Appreciative joy (sympathetic joy, mudita) is the third of four qualities called Brahma Viharas (divine abodes) which are the subjects for this 4-part lecture series. Appreciative joy is presented as an extension of the loving kindness (metta) practice. Joy refers to the ability to delight and rejoice in the success and good fortune of others. Mudita overcomes the hindrances and obstacles of conceit, comparing, envy, avarice, jealousy, aversive criticism, resentment, competitiveness, and boredom.

Compassion, karuna, is the intention of non-cruelty. It is the aspect of loving kindness (metta) that responds wisely to pain, and wishes to alleviate suffering. Compassion training helps us to remain present with pain. There is no need to fear pain, no need to consider pain bad or wrong. A compassionate self-acceptance allows us to remain present and responsive in the face of life's most difficult moments. With compassion we can ask "How can I help?" and stay present to respond.

This is a collection of talks and guided meditations given at Insight Meditation South Bay on the ten paramis of generosity, virtue, renunciation, wisdom, energy or effort, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness and equanimity.

Loving Kindness, friendliness (metta) is a clear intention and attitude of heart that supports a connected and joyful encounter with life. Metta is not sentimentality; it is not affection or attachment. It is a strong quality of heart that overcomes ill will, hatred, fear, and anger. Loving kindness practice is a way to take responsibility for our own happiness; it is a way to cultivate an attitude to life that supports deep friendship.

A collection of four talks on the immeasurable and boundless qualities of heart known as the Brahma Viharas: loving kindness/friendliness, compassion, joy, equanimity.

Guided Meditation, meditation instructions

Mind (citta) as the Buddha’s focus of investigation. As both the cause of suffering and the means to its cessation The Buddha points to two states or tendencies of mind Akusala - unwholesome, unskillful Kusala - wholesome, skillful, beneficial Suffering follows the unwholesome mind, Happiness follows the wholesome mind like a shadow that never departs. Our task, step by step, is to train the mind and supplant the unwholesome state with the wholesome states. Greed, hatred and Delusion are the root causes for the unwholesome mind. We must cultivate the factors that are the cause for the wholesome mind at three levels. Coarse - Actions, bodily or verbal. We use the five precepts to prevent unwholesome tendencies at this level. Obsessive, compulsive patterns - Thoughts, emotions. We use meditation, deep samadhi directed to an object, to see the arising of these tendencies and still the mind. Underlying tendencies, attachments - the remaining defilements We use wisdom, insight, to investigate the body and mind and see their impermanence and stop the clinging to a false self to uproot these final tendencies. This is liberation.

Viewing our relationship to others, the world - are we projecting our dissatisfaction onto the world. Our state of mind affects how we view the world. What is the difference between loneliness and solitude - our state of mind. What are we willing to set aside for the Dhamma - our opinions, taking sides, clinging to our beliefs… Using the five precepts as practices to guide us in our relationships. Our wisdom is acted out in our behavior Can we give up what we want to do to do to think of what others would like. Can we give up our clinging, can we give up being right? Do our opinions enhance our suffering or reduce it? Rather can we bring Metta to all our relationships.

Be as you are. This talk encourages a spacious and accepting attitude that embraces experience just as it is occurring. It is inspired by non-meditation approaches that bring relaxation, release, and ease to awareness without the exertion or efforts of striving. Mindfulness instructions are simple: observe your experience of sensory contact, observe what occurs at any sense door. You don't need to do very much with what you observe. See what is happening; be present with what is. Several obstacles to deep presence are examined. We learn to release attachments to material stuff, to overcome the influence of social expectation, and to renounce distracting and unskillful speech. We also learn to free the mind from mental proliferation, worry, and restless wandering; to embrace precepts that protect us from doing habitual or selfish actions; and to let go of clinging whenever it arises. This approach illuminates the power of renunciation; the calming of concepts of self, I, me, and mine; and the great peace that brings an end to suffering.