Friendliness to the Self

In ancient India, all the major religions of the time, including Buddhism, shared the practice known as the Four Brahma Viharas. These practices are referred to as boundless, unlimited states of being because they reduce the barriers between self and other, inside and outside, and lead to an open heart and mind. The four unlimited states are friendliness or loving-kindness, which means wishing well for others; compassion, or wishing to relieve the suffering of others; sympathetic joy, or feeling happiness at the good fortune of others, which is considered an antidote to jealousy and depression; and equanimity, or even-mindedness toward all. The practice of these four unlimited states reduces the sense of separation between self and others, and it gives access to the open, boundless, non-dual aspects of consciousness. …