Reflection Support: Altruistic Abidings

In the Asheyana path, reflection practice is located after practicing Calm Abiding and experiencing the Insubstantial Basis of Being for oneself. Reflection itself can take place at any time.

Here is a support for working with reflections that arise spontaneously from the Insubstantial Basis of Concepts. This support can also be practiced as a contemplation.

Called here "Altruistic Abidings," this support is inspired by the pre-Buddhist Four Immeasurables, also called the "Brahmavihārā" or "abodes of Brahma."

Altruistic Abidings serve two purposes:

1. As a protective space and corrective support for that aspect of mind associated with emotional arisings.

2. As a bridge to social well-being through setting the intention of extending harmlessness and goodwill to others.

There are four Altruistic Abidings. These are:

1. Altruistic Kindness : Here is the kind intention that a being or group of beings who arise as one's object of contemplation or reflection experience abundant harmlessness and goodwill, and, experiencing this happy state, bringing others to this happy state.
   
   

2. Sincere Mercifulness : Here is the sincere intention that a being or group of beings who arise as one's object of contemplation or reflection not experience harmfulness or lack of harmlessness and not experience ill-will or lack of goodwill, and, experiencing freedom from these sorrowful states, freeing others from these sorrowful states.
   
   

3. Sympathetic Joy : Here is the sympathetic intention of giving rise to genuine joy that a being or group of beings who arise as one's object of contemplation or reflection experience abundant harmlessness and goodwill, and, being joyfully supported in this happy state, joyfully supporting others experiencing a happy state.
   
   

4. Equanimous Abiding : Here is the equanimous intention that, even with one's altruistic intentions and actions, whether or not a being or group of beings who arise as one's object of contemplation or reflection experience and propagate such altruism is entirely up to them, the consequences of such an impulse or decision to be fully experienced by them.

"All beings are the heirs of their own actions; their happiness or unhappiness depends upon their actions, not upon my wishes for them."
- Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.57. Themes via Wisdom Wide and Deep x Catherine, p.174

Instructions

1. Take a stable seat or stance.

2. Connect with the body and feel the breath.

3. Bring to mind a being or group of beings that one feels some emotional connection with--whether affinity, aversion, or indifference.

4. Set an intention of one of the Altruistic Abidings described above. 

5. Abide with such an altruistic intention until a natural relaxation into the intention takes place.

6. With the same being or group of beings, move in order to the next Altruistic Abiding--From the fourth abiding cycle to the first abiding. Repeat step 5.

7. Complete at least one full cycle of the four Altruistic Abidings for the same being or group of beings.

8. Having completing one full cycle of the four Altruistic Abidings, rest at ease. Emotional enmeshment is relieved and one is reconnected with a sense of social well-being.

Variations

1. Alter the order of cycling through the Altruistic Abidings.

2. Experiment with setting more than one intention at once for the same being or group of beings.

3. Experiment with setting all four intentions at once for the same being or group of beings.

4. Select a being or group of beings from recent news to bring to mind during practice with this support.

5. Select a being or group of beings from the past to bring to mind during practice with this support.

6. Select a being or group of beings from the future to bring to mind during practice with this support.

7. If intentions of harmfulness or ill-will arise or are provoked in the moment towards a being or group of beings, immediately apply one's practice with this support.

8. Visualize one's intention extending limitlessly in a 360 degree sphere around oneself, applying to all beings regardless of distance from oneself.

Application

1. When strong emotions towards another arise--such as hot anger or resentment, consuming lust, unfounded suspicion, irrational fear, and so on--focusing on the arising itself, apply the practice of Altruistic Kindness towards the object of the strong emotion.

Opening the heart, opening the vision back to the possibility of abiding in Altruistic Kindness towards the one who triggered the arising, extend the possibility of abiding in Altruistic Kindness towards all beings.

Rest in certainty that they too just want to be happy in the ways they know how.

Rest with the intention that all beings may be happy.

Abide without placing them 'out there'.

2. If strongly emotional or reasoned fault-finding towards another arises--such as pervasive annoyance, arrogant disdain, or insolent indifference, and so on towards their character flaws, their unfortunate life conditions, decisions, and actions, their regrettable or repulsive qualities, and so forth--focusing on the fault-finding itself, apply the practice of Sincere Mercifulness towards the object of the fault-finding.

Opening the heart, opening the vision back to the possibility of abiding in Sincere Mercifulness towards the one who triggered the fault-finding, extend the possibility of abiding in Sincere Mercifulness towards all beings.

Rest in certainty that they too just want to be free from harm and sorrow in the ways they know how.

Rest with the intention that all beings may be free of harm and sorrow.

Abide without placing them 'below'.

3. If strongly emotional or reasoned admiration towards another arises--such as fawning attraction, spirited enviousness, or callous jealousy, and so on towards their strength of character, their fortunate life conditions, decisions, and actions, their laudable or magnetic qualities, and so forth--focusing on the admiration itself, apply the practice of Sympathetic Joy towards the object of the admiration.

Opening the heart, opening the vision back to the possibility of abiding in Sympathetic Joy towards the one who triggered the admiration, extend the possibility of abiding in Sympathetic Joy towards all beings.

Rest in certainty that happiness and joy are fleeting, that they too are capable of experiencing harm, sorrow, and loss, and that they are perfectly worthy to experience the happiness and joy that have currently arisen for them in the ways they know how.

Rest with the intention that all beings may enjoy what happiness and joy have currently arisen for them.

Abide without placing them 'above'.

4. When strong emotional expression arises from another or others--such as hot anger or resentment, consuming lust, unfounded suspicion, irrational fear, and so on--focusing on the expression itself, apply the practice of Equanimous Abiding towards the subject or subjects of the strong emotional expression.

Opening the heart, opening the vision back to the possibility of abiding in Equanimous Abiding towards the one, few, or many expressing strong emotion, extend the possibility of abiding in Equanimous Abiding towards all beings.

Rest in certainty that space and time are the great de-escalator, the great calmer, the great perception healer, and that beings are navigating this life in only the ways they know how.

Rest understanding that all beings are heirs of their own actions--their happiness or unhappiness depends upon their actions--and that the great cause of happiness is resting in equanimity, within action or stillness.

Abide without placing them 'in here'.

May these words encourage the altruistic Asheyana practitioner to extend a boundless mind of kindness and compassion towards all beings without exception. May it be of benefit.