Four Boundless Qualities In Buddhism

Personal Qualities, Thought, , , , ,

Gong, 10277556_10203953053215490_232904504218129824_n This gong symbolizes Compassion for all.  This gong is in my home, carries the Tibetan prayer for Compassion.  The color pink can represent Compassion.

Fawn, Public Domain 800px-White_tail_fawn This fawn represents Loving-kindness for all.  This photograph is a public domain photograph which I found when I Google the word  “fawn”.   The fawn can represent kindess, and Loving-kindess  means that one wishes all others to be happy.   Kindness does not seem to have a representative color.  The rainbow can represent kindness, and so can blue and green.  Blue also can represent health.

Bell on Yellow Hot Mat for Joy of Others. DSC03552 This bell and the yellow color symbolize the desire of Joy for others.  This photograph is from my home.  In Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, he certainly used bells to show joy. 12422416221542450468Esoteric_Taijitu.svg.hi This Yang-Yin symbol represents Equanimity or balance.  We just are, and we can be good or evil.  In fact what is good for one can be evil for another.  In a way we come full circle when we realize this.  There are many dimensions in which we can seek balance among others, and in our world. So where do I stand.?

  • I already have a rational Compassion for everybody and everything.
  • I am in need of, and aim to cultivate Equanimity.  I have to go deeper than merely recognizing this fact, because I see that I am very far from this.
  • I do need to cultivate Loving-kindness on a wider scale.
  • I do need to cultivate Joy for others in a wider scope.

If one thinks about it, then the first three are shades of goodwill toward others.

  • We do not want others to suffer.
  • We want others to be happy.
  • We want others to experience joy.

It almost follows that we can have more equanimity with respect to others,  if we cultivate these three boundless qualities.   It really pleases me that these are boundless qualities.   We all can have as much as we need of these, as we need them.  Cultivated thoughts in these directions can help us be ready when the opportunity presents itself to have a helpful word or action. After we have carried these out for awhile, then we will receive the equanimity  in relation to others that we seek. I would like it if my symbols were more stylistically similar, but that may take awhile.