Sublime States Loving Kindness Compassion Sympathetic Joy Equanimity Brahmaviharas Metta, Karuna, Mudita, Upekkha

Updated 21 April 2023

Sublime States: Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Equanimity
Brahmaviharas: Metta, Karuna, Mudita, Upekkha

Members of BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) have chanted and read The Metta Sutta The Discourse on Loving Kindness at BGKT meetings and on invitation at several public occasions.

BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) teaches metta (loving-kindness) meditation in its Open Meetings. BGKT Secretary Jacquetta Gomes taught metta (loving-kindness) meditation at Retreats at Ketumati Buddhist Vihara Manchester until 2020.

Publications by BGKT

BGKT Website

Metta Sutta Discourse on Loving Kindness

Introducing Buddhism

Introducing Buddhism is available on this BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) website. The Chapter Buddhist Meditation includes the Sublime States Brahmaviharas.

Introducing Buddhism by Venerable Dr Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera Abhidhaja Maharatthaguru Aggamaha Pandita DLitt DLitt (1896-1998) and Jacquetta Gomes Bodhicarini Upasika Jayasili. Introducing Buddhism was originally published by The Buddhist Society London in 1988, to accompany The Buddhist Society’s Introducing Buddhism Course, on which Jacquetta Gomes was one of the teachers.

Introducing Buddhism has subsequently been published by Buddhist organisations in England, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the USA.

Introducing Buddhism is available on several websites including Access to Insight, CBE Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia and Google Books.

Introducing Buddhism was launched by the BCC Buddhist Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka with 24 other books under the patronage of Venerable Dr K. Sri Dhammananda Chief Sangha Nayaka of Malaysia and Singapore, in December 1997.

Introducing Buddhism. Venerable Dr Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera Abhidhaja Maharatthaguru Aggamaha Pandita DLitt DLitt, and Jayasili (Jacquetta Gomes). Taipei, Taiwan: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation. (2008 reprint of 2007) (Book code EN074) (This includes as an appendix the booklet: Requirements and Ceremonies for The Five Precepts (Panca Sila), The Eight Precepts with Right Livelihood as the Eighth (Ajivatthamaka Sila), Dhamma Teachers Certificate, issued by the Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) and Ketumati Buddhist Vihara at Wesak 2006 updated February 2010)
http://www.budaedu.org/en/

http://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN074.pdf

BGKT Articles

Prayer and Meditation: Loving-Kindness”, Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada), Faith Initiative: Embracing Diversity, Issue 10 (Autumn 2003), page14.
https://faithinitiative.co.uk/
https://faithinitiative.co.uk/issues/

“Reflections on Meditation: Buddhist Meditation”, The Buddhist Group of Kendal, Interreligious Insight a Journal of Dialogue and Engagement [published by World Congress of Faiths Common Engagement Project], 6(4) (October, 2008) 56-59.
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/35518084/reflections-on-meditation-interreligious-insight/4

Suttas

The 2 main Suttas about metta (loving-kindness) are The Karaniya Metta Sutta The Discourse on Loving-kindness and the Metta Nisamsa Sutta The Discourse on the Benefits of Loving Kindness

StNp 1.8 Sn 1.8 Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Discourse on Loving-kindness

The Sutta Nipata StNp/Sn (The Sutta Collection/The Discourse Group) is the fifth book of the Khuddaka Nikaya and consists of 71 short suttas divided into five vaggas (chapters). Chapter 1. Uragavagga The Snake Chapter includes The Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Discourse on Loving-kindness.

StNp 1.8 Sn 1.8 Karaniya Metta Sutta: Loving-Kindness translated from the Pali by Nanamoli Thera
Available on Access to Insight website
https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.08.nymo.html

StNp 1.8 Sn 1.8Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Discourse on Loving-kindness translated from the Pali by Piyadassi Thera.
Available on Access to Insight website
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.08.piya.html

Sutta Central

Mettasutta Amaravati Sangha
Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha’s Words on Loving-Kindness
https://suttacentral.net/kp9/en/amaravati?reference=none&highlight=false

Mettasutta Nanamoli Thera Short Readings Loving-Kindness
https://suttacentral.net/kp9/en/nanamoli?reference=none&highlight=false

Mettasutta Short Readings The Discourse on Loving-Kindness Piyadassi Thera
https://suttacentral.net/kp9/en/piyadassi?reference=none&highlight=false

