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[Page 1] PRACTICES TO OPEN THE HEART [Page 2] THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES Practices to Open the Heart B. Alan Wallace Edited by , Zara Houshmand Snow Lion Publications Ithaca, New York [Page 3] Contents Preface 8 1. Introduction 9 Why Practice? 9 The Foundation of Ethics 16 The Affirmation of Intuitive Wisdom 20 A Meditation on the Jewel in the Lotus: 23 Oiyi MANI PADME HDiyi Questions and Responses: On Ethics and 25 the Sequence of Practice 2. Entering Samatha Practice 31 Beginning the Meditation 33 Relaxation, Stability, and Vividness 34 Questions and Responses: On Breath Awareness 40 The Mastery of Attention: Mindfulness and 46 Introspection Samatha as a Catalyst for Mental Events 50 Dealing with Problems in Samatha Practice 52 3. The Path to Samatha: An Overview 59 The Nine Stages of the Path to Samatha 59 The Achievement of Samatha 65 The Prerequisites for Achieving Samatha 68 [Page 4] Five Obstructions to Progress in Samatha 73 The Five Factors of Stabilization 76 On the Choice of an Object in Samatha Practice 78 Questions and Responses: On Achieving Samatha 80 Beyond Samatha 84 4. Loving-Kindness 87 Meditation: Loving-Kindness for Oneself 90 Extending the Practice of Loving-Kindness 95 The Advantages of a Lay Person in the Practice 97 of Loving-Kindness Loving-Kindness for One's Enemies 98 The Problem of Righteous Anger 107 Passion and Patience in Response to the 109 Sources of Suffering Finding a Lovable Quality 112 Confusing Attachment with Loving-Kindness 114 Questions and Responses: Enemies 116 and Insight The Attainment of Samatha in Loving-Kindness 121 5. Compassion 127 Questions and Responses: Catharsis, Logic, 133 and Compassion Compassion for a Suffering Person: Meditation 135 Extending the Meditation on Compassion 137 Intrusiveness in the Practice of Compassion 138 Meditation on Avalokitesvara, the Embodiment 139 of Compassion 6. Empathetic Joy 143 Rejoicing in Others' Happiness 143 Rejoicing in Virtue 145 7. Equanimity 149 Equanimity in Theravada Buddhism 149 Equanimity in Tibetan Buddhism 151 Questions and Responses: On Distinguishing 161 Attachment from Affection [Page 5] 8. The Empowerment of Insight 163 From Insight to an Unmediated Experience of 169 the Ultimate Questions and Responses: The Urgency and 178 Rarity of Spiritual Awakening Notes 185 [Page 6] Preface The teachings presented in this book took shape during a one week retreat led by Alan Wallace for a small group of friends in the summer of 1992, above the town of Lone Pine in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. The informal talks that Alan gave were based in part on passages from Buddhaghosa's fifth century compendium called The Path of Purification, though his interpretations were clearly influenced by his training in Tibetan Buddhism. The passages in question related to the cultivation of samatha (pronounced "sha-ma-ta"), or medita tive quiescence as it is sometimes known, and the Four Immeasurables (catvaryapramtn:z.i): loving-kindness, compas sion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These practices, of samatha and the Four Immeasurables, are very different but profoundly complementary: they emich, deepen, and protect each other. Also included are guided meditations that Alan led,