Sermon 19: May All Being Be Happy

Happy and secure may they be!
All being may they be happy-hearted.

(Khp. 8)

Today, for the increase of awareness and wisdom, the words quoted above spoken by the Exalted Buddha will be expounded. These words are just two lines from a discourse spoken by him upon Metta or Loving-kindness and these words:

"Happy and secure may they be!
All beings may be happy-hearted!"

are the sincere wish that one should develop in one's own heart regarding all others. But why should this loving-kindness be developed? What point is there to it? This Dhamma, the Teaching of the Buddhas, explains matters clearly so that one may understand the disadvantages of evil and the advantages of good behavior. So that the need to develop loving-kindness becomes obvious let us look at both ourselves and the world we live in. First, there is our own heart-the state of our emotions. How easily angered are we? How quickly do we become sulky or peevish? How long do we hold on to thoughts of hate or even revenge? Facing an angry person, can we remain calm or do we get drawn down into the whirlpool of anger? When confronted with someone who has done better than we have, do we envy them or nurse resentment? How honest are we about these things with ourselves? On the other side there are the questions to be asked about the extent and depth of our kindliness, helpfulness, charity. Can we love only people from whom we get something, sort of commercial love? It is possible for us to love people outside our own small circle of family and friends? Can we show kindness and sympathy to those who show coldness to us? Or really love even people whom we do not know? And human beings are only part of this world's population. Do we consider other beings, animals and so on, with contempt or with kindness? The words of the Exalted Buddha are "All beings may they be happy hearted!" and this means all, whether disposed to be friendly, whether neutral or whether they are hostile,

If one regards one's own mind as objectively as possible, it is sure that anger in one of its forms, or we should say rather, aversion, will be found there. Only those who have trodden far along the path of inner development, have up rooted aversion, so it must be present in our emotions. If a person were to say, "I never get angry", it would tend to show that he had never taken an honest look at himself. Around us is the little world in which we move-of relatives, friends, other people and animals. How much conflict do we see in this little world? Quarrels in the family, struggles for power in offices and homes, conflicts born of greed for gain-and so on. Who is there who cannot see such things? Again, if one cannot see them, either one's loving-kindness is already very strong, or else one does not want to look.

But most people do look at the newspapers to see what is happening in the larger world. The headlines are almost invariably about conflicts, either wars, riots, scrambles for power or other sorts of struggles, while peaceful sorts of news gets smaller type as though it was less important. Indeed the world has always been full of these wars and lesser evils and will always be full of them-until people change. If, in the hearts of the great majority of people, there exist all the conditions and factors leading to strife, whether brief abuse, or the slaughter of millions of people which is called war, then there can be no lasting peace. Peace arises and depends upon certain factors for its existence and without those factors there can be no peace. The peace of society, of the world, can never be expected while people have the seeds of violence in their own hearts. Those seeds have the way of growing into huge strangling vines wrapping misery about everyone they touch.

It follows that bringing about peace begins only in oneself-for one can never bring peace elsewhere until one is peaceful oneself. People have no faith in those who praise ideals but have not practiced themselves. The advantages of developing loving-kindness or metta in oneself is thus threefold: One's own heart becomes calm and filled with happiness; one's family, relations, friends and acquaintances, together with all other people and animals, sense this calmness in oneself and tend to be more tranquil and glad themselves: while one does in this way contribute to the peace and happiness of all beings in this world and perhaps elsewhere.

Now it is no good making a sort of New Year's Resolution and saying to oneself, "From today onwards I am going to love everyone! " It will not work because it is not realistic. For many lives in the past one has used and strengthened the Root of Aversion in one's own heart and so 'when one comes along with a weak little teaspoon of a resolution to dig up that immensely strong root deeply embedded in the soil of selfishness, it is not surprising that there is little or no result. Resolutions accomplish nothing except disappointment, but resolve backed up by regular practice will be effective. As it was said above, good will can hardly be, extended to others unless one has some good-will in oneself to begin with. The development of loving-kindness therefore begins with loving oneself.

But surely, it might be said, people love themselves enough as it is, are they not too selfish even now? But here learning to love oneself does not mean selfish indulgence but refers to the calming of self hatred which makes for much unhappiness, and the development of understanding which brings with it some happiness and peace. Hence one repeats at the beginning: "May I be happy, may I be at ease."

