Brahma Viharas - All
("love" and "compassion" and "rejoicing" and "equanimity")

38 Sutta Links ***

DN 13  Experts in the Three Vedas  Tevijjasutta2 Bhramin youths ask the Buddha "the way to Brahma"; he teaches them the 4 BVs (with simile)
DN 17  King Mahāsudassana  Mahāsudassanasuttamyth about the king; includes practicing the Jhānas followed by the 4 BVs; rebirth in Brahma realm
DN 19  The Great Steward  Mahāgovindasuttamyth about a Steward who goes forth, many followers; practice 4 BVs; rebirth in Brahma realms
DN 25  The Lion’s Roar at the Monastery of Lady Udumbarikā  Udumbarikasuttapractice 4-fold restraint (precepts 1,2,4,not crave for sense-pleasures), give up hindrances; practice 4 BVs; psychic powers; insight practice; liberation
DN 26  The Wheel-Turning Monarch  Cakkavattisuttapractice & you will grow in lifespan (4 bases of power), beauty (ethics), happiness (4 Jhānas), wealth (4 BVs), and power (liberation)
DN 33  Reciting in Concert  Saṅgītisuttathe 4 limitless states are the 4 BVs; also BVs are part of 6 elements of escape
DN 34  Up to Ten  Dasuttarasutta6 elements of escape: 4 BVs, signless release of the mind, rid of the conceit “I am”
MN 7  The Simile of the Cloth  VatthasuttaAbandon imperfections of mind; refuge in B/D/S; Jhāna summary; wisdom; 4 Bvs; finds "an escape from this whole field of perception"; liberation
MN 40  The Shorter Discourse at Assapura  Cūḷaassapurasuttaproper way to practice: give up hindrances,etc; Jhāna summary; 4 BVs - lead to inner peace; liberation via insight
MN 43  The Great Elaboration  Mahāvedallasuttalimitless release of the mind: 4 BVs
MN 50  The Rebuke of Māra  Māratajjanīyasuttamythological; practice 4 BVs to ward off Mara
MN 52  The Wealthy Citizen  Aṭṭhakanāgarasutta4 Jhānas; 4 BVs; 3 immaterial states - but these are produced by choices and intentions which are impermanent and liable to cessation - understanding this leads to liberation
MN 55  With Jīvaka  Jīvakasuttaby practicing the 4 BVs, one eats almsfood "untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawback, and understanding the escape"
MN 62  The Longer Advice to Rāhula  MahārāhulovādasuttaThe Buddha advises Rahula to meditate like the 5 elements, on the 4 BVs, on ugliness & impermanence; then practice the 16 steps of mindfulness of breathing
MN 83  About King Maghadeva  MaghadevasuttaMythical: the king renounces his throne, goes forth, practices the BVs, at death is reborn in Brahma realm
MN 97  With Dhanañjāni  DhanañjānisuttaSāriputta teaches the path to the company of Brahma (the 4 BVs) to a dying man
MN 99  With Subha  Subhasuttathe path to the company of Brahma:4 BVs (with simile)
MN 118  Mindfulness of Breathing  Ānāpānassatisutta4 BVs appear in a list of practices the monks are doing also including the 37 factors of awakening & mindfulness of breathing
MN 127  With Anuruddha  AnuruddhasuttaThe limitless release of the mind and the expansive release of the mind; the limitless release of the mind is the 4 BVs
SN 41.7  With Godatta  Godattasuttaabout the limitless release, nothingness release, emptiness release, signless release - the 4 BVs are the limitless release
SN 42.8  A Horn Blower  Saṅkhadhamasuttarid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful; then practice the 4 BVs (with simile)
SN 42.13  With Pāṭaliya  PāṭaliyasuttaPascal's wager: practicing the BVs protects me no matter what view is correct e.g whether or not the is an afterlife, etc (includes Jhāna summary as prelim practice to BVs)
SN 46.54  Full of Love  MettāsahagatasuttaBoth the Buddha and other teachers teach the BVs, what are the differences? The Buddha combines the BVs with the 7 Factors of Awakening. Also practice perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive, etc. Also compassion -> J5, mudita -> J6, equanimity -> J7 are apex of mind's release. But there is a higher freedom.
AN 1.395-401    “If, mendicants, a mendicant develops the second … third … oOne who practices (even a little) the Jhānas, or BVs is one who follows the Teacher’s instructions, who responds to advice, and who does not eat the country’s alms in vain.
AN 1.495-574    They develop the faculty of faith together with the first abdevelop each of the 5 faculties together with each of the BVs
AN 3.63  At Venāgapura  Venāgapurasuttathe divine high and luxurious bed is practicing the 4 BVs
AN 3.65  With the Kālāmas of Kesamutta  Kesamuttisuttawhen rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful, then practice the 4 BVs
AN 3.66  With Sāḷha and His Friend  Sāḷhasuttawhen rid of desire, rid of ill will, unconfused, aware, and mindful, then practice the 4 BVs
AN 4.125  Love (1st)  PaṭhamamettāsuttaPracticing the 4 BVs will result in rebirth in the company of the retinue of Brahma. An ordinary person dies from there and falls into the lower realms; a disciple of the Buddha passes from there into liberation
AN 4.126  Love (2nd)  DutiyamettāsuttaOne who practices the BVs and contemplates the 5 khandas as anicca & dukkha, upon death is reborn in the company of the gods of the pure abodes
AN 4.190  Sabbath  UposathasuttaSome monks have attained to the gods (Jhāna practice), some to divinity (BV practice), some to the imperturbable (arupa practice), some to nobility (truly understanding the 4 Noble Truths)
AN 5.192  With the Brahmin Doṇa  DoṇabrāhmaṇasuttaBV practice makes one equal to Brahma; Jhāna practice makes one equal to god; discussion on what makes one a brahmin
AN 6.13  Elements of Escape  Nissāraṇīyasutta6 elements of escape: Metta overcomes ill-will; Karuna overcomes cruelty; Mudita overcomes discontent; Upekkha oversomes desire; signless release of the mind overcomes signs; uprooting of the conceit “I am” oversomes doubt and indecision
AN 8.63  A Teaching in Brief  SaṁkhittasuttaSettle the mind & abandon unskillful mental qualities; Practice 4 BVs; Practice 4 Jnānas; Practice 4 establishments of mindfulness; Practice 4 Jhānas again
AN 10.219  The Body Born of Deeds  KarajakāyasuttaPracticing the 4 BVs yields a limitless and well developed mind that would not do bad deeds, this leads to non-return unless one has penetrated to a higher freedom
AN 11.16  The Wealthy Citizen  AṭṭhakanāgarasuttaPractice 4 Jhānas; Practice 4 BVs; Practice 4 immaterial states; Understand: ‘whatever is produced by choices and intentions is impermanent and liable to cessation; leads to non-return if not something higher
AN 11.982  Untitled Discourse on Greed  ~ For insight into greed, 11 things should be developed: 4 Jhānas; 4 BVs; 3 immaterial states
Snp 1.3  The Horned Rhino  Khaggavisāṇasuttacultivate freedom through practicing the 4 BVs

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