1: Review the
Danger in Cruelty like this:
'Ooh this can bring me to a bad destination, the downfall, to pain, even
to hell!'
'Ooh this is a path of thorns, an evil way, a dark state, conflict,
violence, pain!'
2: How does a
friend dwell pervading one direction with his heart endued with
pity (karuna) ?
Just as he would feel pity on seeing an
unlucky, unfortunate person, so he pervades
all beings with infinite pity. Therefore
first of all he imagines a poor man, unlucky,
unfortunate, in every way a fit object for pity,
ugly, reduced to utter misery, with hands
and feet cut off, sitting in the shelter for the helpless, with an empty
pot in front of him,
with maggots oozing from sores on hands and legs, moaning, infinite
pity should be felt
for him in this way: 'This being has been reduced to utter misery! If he
just could be freed
from this misery...' Then later one can arouse the same
pity & compassion for a neutral person
and later even any wrong-doing person! This is mastery of
pity: Compassion even with an Evil One!
3: All wrong
doing is caused by blindness and craving. A real
pity for the wrong-doers!
All wrong-doers will thus suffer immensely in the future. How sad
for these beings!
4: Begin and
Cultivate meditation on Infinite pity:
Sit down a silent & empty place with closed eye and beam from this the
heart:
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating awareness
of infinite pity.
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating examination
of infinite pity.
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating energetic
infinite pity.
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating joyous
infinite pity.
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating stilled
infinite pity.
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating
concentrated infinite pity.
May I and all beings be free from all cruelty by cultivating
imperturbable infinite pity.
Beaming first out in front, then right, then left, then down below and
so also up above:
May all beings be free from suffering, pain and frustration. May all
beings live happily.
May all beings be free from hate, cruelty, brutality, mercilessness &
revengefulness!
|
One who
is virtuous and wise
shines like a blazing fire;
like a bee collecting nectar
he acquires wealth by harming none. Digha Nikaya III, 188 |
May all
creatures, all living things,
all beings one and all,
experience good fortune only.
May they not fall into harm.
Anguttara Nikaya II, 72 |
Solitude
is happiness for one who is content,
who has heard the Dhamma and clearly sees.
Non-affliction is happiness in the world
harmlessness towards all living beings.
Udana 10 |
see also:
Detachment and Compassion in Early Buddhism,
AN VI.13,
SN XLII.8,
AN V.161