Before going on to describe such practice, a word may be said about meditation and everyday life. These cannot be completely different things and the bond between them must be moral conduct. Whoever has pure moral conduct in the affairs of daily life may expect success in disciplining and calming the mind. Whoever wishes to bring in peace and happiness to his own mind must look to see how he can right his outward actions of speech and body, which are regulated by moral conduct, such as by the Five Precepts. One cannot hope for success in one's inward efforts until some rectification has been made in one's conduct with other people and animals. In this case, it will be useless to cultivate Metta through meditation if at the same time one does not try to restrain hurtful or downright violent physical actions as well as restraining hurtful speech such as lies, slander or abuse. These two sides, overt actions and covert wholesome actions should aid each other.

Assuming that one's effort is fairly unified in this way, one wants a fairly quiet place and regular effort once or twice a day. Sitting down comfortably, one may consider first the need to cultivate metta or loving-kindness and then as the mind becomes quieter, repeat to oneself 'May I be happy'. The course of practice should lead to progressive calm with absence of disturbing thoughts but it is quite likely that thoughts of resentment will arise and perhaps thoughts of sensuality as well. In this practice, resentment and aversion are called 'the far enemy' since aversion is utterly opposed to loving-kindness. On the other hand, sensuality is known as 'the near enemy' as it is somewhat akin to loving-kindness in feeling-tone though opposite as far as kamma is concerned. Thoughts connected with sense-desires are stimulated by greed and hence are called unwholesome while loving-kindness inspired by the desire to practice Dhamma is certainly wholesome giving rise to the fruits of happiness. In this practice of metta the mind is liable either to be wrecked upon the rocks of aversion or else to be sucked into the Whirlpool of sensuality, the only way for the prevention of these disasters is mindfulness or awareness of mental factors. In the Great Discourse upon the Foundation of Mindfulness, the Exalted Buddha has taught: "When sensual desire, is present (a meditator) knows 'There is sensual desire in me', or when sensual desire is not present he knows 'There is no sensual desire in me.' He knows how the arising of the non-arisen sensual desire comes to be; he knows how the abandoning of the arisen sensual desire comes to be; and he knows how the on-arising in the future of the abandoned sensual desire comes to be." It will be sufficient to start just knowing whether or not this near enemy has approached. Later, insight may arise as to how sensual desire comes to grip the mind and how it is abandoned. Equipped with true insight, sensual desire can be destroyed without remainder so that their is "non-arising in the future of the abandoned sensual desire". The same series of stages also describes the hindrance of ill-will or aversion, that is, knowing that it is present or absent, seeing how it arises and how it can be abandoned, and finally, how it arises no more. Other hindrances may disturb the practitioner apart from these two although these are the principal ones to watch for.

From this brief explanation of some features of the practice of metta in the beginning, it will be seen that Buddhist practice for developing loving-kindness is thorough. Neither sentimentality nor mere idealism are enough to cleanse the heart of aversion. Sentimentality is just woolly and not precise enough, being based on delusion. On the other hand, idealism though wishing well has no means to use, no tools to carry out the change. Suppose a man should say with great earnestness, "You should love your neighbors", his advice would not be complete for he would have forgotten to teach how this should be done. Idealists are full of good intentions like this but fail to realize aims. This is why in Buddhist teaching one must begin by having metta or loving-kindness in oneself. For it is sure that one can develop one's own mind in this way by systematic application but were one to go 'loving' others first or imploring them to develop loving-kindness, one would be on the wrong track.

Turning to our meditator again, we may suppose that he has found happiness and ease in his practice of metta with himself. To the degree in which he has found this peace, to that degree he can have metta for others. To make this development easy, it is usually recommended that one should start the meditation practice of metta picturing a friend in one's mind and when the warm feeling of sympathy with him is felt in one's heart then other friends may be visualized in the same way. It is remarkable how much firmer one's friendships become when they are supported by this sort of practice. Picturing these friends in this way and having established excellent friendly feelings towards them, may be helped by repeating, 'may they be happy, may they be at ease'.

