The venerable mahasi sayadaw preface it is a truism to say that nobody likes suffering and everybody seeks happiness. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. The brahmaviharas are a series of four buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to. The brahmavihara arama meditation center conduct vipassana or insight meditation periodically. Home bhante bodhidhamma vipassana as taught by the mahasi sayadaw of burma. Four sublime states of mind have been taught by the buddha. The progress of insight a modern treatise on buddhist. His narration was recorded by his two deciples swami and kartika. They are virtues of the highest order, gained by a. Just as a map is a very useful thing to help know where you are, and how to get to where you want to go, so too is the mandala of the brahma viharas. Practical insight meditation authors preface it is a uism to say that nobody likes su.
Nevertheless, their efforts are mainly directed towards physical wellbeing by material. Brahma vihara arama buddhist monastery buleleng district. This is pointing toward the mind of one who has fully cultivated these. As she matured, she continued her practice but with guidance from various great meditation masters. Therefore please keep these resources free, and if you wish to link to these files, please do not do so. Her central image is that of a tree, deep rooted and spreading its canopy wide as she evokes a profound, personal connection to the cultivation of the sublime abodes loving kindness, compassion, joy with others, and equanimity. The brahma viharas the brahma viharas are a set of meditation practices. This brahmavihara dhamma divine abidings expounded by the late venerable mahasi sayadaw, reveals the systematic method of developing metta. Introduction venerable webu sayadaw 18961977 ashin kumara was one of the most outstanding myanmar buddhist meditation masters of the 20 th century, and reputed to be an arahat, i. Mahasi sayadaw explains extensively what nibbana is from his personal. Insight meditation by mahasi sayadaw free pdf ebook. The ultimate aim of attaining these brahmaviharajhanas is to produce a state of mind that can serve as a firm basis for the liberating insight into the true nature of. Such is the au thor ity of the brahma sutras, the work of baadarayana. The brahma viharas usually translated as divine abodes or divine abidings, the very name of.
The mandala of the brahma viharas the buddhist centre. Filed under ven mahasi sayadaw thero ebooks while the present book was in preparation, its author, the venerable mahasi sayadaw of burma, passed away at the age of 78. We observe the breath, or rather the sensations caused by breathing, in order to bring a momenttomoment concentration. The brahmaviharas are four states of being and four systematic. As for your 2nd question, i suppose the brahma vihara are dependent upon metta. Written by dr u than sein sunday, 18 november 2007 insight meditation. The avadhoota gita the avadhoota gita is writen by sage dattatreya. A manual of insight meditation translator u min swe min kyaw thu it is only a first draft, but at least the table of contents and the first chapter and part of the second will give you some idea of what to expect from the published version. If you want to a buddhist geek later i can send you the pdf of this ancient text and you can work your way through it more thoroughly. They are also known as the four limitless ones, the four sublime states, and the brahmaviharas or divine abodes.
The dalai lama has called the brahma viharas our spiritual birthright. Dattatreya is regarded by many as the foremost incarnation. The mahasi method is designed to allow lay people in the modern world to attain the experience of enlightenment, or nibbana. The four brahmaviharas heart practices one mind dharma. Firstly you need to know where you are, which means you need to be. Ven dhammagaru talks in english leicester buddhist vihara. We will explore the transforming power of these beautiful practices as we find the energy to shift the clouds and reveal our true heart. The basis of our brahmaviharas practice will follow guidelines set out in a 1,600yearold document, bhadantacariya buddhaghosas visuddhimagga. It is located on approximately twenty acres of quiet pleasant garden land in hermitage now sasanayeiktha road, bahan township of rangoon now yangon, off kaba aye pagoda road. The mandala of the brahma viharas by ratnavandana by the. Mahasi saydaws visits to other country and his teachings and exhortations there. Box 61 54, sangharaja mawatha kandy, sri lanka for ee dis ibution only you may print copies of this work for your personal use.
His parents, peasant proprietors by occupation, were u kan taw and daw oke. One dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with brahmavihara quality, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Treatise on buddhist satipathana meditation mahasi sayadaw on. In this world of ours, human beings are making all possible e. The term brahmavihara is pali, and comes from two words. The four immeasurableslovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic appreciative joy, and equanimityare the sublime expressions of love. With the increase in interest in western lands, there is a great demand for his buddhist discourses and writings which are now being. This meditation center was opened two years after the establishment of the above organization, with the most venerable mahasi sayadaw as its principal preceptor. Com men tar ies there have been many on the brahma sutras. The brahma viharas the brahma viharas are the pure abodes of the mature zen practitioner, and the ethical conduct that is the natural outcome of embracing the dharma and embodying its essential teachings. In this world of ours, human beings are making all possible efforts for prevention and alleviation of suffering, and enjoyment of happiness. Sayalay daw dipankara theri was born in 1964 in myanmar.
