Friends:
How
is Release by Friendliness Achieved?
The Blessed Buddha once
said:
And how, Bhikkhus, is the mental release by universal friendliness
achieved? What does this liberation have as its destination, what
is its culmination, what is its sweet fruit, what is the final
goal of such mental release by universal friendliness?
Here, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu dwells pervading the frontal quadrant,
with a mind imbued with infinite friendliness, so the second
quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above,
below, across, and everywhere, and to all beings as to himself, he
dwells pervading the entire universe with a mind saturated with
unlimited friendliness, immense, exalted, vast, measureless,
without hostility, without enmity, without any ill will! Thus
prepared and expanded he then develops:
1:
The Awareness Link to Awakening joined with limitless
friendliness.
2:
The Investigation Link to Awakening fused with such
friendliness.
3:
The Energy Link to Awakening together with infinite
friendliness.
4:
The Joy Link to Awakening accompanied with absolute
friendliness.
5:
The Tranquillity Link to Awakening linked with open
friendliness.
6:
The Concentration Link to Awakening associated with
friendliness.
7:
The Equanimity Link to Awakening joined with endless
friendliness.
Based upon seclusion,
disillusion, ceasing, and culminating in release.
If he then wishes: May I dwell experiencing the repulsive
in the unrepulsive & tempting, then he can dwell experiencing the
repulsive therein.
If he wishes: May I
dwell experiencing the unrepulsive in the disgusting repulsive,
then he dwells experiencing the unrepulsive in whatever
disgusting!
If he wishes: May I dwell experiencing the repulsive in what is
both unrepulsive & repulsive, he dwells experiencing repulsive
disgust in it.
If he wishes: May I dwell experiencing the unrepulsive in what is
both unrepulsive & repulsive, he experiences only unrepulsive
beauty by it!
If he wishes: Avoiding
both the repulsive and the unrepulsive, may I dwell in
equanimity, just aware and clearly comprehending, then he
dwells in
equanimity, just aware and clearly comprehending.
Or else he enters and dwells in the
mental deliverance by the beautiful...
I tell you Bhikkhus for a wise Bhikkhu here who has not penetrated
to an even more superior
mental release, this release of mind by pure infinite
friendliness has the
beautiful deliverance as its culmination!
Source of
reference (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V: 115-21] 46: The Links. 54: Joined by
Friendliness...