But metta is not only for friendly people since in this world many beings are indifferent to one. Now when metta is already well-established as far as friends are concerned, one should take as one's object someone who is indifferent, whom one neither likes nor dislikes. Proceed in the same way repeating 'May he or she, (or they) be happy' and so on,-until that feeling of friendliness is established towards them as well. The practical result of this must, be that, when meeting with those people or other beings who were formerly indifferent to one, it is now possible to show the warmth of kindness to them and to help them if need be. They have changed place in one's affections from neutral to those for whom one has metta.

Since aversion is to be found in the hearts of most, so there are bound to be some beings for whom one feels enmity. Metta should certainly be extended towards them as well but this cannot be done as by pressing a button-"Now I shall love my enemies". This is rather to be achieved after some hard work cultivating loving-kindness systematically. If by this practice, one's former enemies gradually become less objectionable the aversion one feels becomes less-until one can genuinely be glad both when thinking about them and when meeting them, this is substantial progress in the way of Dhamma.

The Exalted Buddha has given five methods for removing annoyance. The first is just this practice of loving-kindness to be developed towards the person with whom one is annoyed. Now this supposes that one's enmity is weak and one's practice of Dhamma is strong, for unless this is the case, straightforward metta directed at this kind of person will just change round to become ill-will. But since this way is one of the most positive and most skilful methods great efforts should be made to develop it. "The Path of Purification", an extensive treatise on Buddhist practice, gives a great many methods beginning with considering the delight of an enemy at one's own anger and the loss that comes of it, going on to regarding only the good in the one for whom one feels enmity his good words, his helpful actions-and so on; or one should try recollecting the example of the Exalted Buddha's life to see how he overcame completely all aversion and was filled with metta for all beings-and thus become inspired by this for one's own practice; another way to be used here is the regarding of all beings as one's parents for since the round of birth and death is endless, infinite, so it is sure that all beings in every state where-so-ever they be now, have all been one's parents in the past-and how can one injure them in that case? Or again, the advantages of metta, to be discussed below, are another way to develop loving-kindness, or one may try resolution into constituent parts by questioning oneself what it is that one is angry with, is it the hairs of the head, hairs of the body, nails, teeth, skin, bones and so on that one is angry, with? Finally, giving of gifts is recommended as a way of overcoming resentment.

The second of the five ways of removing annoyance is by developing compassion, or karuna. In one way, this quality is difficult to develop unless metta is present initially. Still, there may be occasions when removing annoyance in this way is successful. Here, one should regard that other person thinking that although now a human being, if be should continue angry in this way, future lives for him may not be, amongst human beings. Even the misery, which he may reap now from his anger, is nothing to what he will reap when fallen into the states of loss. When one has compassion for another, one cannot at that time be annoyed as well. A third method of removing annoyance is by practicing equanimity towards the person with whom one is annoyed. Now equanimity, a cool balance of mind, requires greater practice of Dhamma to establish than does either loving-kindness or compassion. Certainly a mind established in equanimity (upekkha) cannot then be annoyed, for if the former can be described as perfect balance, the latter must be said to be swayed violently by the force of aversion. This will only be effective as a method of removing annoyance, in those who are sufficiently developed to use it.

When other things fail, a fourth method to use is simply the forgetting and ignoring of the annoying person. This is to be used when aversion is too strong and loving-kindness and compassion do not work. It certainly does remove annoyance but it is hardly very positive and does not develop oneself much in Dhamma,

The fifth method for removing annoyance is by regarding the kamma of that person. The passage which is quoted for this purpose goes like this: "This good person is the owner of his kamma, the heir to his kamma, born of his kamma, related to his kamma, abides supported by his kamma, whatever kamma he will do, whether good or evil, of that he will be, the heir". Kamma is intentional action originated in the mind and finding expression through mind, speech and body. Everyone is the owner of their individual intentional actions, the fruits of which they will receive in due course, evil kamma leading to an increase of suffering and frustration, while beneficial kamma leads to the experience of greater happiness. So while one regards an annoying person in this way--as the heir to his own kamma, one can hardly be angry with him, though this method also is not so profitable to the practitioner.