Anguttara Nikaya An 11.16 Karaniya Mettanisamsa Sutta Discourse on Advantages of Loving-kindness

Anguttara Nikaya AN 11.16 Mettanisamsa Sutta Discourse on Advantages of Loving-kindness translated from the Pali by Piyadassi Thera
Available on Access to Insight website
https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.016.piya.html

Bhante Henepola GunaratanaMaha Thera (1927-)

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana was one of the Founder Spiritual Advisors to BGKT in 1991.
https://www.buddhistgroupofkendal.co.uk/spiritual-advisors-venerable-dr-balangoda-ananda-maitreya-and-venerable-henepola-gunaratana/

Teachings in Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) BGKT’s Open Meetings are based on Mindfulness in Plain English, Loving-Kindness in Plain English, Start Here, Start Now: A Short Guide to Mindfulness Meditation and The In Plain English series by Buddhist Monk Bhante Henepola Gunaratana published by Wisdom Experience. His books include explanations of the Brahmaviharas especially metta.

Bhante Gunaratana
https://wisdomexperience.org/content-author/bhante-gunaratana/

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Wisdom Publications USA, 2009. (ISBN 9780861715299)
Chapter 4 Wishing the Best for Yourself and Others
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/mindfulness-plain-english/
Available on Google Books

Buddhist Suttas for Recitation: A Companion for Walking the Buddha’s Path, by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, published by Wisdom USA, 2019. (ISBN 9781614294894)
Karaniyametta Sutta Meditation Discourse on Loving-Friendliness pages 62-65
Metta Bhavana Developing Loving Friendliness pages 114-117
Mettanisamsa Sutta The Profit of Loving-Kindness pages 118-121
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/buddhist-suttas-for-recitation/

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Path of The Buddha, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Wisdom Publications, 2001. (ISBN 9780861711765)
Step 2 Skillful Thinking: Loving-Friendliness pages 65-70.
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/eight-mindful-steps-happiness/
Available on Google Books

Loving-Kindness in Plain English: The Practice of Metta, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Wisdom Publications USA, 2017. (ISBN 9781614292494)
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/loving-kindness-plain-english/
https://www.scribd.com/read/339633674/Loving-Kindness-in-Plain-English-The-Practice-of-Metta
Available on Google Books

Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Wisdom Publications USA, 20th anniversary edition 2011. (ISBN 9780861719068)
Afterword: The Power of Loving Friendliness
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/mindfulness-plain-english/
Available on Google Books

What, Why, How: Answers to Your Questions about Buddhism, Mediation and Living Mindfully, Bhante Gunaratana, Wisdom Publications, USA, 2019. (ISBN 9781614296164)
Chapter 10 Cultivating Metta or Loving-Friendliness
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/what-why-how/

Bhavana Vandana: Devotions for Meditation, Compiled by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, published by Bhavana Society (USA).
https://bhavanasociety.org/resources/ 
https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/ebooks.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/vandana.pdf
http://archive.org/stream/BhavanaVandanaDevotionsForMeditation/VandanaDeskV19_djvu.txt

Bhavana Vandana: Book of Devotion, compiled by Bhante H. Gunaratana Maha Thera, Bhavana Society (1990)
Metta Bhavana Meditation on Loving-Kindness pages 166-171
Karaniyametta Sutta Meditation on Loving-Kindness Discourse pages 170-175
Khandha Paritta Discourse on the Protection of Loving-Kindness pages 176-177
Mettanisamsa Sutta The Profit of Loving-Kindness pages 176-179
Available on BuddhaNet website
https://www.buddhanet.net/  
https://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_s.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/vandana.pdf

Articles by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

“11 Benefits of Loving Kindness meditation”, Bhante Gunaratana 14 March 2017
https://tricycle.org/article/benefits-loving-friendliness-meditation/

“Overcoming Ill will”, Bhante Gunaratana 7 February 2017
https://tricycle.org/magazine/overcoming-ill-will/

“Meditation on Loving-Kindness”, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Buddhist Publication Society Newsletter, No. 69 (1st mailing 2013).
https://www.bps.lk/
https://www.bps.lk/library_newsletters.php

“Meditation on Loving-Kindness”, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, The Middle Way: Journal of The Buddhist Society [London], 64(4), (February 1990), pages 232-238. (The Buddhist Society [London] (founded in 1924) started The Middle Way: Journal of The Buddhist Society [London] in 1926.) (ISSN 0026-3214)
https://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/page/the-middle-way-2

Audio and Video by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

There are several audio and video recordings of Bhante Gunaratana explaining metta (loving kindness) meditation available on the web.

