brahma viharas

[derek]

Are there any suttas that have specific instructions on how to practice one or all of the brahma viharas?

Thank you

Derek

[Jhanananda]

Hi Derek, we have had a number of discussions on the brahma viharas here.  You could check Metta Meditation and Enriching the Religious Experience for a start.

By the way, you are not going to want your email address as your Username on any forum, because SPAM engines crawl the web looking for email addresses. 

It is also wise not to use your real name as your Username on any forum, although a first name is harmless, because employers have been known to Google your email address and name to see what you are up to; and they are likely to see membership in a forum that discusses religious experiences will be just too fringey for them, considering that main stream religions and cultures generally reject these phenomena as either unreal, or too fantastic and only available to the progenitor of their religion.

[derek]

Thank you Jhanananda - will investigate same.

Derek

[Jhanon]

Welcome, Derek. As Jhananda pointed out, we have discussed brahma vihara on othe threads. I distinctly remember explaining my simplified approach to brahma vihara and the excellent results of it. But I can't seem to find that specific post.

In simplest terms, brahma vihara is the pinnacle of cultivating wholesome mindstates. In my experience, I found simply repeating a few mantras in the mind throughout the day, and reflecting on the mantra's relation to my life experience is sufficient to induce blissful states of brahma vihara. I was in a very strong one today, and it arose just as I has explained in the missing post.

I've found intense mindfulness, reflection, and noble intent to be most instrumental in experiencing these states in ordinary daily life. How I know I've entered such a state is pretty consistent. I feel a deep sense of contentment, peace, and love for all beings. I experienced kundalini energy blasts, tears of joy, and amplified creative ability.