L6 - Positive States

POSITIVE STATES
OF MIND
LECTURE-6
(BUDDHISM)
BY SONENDRA
INTRODUCTION
• Path of transformation. Path of transformation starts with transforming emotions.
In the Noble eightfold path after Perfect Vision (Samma Ditthi) there comes Perfect
Emotions (Samma Sankappo).
• Many people think that emotions are automatic responses to happens outside.
And therefore we are helpless, we really can’t do anything about it. We get angry
because people behave badly, certain situations irritates us and so on. But the
reality is we are creators and owners of our emotions.
• We can classify emotions in two broad types, negative and positive. Negative
emotions are hate, jealousy, greed, lust, anger, confusion etc. Positive emotions
are Love, care, compassion etc. Negative emotions are distructive and disturbing
they lead us to harm ourselves and others. Positive emotions are peaceful, life
serving and harmonising
INTRODUCTION
• Buddhism speaks of three emotions that are at the root of all negative
emotions they are Greed, Hatred and Confusion, Lobha, Dosa and
Moha.
• Three root positive emotions are Generosity, Maitri and Clarity, i.e.
Alobha, Adosa, Amoha in Pali.
• We see in our experience the effects of each emotion on our lives and
if we wish to take Buddha’s advice on it we find a systematic way of
developing beneficial and getting rid of poisonous and destructive
emotions. We will be looking into how to develop positive emotions in
meditation practices
Brahmaviharas
• Four Brahmaviharas - Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upeskha are
called four Brahmaviharas.
• Brahma= Boundless, lofty, Supreme and Vihara= living, abiding.

It means living in a boundless and lofty state of mind.
Metta
• Metta is a selfless desire for welfare of all living beings.
• This state has a natural tendency of being calm, stable and fulfilled.
• It is happy, bright and expansive state of mind.
• One feels illuminated from inside. Person practicing Metta looks bright.
• Metta is an opposite of hatred. We develop Metta to counter our
hateful tendencies.
• We are often not aware how hateful we are and how this can be self-
destructive and capable of generating pain for ourselves others.
Metta
• Much of our everyday experience of human suffering comes from this tendency
of hate. Death by violence are much more than deaths by natural calamities and
accidents. Hate is self-destructive and a cause of lot of suffering.
• Another important characteristic of Metta is that it is much more powerful
emotion than hate.
• But since we do not have its experience we believe in the power of hate and are
inclined to use it for our welfare.
• Hate and violence seems to give us a quick solution but ultimately it always
brings us to an unfortunate result.
• Another beautiful Bodhisattva-figure embodying Compassion, this time in
feminine form, is Ta-ra-, whose name means `The Saviouress' or `The Star'. A
beautiful legend relates how she was born from the tears of Avalokites'vara as
he wept over the sorrows and miseries of the world
Karuna or compassion (most spiritual of all the emotions)
• Karuna is a state of mind based on Metta. When a mind full of Metta comes in
contact with suffering we experience an urge and energy to get rid of it. This energy
and urge is Karuna.
• Karuna is an opposite of cruelty. Coldblooded hateful and violent tendency is
cruelty. Enjoys suffering of others is cruelty.
• Generally we think that we do not have a feeling of cruelty. If we look deeper with
awareness we may find that we too have this tendency, may be very little.
• Karuna uses our innate force of energy creatively for the welfare.
• Certain Bodhisattvas who embody Compassion(Avalokites'vara). There are many
different forms of Avalokites'vara. One of the most interesting of these is the eleven-
headed and thousand-armed form.
• The eleven heads represent the fact that Compassion looks in all eleven directions of
space, i.e. in all possible directions, while the thousand arms represent his ceaseless
Mudita
• Mudita is a state of mind when Metta comes in contact with a happy
person. Experinece of happiness and joy in the happiness of another
person is Mudita.
• Envy is a very common negative emotion we generally are in grips of.
• Being happy in others happiness is not a common ability. One gets
immediately insecure and jealous. We make lot of efforts to show that
we are happy, inside we burn with envy. We may not agree or admit
most of the time that inside we are feeling jealous of others.
• Lot of competitiveness and leg-pulling is because of jealousy.
• Lot of backbiting and gossips and spreading of rumours about others is
caused by envy.
Uppekha
• Uppekha is a deeply stable, unshakable state of mind. Sometimes it is translated
as a peace of mind.
• With deep experience of Metta we come to realise that our minds cannot be
disturbed by anything outside.
• All our disturbances come from inside of our minds. How we respond to
memories of past? How we respond to our own speculations about future? How
we respond and react to what is happening now? Tells us the sources of
disturbance of our minds.
• One is not moved by praises and slanders. Just as a deep flowing river looks
unmoving but we know there is the strongest force, we do not dare crossingto
cross.
• When we cultivate and experience these states we become more sensitive and
aware and our mind becomes a basis of creativity, inspiration and filled with
boundless deep sukha. This goes beyond our ordinary sensual pleasures.
Shraddha (Pali Saddha)
• Complete confidence in Buddha, that he attained a state of supreme
Buddha hood which is beyond any human imagination.
• Confidence in oneself that one can attain to that state oneself. I can
become what Buddha became. This confidence to has to be cultivated
with reflection and direct experience.
• We too in a limited extent have metta. We do come out and help our
friends, relatives and neighbours. We want to do something for the
betterment of others. This Metta is in us in a limited sense
Two protectors of Moral sense - Hri and
Apatrapya
• Hri is a Sanskrit word meaning self-respect?. When one respectful to
one’s own higher moral or spiritual standards. State of guarding
oneself from falling and maintaining the higher self-respect is Hri.
• Apatrapya meaning respect of others. Whenever we find an

opportunity or possibility of ourselves acting on something seemingly
wrong, a sense works in us, what would they say if they come to know
about it? Out of respect for them who we respect, admire and value as
our teachers or guides we refrain from acting in ways that they may
not approve of.

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POSITIVE STATES

• Brahma= Boundless, lofty, Supreme and Vihara= living, abiding.

• Apatrapya meaning respect of others. Whenever we find an

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