[freflellalafe]

It is clear that the brahmaviharas don't seem to be up to the task of taking a practitioner to nibbana, but it also seems clear that they function quite strongly, opening the door to the jhanas and the formless attainments. Therefore, they seem to be part of the foundation of Sila so essential to Samadhi;

hi Dave

For me, this is just theory, akin to 'old wives tales'. It is a kind of 'bait' or 'carrot' to encourage devotees to do good.

In reality, there is no need to actively or consciously practise brahmaviharas to develop sila & samadhi. Whilst it is true sila is based on non-harming or non-cruelty, there is no need to actively or consciously practise: "May all beings be free from suffering". Instead, harming is simply abandoned; foresaken.

Whilst it is true samadhi is based on the absence of the hindrance of ill-will, there is no need to actively or consciously practise: "May all beings be happy, free from hostility" etc. Instead, ill-will is simply abandoned; foresaken.

Although metta & non-ill will seem to be the same, they can be subtlely different, which is why Buddha included "abandoning ill-will" rather than "developing metta" in his 2nd path factor.

However, when the mind has mastered abandoning ill-will, it certainly develops commensurate metta, but a natural metta born of abandonment rather than an intentional metta born of cultivation.

As Buddha taught, intentionally cultivating metta leads to the 'beautiful' and is like a Vajrayana practise. One that consciously practises metta has a more beautiful outward/social disposition, liking smiling Christians or Tibetans. But such practise is not necessary for sila and samadhi because the suttas predominantly teach the abandoning of the five hindrances (including ill-will) is necessary for samadhi.

Thus Brahmaviharas do not directly open 'doors' of jhana because the door of jhana is opened by an absence of thought. The door of jhana is opened by stillness. The suttas state:

And as I remained thus heedful, ardent & resolute, thinking imbued with non-ill will arose in me. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with non-ill will has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment, promotes lack of vexation & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think & ponder in line with that even for a night... even for a day... even for a day & night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.' So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified & concentrated it. Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.

And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with harmlessness arose in me. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with harmlessness has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment, promotes lack of vexation & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think & ponder in line with that even for a night... even for a day... even for a day & night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.' So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it. Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.

Unflagging persistence was aroused in me and unmuddled mindfulness established. My body was calm & unaroused, my mind concentrated & single [citta ekaggata]. Quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by vitakka & vicara. With the stilling of vitakka & vicara, I entered & remained in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from vitakka & vicara— internal assurance. With the fading of rapture I remained in equanimity, mindful & alert and physically sensitive of pleasure. I entered & remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — I entered & remained in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.

MN 19 in short, if we practise Brahmaviharas and, alternately, practise abandonment (letting go), we can test which leads to jhana.

kind regards

And what is the faculty of concentration? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, making it his object to let go, attains concentration, attains singleness of mind.

SN 48.9 & 10