Guest guest Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Friends: Friendliness & Goodwill is the Ninth Mental Perfection: Friendliness means GoodwillFriendliness means KindnessFriendliness means HelpfulnessFriendliness means AssistanceFriendliness means SupportFriendliness means BenevolenceFriendliness means ConcernFriendliness means CareFriendliness means CompassionFriendliness means CooperationFriendliness means Mutual AidFriendliness means Mutual AdvantageFriendliness means SympathyFriendliness means Symbiosis Only friendliness can completely relinquish the poison of hate and anger!It's characteristic is promoting other being's welfare, it's function is to do only good, and it's manifestation is kindness, sympathy, & gentleness... The proximate cause of friendliness is seeing the good aspects of things!The proximate cause of understanding compassion is this very friendliness! The Blessed Buddha said: I am a friend and helper to all,I am sympathetic to all living beings.I develop a mind full of love & one who always delight in harmlessness.I gladden my mind, fill it with joy,and make it immovable and unshakable.I develop these divine states of mindnot cultivated by simple men. Theragatha 648-9 I am a friend of the footless,I am a friend of the bipeds;I am a friend of those with four feet,I am a friend of the many-footed.May not the footless harm me,may not the bipeds harm me,may not those with four feet harm me,and may not those with many feet harm me. AN II 72 A friend who always lends a hand,a friend both in sorrow and joy,a friend who offers good counsel,a friend who sympathizes too. These are the four kinds of true friends:one who is wise, having understood,will always cherish and serve such friendsjust as a mother tends her only child. DN III, 188 Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived on the wood. No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone.Uplifted by such universal friendliness, I enjoyed the forest.Finding great solace in such silent solitude. Suvanna-sama Jataka 540 And how does a bhikkhu abide with his mind imbued with friendlinessextending over one direction? Just as he would feel friendliness onseeing a dearly favourite person, so he extends loving-kindnessto all beings in all directions, as above so below. Abhidhamma Pitaka: Appamañña-vibhanga There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of friendly loving-kindness pervading first one direction, then a second one, then a third one then the fourth one, as below so above, across & all around, everywhere identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is encompassing the whole world with a mind full of friendlyloving-kindness, with a mind wide, developed, unbounded, cleared, exalted, pure & bright, free from hate and ill will ... There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of understanding compassion pervading first the front, then the right side, then the back, then the left side, as below so above, across & all around, all over, far & wide; identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is perfusing the whole universe with a mind imbued with pity, with a spacious mind, a refined mind, infinite, cleared, pure & brilliant, freed from all anger and any trace of enmity ... There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of altruistic & sympathetic joy pervading the North, then the East, then the South, then the West, as below so above, across & all around, universally, infinitely; identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is suffusing all galaxies with a mind full of genuine mutual & altruistic sympathetic joy, with an open mind, vast, limitless, purified, cleared, pure & shining, free from aversion and bitterness ... There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of balanced equanimity pervading first the frontal quadrant, then the right, then the rear & then the left quadrant, as below so above, across & all around; and everywhere identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is permeating the whole world with a mind satiated of balanced equanimity, calmed, with a mountain-like mind, cultivated, endless, cleared, pure & dazzling, freed from any irritation & resentment ...' Minor Readings and the Illustrator So too, bhikkhus, others may speak to you timely or untimely, true or untrue, gentle or harsh, beneficial or for harmful, based on kindness or on bitter hate!If they abuse you verbally, you should train yourselves in this way:"Our minds will remain unaffected, we shall speak no angry words, we will dwellfriendly and understanding, with thoughts of kindness and no inward anger.We shall remain friendly and beam goodwill towards that very person, and we shall dwell extending it to the entire universe, mentally overflowing, exalted, measureless & infinite in amiability, without any trace hostility nor ill-will." That is how you should train yourselves. Even if bandits were savagely to cut you up, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, one who harbours hate from that account, would not be one who carried out my teaching. Bhikkhus, you should keep this instruction on that Simile of the Saw constantly in mind. Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 21 Friends, eleven advantages are to be expected as effect from the release of mind into friendliness by the practice of Goodwill, by cultivating amity, by making much of it frequently, by making friendliness the vehicle, the tool, the basis, by persisting on it, by being well established in it as a sublime habit. What are these eleven advantages ? One sleeps Happy ! One wakes up Happy !One dreams No Evil dreams !One is Liked & Loved by all human beings!One is Liked & Loved by all non-human beings too!One is Guarded & Protected by the divine Devas !One cannot be Harmed by Fire, Poison, nor Weapons !One easily Attains the Concentration of Absorption !Ones appearance becomes Serene, Calm, & Composed !One dies without Confusion, Bewilderment, nor Panic !One reappears after death on the Brahma level, if onehas penetrated to no higher level in this very life ! When the mind is released into friendliness by the practice of Goodwill,by manifesting Friendliness, by cultivating Amity, by frequently makingmuch of it, by making Friendliness the vehicle, the tool, the basis, the medium, the foundation, by persisting in it, by insisting on it, by properly consolidating it, by thoroughly undertaking it, by making it a familiar supreme habit, by so beingwell established in it, these eleven blessings can be expected…’ Anguttara Nikaya V 342 Thus he who both day and nighttakes delight in harmlessnesssharing love with all that live,finds enmity with none. Samyutta Nikaya. I 208 When one with a mind of lovefeels compassion for the entire world --above, below and across,unlimited everywhere. Jataka 37 Bhikkhus, whatever kinds of worldly merit there are, all are not worthone sixteenth part of the release of mind by universal friendliness;in shining, glowing and beaming radiance, this release of mind byuniversal friendliness far excels & surpasses them all... PS: Please include the word Samahita in any comment, since then will my automatic mail filters pick it up and I will see it & respond!! Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka. Friendship is the Greatest ... Let there be Calm & Free Bliss !!! http://What-Buddha-Said.net Buddha-Direct What_Buddha_Said Dhamma-Questions sent to my email are quite Welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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