The Four Immeasurables

I recently saw a sign in front of a church, which said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." I am sure that had a profound meaning to the person who put up that sign.

But it got me to thinking about the beginning of wisdom, from a Buddhist perspective. The beginning of wisdom is achieved through the Four Immeasurables.

The Buddha taught his monks to arouse four states of mind, sometimes called the "Four Immeasurables" or the "Four Perfect Virtues."

The four states are equanimity, loving kindness, compassion and sympathetic joy. These four states inter-relate and support each other.

Equanimity is a mind in balance, free of discrimination and rooted in insight. This balance is not indifference, but actively and objectively seeing things as they are, without preconceptions.

Loving Kindness is benevolence toward all beings, without discrimination or selfish attachment. By practicing loving kindness, a Buddhist overcomes anger, ill will, hatred and aversion. A Buddhist should cultivate for all beings the same love a mother would feel for her child.

Compassion is active sympathy extended to all sentient beings. It is compassion that removes the heavy bar, opens the door to freedom, makes the narrow heart as wide as the world.

Sympathetic Joy is taking selfless or altruistic joy in the happiness of others. The cultivation of sympathetic joy is an antidote to envy and jealousy.

These four qualities, nurtured both through meditation and action, are the beginning of wisdom.