Life with Care
Life with Care
How, could, should, would a mind free from the delusion of identification with or as the self, relate to life?
Fundamentally, ‘with care’.
Whether the mind is free from the illusion of being an individual egoic self or not, the wise way of relating and responding to all experience, within and without, towards self or other, is with care.
Care includes being both ‘caring’ and ‘careful’.
Caring is relating from a mindful kindness. Careful is relating from a mindful wisdom.
Such a mindful kindness and wisdom is encompassed in the Buddha’s ‘Brahma Vihara’.
The Brahma Vihara are four special ways of relating to experience in a mind-heart way, a mental and felt – emotional way.
We might appreciate the Brahma Virhara as inclusive of both IQ and EQ. They are generally translated as ‘Divine Abidings’ or ‘Sublime States’, we may refer to these as ‘Spiritual Emotions’.
The mind free from the illusion of the separate egoic self, is also free from a ‘selfish self centered concern’, and will rather have a wise healthy concern for the self as a physically based mental phenomena.
The mind free from selfish concern, thus has more energy, mental and emotional capacity and capability to connect and care for others.
For the mind still caught and limited by the ‘self-belief’, the Four Spiritual Emotions, become a wonderful way of practice and a wise way of relating to experience.
As a wisdom based practice, the Four Spiritual Emotions aid in the reduction of self centeredness and opens the way for great joy, mental-physical health and well-being, as well as enhanced intra and inter-personal relationship.
The Four Spiritual Emotions – Brahma Vihara are:
- METTA: Mindful Kindness and Care (as a general way of relating).
- KARAUNA: Mindful Concern and Compassion (where appropriate).
- MUDITA: Mindful Gladness and Joy (with and for others).
- UPEKKHA: Mindful Wise and Compassionate Calm (towards life issues).
Whilst these four ways of relating to experience are slightly different, they are all founded on a fundamental care.
The Four Spiritual Emotions become the ‘modus operandi’, way of operating and interfacing all experience. They become a gift to our self, others and the world, an expression of value and respect.
The application and expression of the Four Spiritual Emotion, helps in counteracting their opposite ways of relating. These may be described as a relating from uncaring irritation, frustration and anger, jealousy and resentment, distress and distraction.
As the mind relates to self, other and things through the Four Spiritual Emotions, four things become modified and enhanced.
- The ‘sense of self’ that is relating.
- The other person or being that is being related to.
- The quality of the relationship with the other.
- The world at large, becomes a better, healthier and happier place.
The Four Spiritual Emotions become a most profound alliance of dynamic energy, mentally, emotionally, physically and behaviourally.
The Four Spiritual Emotions become a wonderful way of being in the world.
John B