BPS Buddhist Publication Society Kandy Sri Lanka

https://www.bps.lk/

Several BPS publications include explanations of the Brahmaviharas.

BPS Wheel Publications

https://www.bps.lk/library_wheels.php

Wheel 6 The Four Sublime States Brahmaviharas: Contemplations on Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity by Nyanaponika Thera
Also available on BuddhaNet website
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/4sublime_states.pdf
Also available on Access to Insight
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel006.html

Wheel 7The Practice of Loving-Kindness (Metta): As Taught by the Buddha in the Pali Canon, compiled and translated by Nanamoli Thera
Also available on Access to Insight website
https://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/wheel007.html

Wheel 170The Buddha’s Teaching on Unselfish Joy: four essays, by Nyanaponika Thera, Natasha Jackson, C.F. Knight, and L.R. Oates
Also available on Access to Insight website
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel170.html 

Wheel 365/366 The Philosophy and Practice of Universal Love by Acharya  Buddharakhkita
Also available on Access to Insight website
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/buddharakkhita/wheel365.html

BPS Books

The Book of Protection Paritta translated from the original Pali, with introductory essay and explanatory notes by Piyadassi Thera, BPS. Available on the BPS website.

https://www.bps.lk/olib/bp/bp216s_Piyadassi_Book-of-Protection.pdf
4. Karanìyamettasutta (Discourse on Loving-kindness) Pali page 24 and English page 25 29
6. Karanìyamettasutta Mettánisamsasutta (Discourse on Advantages of Loving-kindness) (Pali pages 26 and 28 English pages 27 and 29.

The Buddha and His Teachings, by Venerable Narada Mahathera, Electronic edition, 2012 (ISBN 978-955-24-0025-4)
Chapter 42 The Sublime States
https://bps.lk/olib/bp/bp102s_Narada-Buddha_and_His_Teachings.pdf
Also available on BuddhaNet website
https://www.buddhanet.net/
https://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_s.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddha-teachingsurw6.pdf

Books

Brahmavihara Dhamma (Divine Abidings) Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, Rangoon Burma/Myanmar,1985.
Available on Buddhist eLibrary website
https://www.buddhistelibrary.org/library/view.php?adpath=70
Also available on BuddhaNet website
https://www.buddhanet.net/
https://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_s.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/brahmavihara.pdf

An Exposition of the Metta Sutta, Bhikkhu Pesala
Available on Aimwell website
http://www.aimwell.org/expositionofmetta.html

Love and Sympathy in Theravada Buddhism, Harvey B Aronson, MLBD Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi India. (1980) (ISBN 81-209-1403-7)
Available on Google Books

Loving-kindness Meditation, Venerable Sujiva.
Available on BuddhaNet website
https://www.buddhanet.net/
https://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_s.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/allmetta.pdf

Sharon Salzberg Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness Shambala Classics, (2002) Shambala Publications, Boston Massachusetts USA (2002). (ISBN 1-57062-903-X)
https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/lovingkindness/

Buddhist Dictionaries

Venerable Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Dictionary.
Available on the BPS Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy Sri Lanka’s website
https://www.bps.lk/olib/bp/bp601s_Nyanatiloka_Buddhist-Dictonary.pdf

The Pali Text Society’s Pali-English dictionary, The PTS Pali Text Society, London, 1921-1925.
Available on the University of Chicago’s website.
https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/

Forest Sangha

Booklets by Ajahn Amaro. Available on the Forest Sangha website.
https://forestsangha.org/
https://forestsangha.org/teachings/books?language=English  

Don’t Push – Just Use The Weight Of Your Own Body: Compassion
https://forestsangha.org/teachings/books/don-t-push?commit=Go%21&language=English&utf8=%E2%9C%93

I’m right, You’re: Loving-kindness
https://forestsangha.org/teachings/books/i-m-right-you-re-wrong?language=English

Just One More Appreciative joy
https://forestsangha.org/teachings/books/just-one-more?commit=Go%21&language=English&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Who is pulling the strings: Equanimity
https://forestsangha.org/teachings/books/who-is-pulling-the-strings?commit=Go%21&language=English&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Theravada