{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn46.54/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn46.54","id":"suttacentral_sn46.54","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn46.54/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Haliddavasana. Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Haliddavasana for alms. Then it occurred to them, \u201cIt\u2019s too early to wander for alms in Haliddavasana. Why don\u2019t we visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?\u201d Then they went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. The wanderers said to them: \u201cReverends, the ascetic Gotama teaches his disciples like this: \u2018Come, mendicants, give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom, and meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, spread a heart full of love to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Meditate spreading a heart full of compassion to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, spread a heart full of compassion to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Meditate spreading a heart full of rejoicing to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, spread a heart full of rejoicing to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Meditate spreading a heart full of equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 We too teach our disciples in just the same way. What, then, is the difference between the ascetic Gotama\u2019s teaching and instruction and ours?\u201d Those mendicants neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions. They rose from their seats, thinking: \u201cWe will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.\u201d Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. \u201cMendicants, when wanderers of other religions say this, you should say to them: \u2018But reverends, how is the heart\u2019s release by love developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and culmination? How is the heart\u2019s release by compassion developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? How is the heart\u2019s release by rejoicing developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? How is the heart\u2019s release by equanimity developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?\u2019 Questioned like this, the wanderers of other religions would be stumped, and, in addition, would get frustrated. Why is that? Because they\u2019re out of their element. I don\u2019t see anyone in this world\u2014with its gods, M\u0101ras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans\u2014who could provide a satisfying answer to these questions except the Realized One or his disciple or someone who has heard it from them. And how is the heart\u2019s release by love developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? It\u2019s when a mendicant develops the heart\u2019s release by love together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and the repulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. The apex of the heart\u2019s release by love is the beautiful, I say, for a wise mendicant here who has not penetrated to a higher freedom. And how is the heart\u2019s release by compassion developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? It\u2019s when a mendicant develops the heart\u2019s release by compassion together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. \u2026 If they wish: \u2018May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. Or else, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that \u2018space is infinite\u2019, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space. The apex of the heart\u2019s release by compassion is the dimension of infinite space, I say, for a wise mendicant here who has not penetrated to a higher freedom. And how is the heart\u2019s release by rejoicing developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? It\u2019s when a mendicant develops the heart\u2019s release by rejoicing together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. \u2026 If they wish: \u2018May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. Or else, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that \u2018consciousness is infinite\u2019, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness. The apex of the heart\u2019s release by rejoicing is the dimension of infinite consciousness, I say, for a wise mendicant here who has not penetrated to a higher freedom. And how is the heart\u2019s release by equanimity developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? It\u2019s when a mendicant develops the heart\u2019s release by equanimity together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and the repulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. If they wish: \u2018May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,\u2019 that\u2019s what they do. Or else, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that \u2018there is nothing at all\u2019, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness. The apex of the heart\u2019s release by equanimity is the dimension of nothingness, I say, for a wise mendicant here who has not penetrated to a higher freedom.\u201d","title":"Full of Love","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1246}