In lists of Buddhist principles the most important is given first place and as we saw, in this list of five, metta, or loving-kindness is placed first. So it will be best to strive and make efforts to develop metta, even for those who annoy or anger one. We are apt, unless mindful, to put the blame on others so that another is blamed for making one unhappy and disturbed. But this is just to reap a double load of unwholesomeness, for it is unwholesome, evil kamma to get angry and more evil, un-wholesomeness kamma to blame another for something, the real cause of which is in one's own heart. It will not do to blame them and if any blaming is to be done, the wise person blames his own heart, which is strangled about by the roots of aversion.

How far, then, is this metta to be developed? The answer for those who want to go the whole course is that aversion should be uprooted completely. As it is the cause for so many sorts of strife and unhappiness, so when it is gone, all that unhappiness and trouble has also gone without remainder. The extent to which it should be practiced is shown in the following two extracts. The Exalted Buddha has said: 'Even were bandits savagely to sever you limb from limb with a two-handled saw, he who entertained hate on that account in his heart would not be one who carried out my teaching". If one is to succeed in practicing metta to this extent, then much work on oneself must be done, for we become upset and angered by quite trivial things, so what will happen if we should be tortured in this or other ways? If we are able to practice metta under such conditions then we shall be able to regard all beings in the way the Exalted Buddha recommends: "Just as a mother at the risk of life loves and protects her child, her only child, so one should cultivate this boundless love to all that live in the whole universe". When one is able to regard all living beings as a mother regards her only child, then how great the peace such a person will enjoy and what great blessings one will shower upon others one meets! When society has teachers of this sort who show the value of loving-kindness in their own lives, then the benefits are great for that society.

The benefits for the individual are also well-expounded in the popular discourse called the Eleven Advantages of Metta. In this discourse, the Exalted Buddha has explained that for those who truly establish their hearts in loving-kindness these eleven advantages are to be expected: "One sleeps in comfort, one wakes in comfort, one sees no evil dreams" these are the first three. From them we understand that even the subconscious is washed clear in the bath of purifying metta so that disturbances at night and sloth in getting up,-or 'getting out of bed on the wrong side', cannot possibly happen. The next are: "one is dear to human beings, one is dear to non-human beings, the deities guards one, no fire or poison or weapon harms one". That one should be dear to mankind is clear enough for people have always esteemed those who are gentle and compassionate. Dearness to non-human beings could be explained by the protection which metta affords from wild animals. There are many ancient and modern stories about this since animals know or rather feel the absence of hatred in one who has grown in metta. But among non-human beings one should also understand various invisible forces, which are harmful but for which metta is the sure antidote. The deities, on the other hand, called devata, are invisible powers for good and some of them of them live as the guardians of those who practice the good. They have been called guardian angels in western religious tradition. Why fire, poison or weapons should not affect one seems not easy to explain. One might say that others will not think of harming the power of metta. These conclude the more worldly advantages of practicing metta but there others which are personal benefits. The last group of four advantages are: "One's mind can be quickly concentrated. The expression of one's face is serene, one dies without falling into confusion, and even if one fails to penetrate any further, one will pass on to the Brahma-world". Concentration of mind is obstructed by the presence of such defilements of heart as aversion, so when by metta, these have been overcome, there is naturally quick concentration. And a person's face reflects the state of his heart and if that is disturbed by mental defilements then the face will become the mirror of them. When all beings are truly pervaded with loving-kindness by one who practices in this way, then his face is sure to shine with friendliness and the clarity of peace. As to dying, if one establishes one's heart in loving-kindness while still alive, what fears will one have at the time of death? It is sure that rebirth, given these fortunate circumstances, will be exceptionally favorable to further Dhamma-practice, so one need not worry. Confusion is the mark of a fool not of a wise person and one who practices metta is certainly a wise person. Where there is the clarity of peace there is no place for confusion. Should one die with one's mind concentrated unwaveringly in loving-kindness for all beings" Happy and secure may they be-All beings may they be happy-hearted" then as the level of one's mind so greatly excels that of ordinary human consciousness, one's succeeding birth will be in what is called the realms of Brahma-the experiences of heavenly existence which are purified of gross sensual pleasures. But it is possible that one so purified in mind by attainment of the state of concentrated metta, will at the time of death develop insight and letting go of constituents making up a person, attain to Nibbana the Sublime Peace, the going-out of the fires of greed, aversion and delusion. This is where the practice of loving-kindness can lead. From its practice there is something good for everyone.

EVAM

Thus indeed it is.