लाइव क्लास
English
The Four Brahmavihāras
Divine Abidings for a Boundless Heart
The Brahmavihāras (ब्रह्म-विहार, "divine abidings" or "immeasurables") are four transformative states of mind that cultivate boundless love, compassion, and inner balance. These ancient practices, preserved in the Pāli tradition, offer a progressive path toward emotional freedom and profound connection with all beings.
Mettā
Loving-Kindness
An impartial, unconditional wish for the well-being and happiness of all beings, cultivated through phrases like "May all beings be happy, may all beings be safe."
Karuṇā
Compassion
A heartfelt wish that those who suffer find relief from pain and distress, practiced by turning attention toward suffering with the offering, "May you be free from suffering."
Muditā
Sympathetic Joy
Delight in others' happiness, success, and virtuous qualities—free from envy—practiced through rejoicing in another's good fortune: "I rejoice in your joy."
Upekkhā
Equanimity
A balanced, undisturbed mind that remains steady in the face of gain or loss, pleasure or pain, observing with calm impartiality: "All phenomena arise and pass away."
Together, these four "immeasurables" form a complete practice—opening the heart with loving-kindness, extending empathy through compassion, celebrating through sympathetic joy, and stabilizing with equanimity. This progressive journey leads practitioners toward genuine connection, emotional resilience, and the profound peace that comes from a liberated heart.
Mettā: Loving-Kindness
The Foundation of Boundless Goodwill
Pāli Term & Essence
Mettā—cognate with Sanskrit maitrī, from mitra ("friend")—literally means "friendliness." Often rendered as "loving-kindness" or "benevolence," it represents an unconditional, impartial wish for the welfare and happiness of oneself and all beings.
Mettā is the deliberate cultivation of warm goodwill, free from attachment and personal agenda. This quality extends equally to friends, strangers, and even difficult people, making no distinction based on preference or aversion.

Traditional Formula
Sabbe sattā sukhitā hontu
"May all beings be happy"
Averā hontu, abyāpajjhā hontu, anīghā hontu
"May they be free from enmity, affliction, and distress"
Function & Benefit
Antidote to Ill-Will
Mettā serves as the direct counterforce to vyāpāda (ill-will) and dosa (aversion), softening hostility and resentment that cloud the mind and heart.
Strengthens Connection
By cultivating empathy and prosocial intention, mettā deepens our sense of interconnection with all life, dissolving the barriers of separation.
Emotional Resilience
The practice stabilizes attention in a wholesome, outward-flowing attitude rather than rumination or self-preoccupation, building lasting inner strength.
Distinguished Among the Four
Within the complete framework of the Brahmavihāras, mettā holds a unique position as the foundational practice. Unlike karuṇā (compassion), which responds specifically to suffering, mettā is proactive—wishing happiness for beings regardless of their present state. Unlike muditā (sympathetic joy), which delights in others' existing happiness, mettā initiates the wish that such joy arise and endure. And unlike upekkhā (equanimity), which maintains even-minded balance, mettā actively radiates warmth while remaining beautifully impartial.
Cultivating mettā is like tending a steady hearth: its warmth doesn't select—it simply reaches everyone who comes near.
Karuṇā: Compassion
The Heart's Courageous Response to Suffering
Pāli Term & Literal Meaning
Karuṇā derives from the root karu ("to tremble, to be moved"), capturing the heart's tender resonance with suffering. This profound quality, commonly rendered as "compassion," represents more than sympathy—it is the courageous capacity to meet pain with wisdom and care.