The books in this section are free for downloads and personal uses. Spreading loving kindness, compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity may i be. This word, if properly pronounced in pali should be recited as birahma. However, to enhance our investigation, i will also introduce another spiritual tool from the extreme contemporary end of the continuum of buddhist. As such, brahma vihara can be directly translates as abode of the divine or more commonly, heavenly abodes. Known to scholars of many countries, the venerable ledi sayadaw, aggamahapandita, d. Mahasi sayadaw this brahmavihara dhamma divine abidings expounded by the late venerable mahasi sayadaw, reveals the systematic method of developing metta, lovingkindness towards all beings and the way to lead a life of holiness. Venerable mahasi sayadaw a biographical sketch the late venerable mahasi sayadaw was born in the year 1904 at seikkhun, a large, prosperous and charming village lying about seven miles to the west of the historic shwebo town in upper burma. Brahmavihara kann man mit vorzuglich, hohe oder erhabene.
More from ratnavandana and the spring 2015 urban retreat on the theme of living in the mandala and the brahma viharas, just as a map is a very useful thing to. A brahma is a refined divine being and vihara means dwelling. Mahasi sayadaw agga maha pandita u sobhana given to his disciples on their induction into vipassana meditation at sasana yeiktha meditation centre, rangoon, burma. The practices are therefore the heavenly abidings of one who enters deeply into these meditations.
At a young age, sayalay started the meditation practice without external instruction. Practical insight meditation basic and progressive stages. These four qualities of true love are said to be sublime, lofty, noble. Second edition revised published in 1973 by the buddhist publication society. Vipassana as taught by the mahasi sayadaw of burma. The role of the brahmavihara in psychotherapeutic practice. Woodward the pts translator of the anguttara tens and elevens notes that this sutta seems patched together from various sources. Dhammagaru, recently a resident monk at the leicester vihara. Brahmavihara meditation buddha meditation centre saskatoon at.
They are also known as the four limitless ones, the four sublime states, and the brahmaviharas or. A beautiful introduction by ratnavandana to the brahma viharas as an integrated set of practices flowing from metta loving kindness. Brahma viharas as a way to work with the mindstates of craving and clinging that can be associated with efforts to gain entry into the jhanas and to move through them. I am working on a different edition, by a different translator, and have so far published the first 100 pages as a pdf. In a way there is only one brahma vihara and its the metta bhavana, but when you, with your metta, happen to come into contact with pain and suffering, the metta automatically, or rather spontaneously, becomes transformed into karuna. The four immeasurables lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity are the sublime qualities or expressions of true love.
The progress of insight a treatise on buddhist satipahana meditation by the venerable mahasi sayadaw translated om the pa. In the phrase or group of words brahmavihara, the word brahma means noble. Download this file four sublime states of mind brahma vihara. The founder of a new re li gious and philo soph i cal school had sim ply to writ e a new com men tary on the brahma sutras so that his v iew may be ac cepted by the m ass of peo ple.
In the buddhas time, a brahma was a deity who lived in a heavenly realm. The practice of the brahma vihara meditation is given in the suttas as follows. Brahma viharas without visualizing buddhism stack exchange. The scriptures generally mention the practise of all four brahma vihara together. The mandala of the brahma viharas on sat, 14 march, 2015 22. Thus, unexpectedlyas death so often comesthis publication has turned out to be a memorial issue in honour of one of the outstanding contemporary teachers of theravada. He was the combined incarnation of brahma, vishnu and shiva. The buddha sasana online has acquired permission from buddha sasana nuggaha organization to post the books for free downloads as a gift for the internet community. It was during this period, in 1945, that the sayadaw wrote his great work, manual of vipassana meditation, a comprehensive and authoritative treatise expounding both the doctrinal and the practical aspects of the satipatthana method of meditation. They are called abodes vihara because they should become the. This years obv summer ordination will be from 23 july to 5 august 2016 there will be two ordination sessions.