The Four Immeasurables Practices to Open the Heart

by WALLACE, B. ALAN

• ISBN13: 9781559393539
• ISBN10: 155939353X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-09-16
• Publisher: Snow Lion

Summary

Buddhism

Author Biography

B. Alan Wallace has written, edited, or translated more than thirty books on Tibetan Buddhism. He is much in demand as a teacher and is the founder of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 8
Introduction	p. 9
Why Practice?	p. 9
The Foundation of Ethics	p. 16
The Affirmation of Intuitive Wisdom	p. 20
A Meditation on the Jewel in the Lotus: Om Mani Padme Hum	p. 23
Questions and Responses: On Ethics and the Sequence of Practice	p. 25
Entering Samatha Practice	p. 31
Beginning the Meditation	p. 33
Relaxation, Stability, and Vividness	p. 34
Questions and Responses: On Breath Awareness	p. 40
The Mastery of Attention: Mindfulness and Introspection	p. 46
Samatha as a Catalyst for Mental Events	p. 50
Dealing with Problems in Samatha Practice	p. 52
The Path to Samatha: An Overview	p. 59
The Nine Stages of the Path to Samatha	p. 59
The Achievement of Samatha	p. 65
The Prerequisites for Achieving Samatha	p. 68
Five Obstructions to Progress in Samatha	p. 73
The Five Factors of Stabilization	p. 76
On the Choice of an Object in Samatha Practice	p. 78
Questions and Responses: On Achieving Samatha	p. 80
Beyond Samatha	p. 84
Loving-Kindness	p. 87
Meditation: Loving-Kindness for Oneself	p. 90
Extending the Practice of Loving-Kindness	p. 95
The Advantages of a Lay Person in the Practice of Loving-Kindness	p. 97
Loving-Kindness for One's Enemies	p. 98
The Problem of Righteous Anger	p. 107
Passion and Patience in Response to the Sources of Suffering	p. 109
Finding a Lovable Quality	p. 112
Confusing Attachment with Loving-Kindness	p. 114
Questions and Responses: Enemies and Insight	p. 116
The Attainment of Samatha in Loving-Kindness	p. 121
Compassion	p. 127
Questions and Responses: Catharsis, Logic, and Compassion	p. 133
Compassion for a Suffering Person: Meditation	p. 135
Extending the Meditation on Compassion	p. 137
Intrusiveness in the Practice of Compassion	p. 138
Meditation on Avalokitesvara, the Embodiment of Compassion	p. 139
Empathetic Joy	p. 143
Rejoicing in Others' Happiness	p. 143
Rejoicing in Virtue	p. 145
Equanimity	p. 149
Equanimity in Theravada Buddhism	p. 149
Equanimity in Tibetan Buddhism	p. 151
Questions and Responses: On Distinguishing Attachment from Affection	p. 161
The Empowerment of Insight	p. 163
From Insight to an Unmediated Experience of the Ultimate	p. 169
Questions and Responses: The Urgency and Rarity of Spiritual Awakening	p. 178
Notes	p. 185
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