 8
> phone 004202 6605 3729
> e-mail <filipsky at orient.cas.cz>
> private: U Pentlovky 466/7, 181 00 Praha 8 - Troja
> phone 004202 855 74 53


I find following a Paali passage on practicing of Brahmavihaara
meditation.

.
 so mettaasahagatena cetasaa eka.m disa.m pharitvaa
vihaasi, tathaa dutiya.m, tathaa tatiya.m, tathaa catutthi.m; iti
uddhamadho tiriya.m sabbadhi sabbattataaya sabbaavanta.m
loka.m mettaasahagatena cetasaa vipulena mahaggatena appamaa.nena
averena avyaapajjhena pharitvaa vihaasi. karu.naasahagatena
cetasaa - pe - muditaasahagatena cetasaa upekhaasahagatena cetasaa eka.m
disa.m pharitvaa vihaasi, tathaa dutiya.m, tathaa tatiya.m, tathaa
catu.t.thi.m; iti uddhamadho tiriya.m sabbadhi sabbattataaya sabbaavanta.m
loka.m upekhaasahagatena cetasaa vipulena mahaggatena appamaa.nena
averena avyaapajjhena pharitvaa vihaasi.

<MN2(PTS ed),(Makhaadevasutta.m 83) p.76:7-17>

This passage is translated into English as below.

He abided pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness,
(compassion, appreciative joy, equanimity) likewise the second, likewise
the third, likewise the
fourth; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to
himself, he abided pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind
imbued with loving-kindness,(compassion, appreciative joy, equanimity)
abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will.

<The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha : A New Translation of the
Majjhima Nikaaya>
Translated by Bhikkhu ~Naa.namoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, Boston: Wisdom
Publication, 1995, p.693.


>Who or what "pervades the universe", the meditator or his thought?

Meditator's mind imbued with loving-kindness pervade all world(sabbaavanta.m
loka.m)

KIM Jae-sung (Jung Won)
Department of Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies
University of Tokyo
Tel/Fax : +81-3-5662-6019
jungwon at l.u-tokyo.ac.jp


------------------ sabbe sattaa bhavantu sukhitattaa ----------------------

-----------------  May all living-beings be happy!-------------------------