DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Kindness and compassion as a means to Nirvana in early Buddhism

**gZAhTyWY** · 04-11-2012, 11:38 PM

So, MN 31 mentions the following pro-active expression of metta among advanced monastic practitioners:

"Anuruddha, how do you abide united like milk and water, friendly, without a dispute seeing each other with friendly eyes?"
"Venerable sir, this thought occurs to me, 'It is gain for me that I live with such co-associates in the holy life.' So I abide with bodily actions of loving kindness towards these venerable ones openly and secretly... with verbal actions of loving kindness towards these venerable ones openly and secretly... with mental actions of loving kindness towards these venerable ones openly and secretly. Sometimes it occurs to me, 'what if I discard my thoughts and concede to the thoughts of these venerable ones.' So I discard my thoughts and concede to the thoughts of these venerable ones. Venerable sir, we are various in bodies, and one in mind." Here there is both action and discarding of action, in appropriate ways. The preceding detailed, comprehensive posts by Element seem to focus on the first half of right effort, as I can see by continuing the emphasis on various key terms:

"And what, monks, is right effort?

[i] "There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.

[ii] "He... exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.

[iii] "He... exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.

[iv] "He... exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort." Finally, the connection between satipatthana and kindness, et al, per SN 47.19, is indicative of an active engagement with generating and maintaining skillful qualities, i.e. the second half of right effort - can the brahmaviharas can be considered skillful qualities here? The answer seems obvious, but mileage seems to vary.

04-11-2012, 11:38 PM	#9
gZAhTyWY Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 434 Senior Member	So, MN 31 mentions the following pro-active expression of metta among advanced monastic practitioners: "Anuruddha, how do you abide united like milk and water, friendly, without a dispute seeing each other with friendly eyes?" "Venerable sir, this thought occurs to me, 'It is gain for me that I live with such co-associates in the holy life.' So I abide with bodily actions of loving kindness towards these venerable ones openly and secretly... with verbal actions of loving kindness towards these venerable ones openly and secretly... with mental actions of loving kindness towards these venerable ones openly and secretly. Sometimes it occurs to me, 'what if I discard my thoughts and concede to the thoughts of these venerable ones.' So I discard my thoughts and concede to the thoughts of these venerable ones. Venerable sir, we are various in bodies, and one in mind." Here there is both action and discarding of action, in appropriate ways. The preceding detailed, comprehensive posts by Element seem to focus on the first half of right effort, as I can see by continuing the emphasis on various key terms: "And what, monks, is right effort? [i] "There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. [ii] "He... exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. [iii] "He... exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen. [iv] "He... exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort." Finally, the connection between satipatthana and kindness, et al, per SN 47.19, is indicative of an active engagement with generating and maintaining skillful qualities, i.e. the second half of right effort - can the brahmaviharas can be considered skillful qualities here? The answer seems obvious, but mileage seems to vary.
	Quote