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Four Immeasurables
IdleChater
USA Veteran
in Meditation
Equanimity: The wish that all beings may be free from attachment, and aversion.
Love: The wish that all beings may have happiness and causes of happiness.
Compassion: The wish that all beings may be free from suffering and its causes.
Joy: The wish that all beings may abide in happiness and that happiness may increase.
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Perhaps examples of the "Four Immeasurables" in daily life.
Equanimity: You have a car which you use and like very much. You have a strong aversion to it getting damaged or destroyed. Yet, though you take meticulous care of that car, it gets totaled. Attachment means you get very upset that your car is destroyed.
Equanimity means you realize that, though you enjoyed your car, it is replacable and you are not upset at the destruction of your car but concerned for anyone who may have been hurt in the incident which resulted in the lose of your car.
Love Self explanatory In terms of day to day, you wish for your family, your neighbors, your reatives and friends to be safe, healthey, happy, and bring happiness to others.
Compassion This meas all people. Even the ones who cause you suffering or disrespect you or your family or friends. Fir instance, Devadata opposed and tried to kill the Buddha(Sakyamuni). Yet in his compassion, he did not hate Devadata. He instead declared him to be a friend, even stating Devadata would ond day become a Buddha.
Joy Even those who give you trouble, whom oppose you, a self-declared enemy.
In reguards to our fellow human beings, (men, women, them they...) A 19th century Japanese statesman stated it well: "Hate the action, not the person".
In closing, we are all imperfect. As we strive to realize the Four Immeasurables, we may stumble, we may fall from time to time. That is not failure, so long as we get right back up, dust ourselves off, take a deep breath, and continue our journey upon this path we have chosen.
Peace to all
Well said @Lionduck and remember ... You are not a Buddha or anything ...
They are also known as the Four Divine Abodes.