Four immeasurables, Four boundless states: 2 definitions
Introduction:
Four immeasurables means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
: Google Books: The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical SystemsThe Four Immeasurables are known in Tibetan as tshad med pa bzhi.鈥擜ccordingly, [while describing the history of the Taklung Kagy眉 tradition]: The Taklung Kagy眉 is the lineage transmitted from the great Taklung Thangpa (1142鈥�1210). His family was the Gazi. He was born in Yangsh枚 Bongra Teng. He ordained as a novice with T枚nla Gangpa Sherap Dorj茅 as preceptor.The name given him was Tashi Pal. [...] Phakmo Drupa pointed his walking stick at Tashi Pal鈥檚 heart and stated, among other things, 鈥淥ur noble lord N膩ropa said, 鈥業f, in the midst of meditating on all dharmas as empty of inherent existence and without self, you practice various methods through the Four Immeasurables, then that is the path for attaining the non-abiding 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺鈥欌��. [...]
The Four Immeasurables are are:
- love,
- compassion,
- sympathetic joy, and
- equanimity.
The Four Immeasurables are:
- meditations on love (尘补颈迟谤墨),
- meditations on compassion (办补谤耻峁嚹�),
- meditations on joy (尘耻诲颈迟腻), and
- meditations on equanimity (耻辫别办峁Ｄ�).
In the Abhidharmako艣a, Vasubandhu explains that the four immeasurables are called 补辫谤补尘腻峁嘺鈥�鈥攎eaning 鈥渋nfinite鈥� or 鈥渓imitless鈥濃�嶁�攂ecause they take limitless sentient beings as their object, and they generate limitless merit and results. Love is described as the wish that beings be happy, and it acts as an antidote to malice (惫测腻辫腻诲补). Compassion is described as the wish for beings to be free of suffering, and acts as an antidote to harmfulness (惫颈丑颈峁僺腻). Joy refers to rejoicing in the happiness beings already have, and it acts as an antidote to dislike or aversion (arati) toward others鈥� success. Equanimity is considering all beings impartially, without distinctions, and it is the antidote to both attachment to pleasure and to malice (k膩mar膩ga惫测腻辫腻诲补).
They are known in Tibetan as: (1) tshad med pa bzhi (2) tshad med bzhi (3) tshad med bzhi po; and in Sanskrit as: 肠补迟耻谤补辫谤补尘腻峁嘺, 肠补迟耻峁谤补尘腻峁嘺, 肠补迟惫腻谤测补辫谤补尘腻峁嚹乶颈, 肠补迟耻谤辫谤补尘腻峁嘺, 肠补迟惫腻谤测补辫谤补尘腻峁嚹乶颈, caturaprameya. They are also called the 鈥渇our abodes of Brahm膩 (肠补迟耻谤产谤补丑尘补惫颈丑腻谤补)鈥�, the 鈥渇our boundless states鈥� and the 鈥渇our immeasurable attitudes鈥�.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha鈥檚 words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (惫补箩谤补测腻苍补) are collected indepently.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: The, The, State, Te.
Full-text (+16): Mudita, Karuna, Upeksha, Maitri, Love, Paramanacitta, Compassion, Equanimity, Harmfulness, Joy, Vihimsa, Attachment, Aversion, Kamaraga, Malice, Vyapada, Apramanacitta, Caturapramana, Maitra, Arati.
Relevant text
Search found 12 books and stories containing Four immeasurables, Four immeasurable attitudes, Four boundless states, Four immeasurable contemplations, Four immeasurable states, The four immeasurables; (plurals include: Four immeasurableses, Four immeasurable attitudeses, Four boundless stateses, Four immeasurable contemplationses, Four immeasurable stateses, The four immeasurableses). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Bodhisattvacharyavatara (by Andreas Kretschmar)
Text Section 278 / Stanza 24 < [Khenpo Ch枚ga鈥檚 Oral Explanations]
Text Section 284 / Stanza 27 < [Khenpo Ch枚ga鈥檚 Oral Explanations]
Text Section 250 / Stanza 16 < [Khenpo Ch枚ga鈥檚 Oral Explanations]
The Great Chariot (by Longchenpa)
C. The teaching of the particular objects of meditation < [Chapter VII - The Four immeasurables]
F. The Expressions < [Chapter VII - The Four immeasurables]
I. The fruition < [Chapter VII - The Four immeasurables]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n)
Preliminary note on Loving-kindness and Compassion < [Chapter XLII - The Great Loving-kindness and the Great Compassion of the Buddhas]
Preliminary note on the four immeasurables (apram膩峁嘺) < [Class 3: The four immeasurables]
Introduction to the eight classes of dharmas < [Chapter XXXII-XXXIV - The eight classes of supplementary dharmas]
Guhyagarbha Tantra (with Commentary) (by Gyurme Dorje)
Text 6.3 (Commentary) < [Chapter 6 (text and commentary)]
Text 15.17 (Commentary) < [Chapter 15 (Text and Commentary)]
Text 1.4 (Commentary) < [Chapter 1 (text and commentary)]
Karandavyuha Sutra (by Mithun Howladar)
Part 8 - Hinay膩na (Therav膩da) Buddhism < [Appendix 2 - Buddhist Philosophy]
Part 12 - Origins and Development of [Buddhist] Schools < [Appendix 2 - Buddhist Philosophy]
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