Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 187This body is the result of causes and conditions.the aggregates.Therefore the Blessed One uttered this stanza :-He who dwells amidst the village grove,experiencing pleasure and pain,is not burned because of self or otherbut because his mind is passionate.If one's mind were cleansed of passion's stain,who could touch that one immaculate 7 1There is no soul-entity inThus after that yogin has clearly understood the way of destroyinghatred, has identified friends, indifferent ones and enemies with himself, andacquired facility in the practice, he should gradually arouse the thought ofloving-kindness and develop it for various bhikkhus in (his) dwelling-place.After that he should develop loving-kindness for the Community of Bhikkhusin (his) dwelling-place. After that he should develop loving-kindness for thedeities in his dwelling-place. After that he should develop loving-kindnessfor beings in the village outside his dwelling-place. Thus (he develops lovingkindnessfor beings) from village to village, from country to country. Afterthat he should develop (loving-kindness for beings) in one direction. Thatyogin "pervades one quarter with thoughts of loving-kindness; and afterthat, the second; and after that, the third; and after that, the fourth. Thushe spreads loving-kindness towards all beings of the four directions, above,below and pervades the whole world with thoughts of loving-kindness immenseimmeasurable, without enmity, without ill will. 2 Thus that yogin developsloving-kindness and attains to fixed meditation in three ways: through comprehendingall beings, through comprehending all village-domains 3 andthrough comprehending all directions. He attains to fixed meditation, jhana,through developing loving-kindness for one being, and in the same way, fortwo, three and for all beings. He attains to fixed meditation, jhana, throughdeveloping loving-kindness for beings of one village-domain, and in the sameway for (beings of) many villages. He attains to fixed meditation, jhana,through developing loving-kindness for one being in one direction, and in thesame way (for beings) in the four directions. Here when one develops lovingkindnessfor one being, if that being is dead, that object is lost. If he losesthe object, he cannot arouse loving-kindness. Therefore he should developthe thought of loving-kindness widely. Thus practising he can fulfil greatfruition and merit.1. Ud. 12: Game aranhe sukhadukkhapufthonev* at tat o no parato dahetha,phusanti phassa upadhim paticca,nirupadhim kena phuseyyum phassa '//.2. D. II, 186; D. Ill, 223-4: IdK dvuso bhikkhu metta-sahagatena cetasd ekath disampharitva viharati, tatha dutiyarh, tatha tatiyam, tatha catuttham. hi uddham adho tiriyarhsabbadhi sabbattatdya sabbdvantarh lokarh metta-sahagatena cetasd vipulena mahaggatenaappamdnena averena avydpajjhena pharitva viharati.3. Gdmakkhetta.