No, it's not a new Disney animated feature. The Immeasurables are a basic set of principles to develop in Buddhist practice. There are four of them, so they are called (like a 50's doo-wop group) "The Four Immeasurables". These principles have become a key feature of my Buddhist practice over the past few years, and I would like to highly recommend them to anyone who is interested. As the SGI does not teach or endorse these specific directed meditations, you may need to do some of your own research.
The "Four Immeasurables" which help us cultivate wholesome attitudes toward ourselves and others are:
1. Loving Kindness;
2. Compassion;
3. Appreciative Joy; and
4. Equanimity.
You can Google the "Four Immeasurables" and read more about them for yourself, or you can go to this site which gives a simple outline:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/bs-s15.htm
I honestly wish that I had known about these principles years ago when I struggled with some difficult emotions and did not have a clear remedy available to me within the SGI's teachings (at the time, we were very much focussed on cultivating hostility towards our parent sect, Nichiren Shoshu as a primary Buddhist practice). I have suffered a lot in this lifetime because I didn't know about using my practice to develop the Four Immeasurables. Since I can't go back and change my own history, all I can do is make these ideas and meditations available to those people who are interested in them now, and who happen to read my blog here.
The First Immeasurable is "Loving Kindness". This is simply the wish that we and (ultimately) all beings be happy.
It is not unusual in the SGI for people who are troubled by another person to receive guidance to "chant for that person's (the 'enemy's') happiness". That sounds wonderful and saintly, and usually produces a good result, but it can be very, very difficult to do in real time. If you have been badly injured by someone, it is hard to chant for that person's happiness. A lot of people have become discouraged and not continued as a result of getting this kind of direction without having a "how-to" guide for dealing with the tough emotions that pop up in the process.
I sometimes compare chanting for the happiness of someone who has hurt you to a sort of extreme emotional yoga pose. Yes, it's good for you, but you can also pull something getting into the pose. It's better to "warm up" first. That's what the Loving Kindness guided meditation allows you to do. Here are the steps:
1. We start with praying for our own happiness:
May I be be well, may I be happy. May I be free from the causes of suffering.
There may be situations in which an individual who is extremely unhappy, or has suffered greatly, or is weighed down by guilt may have to focus on this step for quite awhile --- days or weeks, or even months.
2. Then, when you feel like moving on, you expand the circle of lovingkindness to target a valued friend or loved one (preferably someone you don't have any romantic or sexual attraction to,as that tends to import selfish feelings).
3. You then expand the circle of loving kindness to include a "neutral person" - someone like the check-out clerk at the grocery store, or a man you might see on the bus. Someone you don' t know, but you can now wish them all happiness in your meditation.
4. Now, after you are all "warmed up", you can expand the circle of loving kindness to include someone with whom you are having problems, your "enemy". You can wish for that person, may he be well and happy, may he be free from the causes of suffering.
5. Finally, the circle of loving kindess can be extended to include all beings everywhere.
I really love that last step - radiating out goodwill while I chant Daimoku. It is a wonderful feeling, and I hope you can enjoy it, too!
May you be well and happy and free from any cause of suffering.
Byrd in LA
Posted by wahzoh at May 7, 2008 01:14 PMA similar practice is described in the fourteenth Chapter of Lotus Sutra and is known as the four methods:
1). Steadfast in the bodhisattva's spheres of action and intimacy.
2).Pleasant ministry of speech
3).Pleasant ministry of thought
4).Pleasant ministry of compassion
However, in the dreaded Latter Age, Nichiren states:
"The four peaceful practices [in the 'Peaceful Practices' chapter] correspond to shoju. To carry them out in this age would be as foolish as sowing seeds in winter and expecting to reap the harvest in spring. It is natural for a rooster to crow at dawn, but strange for him to crow at dusk. Now, when the true and the provisional teachings are utterly confused, it would be equally unnatural for one to seclude oneself in the mountain forests and carry out the peaceful practice of shoju without refuting the enemies of the Lotus Sutra. One would lose the chance to practice the Lotus Sutra.
"Now, in the Latter Day of the Law, who is carrying out the practice of shakubuku in strict accordance with the Lotus Sutra? Suppose someone, no matter who, should unrelentingly proclaim that the Lotus Sutra alone can lead people to Buddhahood, and that all other sutras, far from enabling them to attain the way, only drive them into hell. Observe what happens should that person thus try to refute the teachers and the doctrines of all the other schools. The three powerful enemies will arise without fail.
"Our teacher, the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, practiced shakubuku during the last eight years of his lifetime, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai for more than thirty years, and the Great Teacher Dengyo for more than twenty." (pg. 394, “On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings")
Mark
Posted by: Mark Rogow at May 7, 2008 02:12 PMO.K. so I'm dense explain to me the difference between the first two. Not wanting any one to suffer seems like wanting every one to be happy. And cruelty and ill will don't seem so different either.
Posted by: clown hidden at May 7, 2008 04:35 PMThere is no cruelty or ill will in either method if that what you are asking. Let me give you an example:
You have a friend, a catholic. He doesn't know you are a Buddhist or knows but not much about it and he comes to you with a serious problem. The shoju method would be,
"I am very sorry for you that you have this problem. I chant Namu Myoho renge kyo. Its a very wonderful practice based on the Lotus sutra. Why don't we go over to my house and chant Namu Myoho renge kyo together. You will see that the problem will disappear in no time."
The shakabuku method would be,
"That's too bad about your problem. The root cause of the problem is that you embrace Catholicism which is an inferior teaching. I practice the Supreme Teaching of Namu Myoho renge kyo, or devotion to the highest teachings of the Buddha, the Lotus Sutra. You should give up your false belief in Christianity and the Pope and come over to my house and learn how to chant Namu Myoho renge kyo. Then you will not only overcome your problem in no time but attain Buddhist enlightenment or absolute peace and joy in no time.
Mark
Posted by: Mark rogow at May 7, 2008 08:23 PMByrd,
What?!!! And here I was looking forward to the full Dolby Stereo Surround Sound Experience of watching.... TaDa... The Four Immeasurables!!!
But seriously, I find that meditating on the Four Immeasurables is extremely helpful on a day-to-day basis. I can be a rather competitive person, and I have found that learning to more fully engage myself in sympathetic joy has wrought change for the good in me.
It's nice to have you back, Byrd. I got a little nervous when you vanished to get Pomon'aded.
With metta,
Kris
I have been an active member in the SGI-USA for 23 years and my experience is that these four principles are intrinsic and fundamental to practicing Buddhism as taught by the SGI in both theory and practical action. Thanks.
Posted by: Kevin at May 9, 2008 10:49 AMThanks for writing in, Kevin!
I'll be writing more about this next week - hope you'll stay in touch here.
If I have mis-spoken about what specifically the SGI teaches in its publications, please point out to me where I am mistaken. I read the publications, too, and have not read anything which would indicate that the SGI teaches specifically directed loving kindness meditation such as this. I know we teach that these states of mind come "naturally" from chanting, but I don't recall any kind of specific, directed chanting practice (like, for example, the specific "zange" practice articulated by VP Tsuji back in the 80's) which the SGI teaches. If you can point me to a spot on the webpage, or to a particular article which discusses this classic Mahayana technique, I'd love to hear about it Thanks again for writing in.
er pal, Wahzoh
Maybe there is no difference between the first two, what Mark answered was certainly besides the point.
Posted by: clown hidden at May 16, 2008 08:29 AM