Traditional Formula
Dukkha-kkhayāya sabbe sattā
"May all beings be free from suffering"
Dukkhā pamuccantu
"May they be released from pain"
Definition & Practice
Karuṇā is a warm, courageous wish and intention that beings who are in pain be freed from their suffering. This quality recognizes dukkha clearly—seeing the reality of pain without turning away—and responds with care, protection, and helpful action. Crucially, true karuṇā operates without pity or emotional overwhelm, maintaining clarity even as the heart opens.
01
Recognition
Clearly seeing suffering without denial or avoidance
02
Resonance
Allowing the heart to be moved and touched by pain
03
Response
Channeling empathy into wise, skillful action
Function & Benefit
Karuṇā serves as the powerful antidote to cruelty and indifference, softening the hardness of heart that blocks connection. It channels natural empathy into wise, skillful responsiveness rather than reactivity or helplessness. Through regular practice, compassion builds both courage and connectedness, significantly reducing the isolation and resentment that often accompany modern life.
Contrast with the Other Brahmavihāras
Karuṇā vs. Mettā
Unlike mettā, which wishes general happiness for all, karuṇā specifically turns toward suffering and actively seeks its end.
Karuṇā vs. Muditā
Unlike muditā, which rejoices in others' good fortune, karuṇā engages precisely when fortune fails and beings are in distress.
Karuṇā vs. Upekkhā
Unlike upekkhā, which remains evenly balanced, karuṇā moves the heart to protective action—yet can be held within upekkhā's steadiness.
Cultivating karuṇā is like bringing a lamp into a dark room—seeing the pain clearly, and at once offering light and warmth.
Muditā: Sympathetic Joy
Celebrating the Happiness of Others
Muditā derives from muda ("delight, gladness"), representing the heart's glad resonance with others' well-being. Often rendered as "sympathetic joy" or "altruistic joy," this sublime quality celebrates goodness wherever it appears—as if the happiness of others were one's own.
Definition & Essence
Muditā is a wholehearted delight in others' happiness, virtues, and success—completely free from envy or comparison. This practice trains the mind to notice and amplify what is wholesome, transforming the tendency toward jealousy into genuine celebration. Rather than viewing another's good fortune as diminishing our own, muditā recognizes that joy shared is joy multiplied.
Traditional Practice Phrases
  • Sukhitā hontu — "May you remain happy"
  • Yassa sampatti vipulā hotu — "May your good fortune flourish"
  • Tava siddhi vaḍḍhatu — "May your success increase"
100%
Pure Joy
Celebration without comparison or envy
Function & Benefit
Antidote to Envy
Muditā directly counters issā (envy) and macchariya (stinginess), dissolving the mental patterns that create suffering through comparison.
Expands Generosity
The practice naturally expands generosity of spirit, deepens gratitude, and strengthens bonds of community and shared humanity.
Trains Attention
Muditā trains attention to actively notice and nourish what is wholesome and uplifting, creating a positive feedback loop of joy.
Distinguished from the Others
Within the spectrum of the Brahmavihāras, muditā occupies a unique space. Unlike mettā, which wishes for happiness to arise, muditā actively rejoices in happiness that is already present. Unlike karuṇā, which meets suffering with care, muditā meets joy and consciously amplifies it. And unlike upekkhā, which maintains even-minded balance, muditā is openly celebratory while remaining wonderfully impartial—celebrating without clinging.
Cultivating muditā is like opening a window to sunlight—another's brightness doesn't diminish you; it brightens the whole room.
Upekkhā: Equanimity
The Vast, Undisturbed Awareness
Pāli Term & Literal Meaning
Upekkhā derives from upa ("near, toward") and īkṣ ("to see"), often rendered as "even-mindedness" or "impartial observation." This sublime quality represents the capacity to see clearly what is present without the distorting lens of preference.

Traditional Formula
Sabbe sattā averā hontu, abyāpajjhā hontu
"May all beings be free from enmity and disquiet, abiding in long-lasting happiness"
Definition & Core Understanding
Upekkhā is a serene, balanced attitude that neither clings to pleasant experiences nor rejects unpleasant ones. It represents the quality of resting the mind in clear awareness of whatever arises—joy or pain, gain or loss—without being swept away by attachment or aversion. This is not cold indifference, but rather a warm, spacious acceptance that allows life to unfold without resistance.
Non-Clinging
Experiencing pleasure without grasping at it to stay
Non-Rejection
Meeting pain without pushing it away
Clear Seeing
Observing all phenomena with calm impartiality
Function & Benefit
Upekkhā counters the fundamental "clinging" impulse by cultivating non-reactivity. When you experience loss, pain, or change, equanimity keeps the mind steady rather than spiraling into sorrow or craving. This quality provides the stable foundation on which loving-kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy can fully mature—preventing them from turning into over-excitement, pity, or envy.
Perhaps most profoundly, upekkhā deepens insight into anicca (impermanence) by allowing you to observe each moment without bias, witnessing the constant arising and passing of all phenomena.
Contrast with the Other Brahmavihāras
Upekkhā vs. Mettā
Unlike mettā, which actively generates warmth and goodwill, upekkhā is a spacious openness that holds all states equally without preference.
Upekkhā vs. Karuṇā
Unlike karuṇā, which is deeply moved by suffering, upekkhā remains calm and centered even amid distress, witnessing without being overwhelmed.
Upekkhā vs. Muditā
Unlike muditā, which celebrates pleasure and success, upekkhā neither clings to joy nor rejects its inevitable passing.
Cultivating upekkhā is like learning to watch clouds drift across the sky—pleasant or stormy, they come and go, while your awareness remains vast and undisturbed.
Through the practice of equanimity, we discover the profound freedom that comes from releasing our grip on experience, allowing life to move through us like wind through an open window—touching everything, clinging to nothing.