How
is Mental Release by Friendliness Achieved?
The Blessed Buddha once said:
How, Bhikkhus, is the mental release by universal friendliness achieved?
What does this liberation have as its destination, what is its culmination,
what is its sweet fruit, what is the final goal of such mental release by
universal, infinite, and all-embracing friendliness?
Here, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu dwells pervading the frontal quadrant,
with a mind imbued with infinite friendliness, so the second quarter,
the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across,
and everywhere, and to all beings as to himself, he dwells pervading
the entire cosmos with a mind saturated with unlimited friendliness,
immense, exalted, vast, measureless, without hostility, without
any enmity,
without any trace of ill will.. Thus prepared and expanded he then develops:
1:
The Awareness
Link to Awakening joined with limitless friendliness.
2:
The
Investigation Link to Awakening fused with such friendliness.
3:
The Energy
Link to Awakening together with infinite friendliness.
4:
The Joy Link to
Awakening accompanied with absolute friendliness.
5:
The Tranquillity Link to Awakening linked with open friendliness.
6:
The
Concentration Link to Awakening associated
with friendliness.
7:
The
Equanimity Link to Awakening joined with endless friendliness.
While
based upon seclusion, disillusion, ceasing, and culminating in release.
If he then wishes:
May I dwell experiencing the repulsive in anything
attractive and tempting,
then he can dwell experiencing only repulsiveness therein. If he wishes:
May I dwell experiencing the unrepulsive in anything disgusting
and displeasing,
then he dwells experiencing delight and beauty in whatever is disgusting!
If he wishes: May I dwell experiencing the repulsive in what is both
unrepulsive
and repulsive, he dwells experiencing
revolting disgust in it.
If he wishes: May I dwell experiencing the unrepulsive in what is both
unrepulsive
and repulsive,
then he experiences only appealing beauty by it!
If he wishes: Avoiding both the repulsive and the unrepulsive, may I dwell
in equanimity, just aware and clearly comprehending, then he dwells in
this
equanimity,
just aware and clearly comprehending. Or else
he enters and dwells
in the mental deliverance
of the beautiful aspect...
I tell you Bhikkhus for a wise Bhikkhu here, who has not penetrated to
an even
more superior
mental release,
this release of mind by pure infinite friendliness
has the beautiful
deliverance as its culmination!
More on these 7 links to Awakening
(bojjhanga):
Source of reference
(edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V:
115-21] 46: The Links. 54: Joined by Friendliness...
