Appamada Practice Period and the Brahmaviharas

Peg Syverson
Sunday, March 15, 2020

Well, our practice period is starting off with a bang, and those of you who somehow forgot to sign up for practice period are finding yourself in it anyway, because the central questions now are the questions we face every day in practice: what is this situation I find myself in? Who am I in this situation? How can I be mindful and skillful in managing my internal psychological systems, my body, my relationships, my work under these extraordinary conditions? How can I be aware of what is happening without being distracted, anxious, fearful, angry, or in denial? And probably lurking in the back of your mind might be the question: where is the joy in all this?

Practice period is a time for deepening our practice, setting our aspirations a bit higher, connecting with spiritual friends more deeply, and doing the experiment of making our spiritual path a bit more central in our lives. It prepares us and trains us for greater challenges, such as the ones we are facing right now. It reminds us that there are many conditions that are out of our control, that impact others around us, and that fuel both the worst and the best in people. We are only responsible for our own responsiveness to whatever is arising, pleasant, painful, or neutral. Even when this particular scare is over, the uncertainty, suffering, and demolition of our notions of self will remain. In a sense, nothing we experience is ever “over.” Everything we’ve lived through, every action we’ve taken, every word we’ve spoken lives on in our very cells, in our deepest subconscious, and in the way it reorganizes our lives. This is the definition of karma: not some divine retribution for our sins, but the embodiment and ongoing lived expression of our experiences and intentions. 

But…joy? The Buddha taught the discourse called the Anapanasati Sutta and the four brahmaviharas of kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity specifically to emphasize that his teachings and these practices are joyful, because, as he put it, “Just as the river Ganges inclines toward the sea, slopes toward the sea, flows toward the sea, and reaches the sea, so too Master Gotama’s assembly with its homeless ones and its householders inclines toward Nibbāna, slopes toward Nibbāna, flows toward Nibbāna, and reaches Nibbāna.”

In these times of alarming news and bungled responses to crises, it is easy to be anxious, fearful, distressed, furious, and all sorts of other emotions. There is a tendency to worry about one’s own well-being, to fear for those we love, to shut down the work of practice, which is to open to everything. We are glued to the news, which reports intermittently that things are much, much worse than we thought, and much less frightening than we might believe. We are in our homes, isolated and challenged to maintain our practice. 

I want to encourage you to use your practice in these times as a source of nourishment and guidance. We’ve been sheltered by our relative comforts and lulled into a kind of complacency that is the near enemy of true equanimity. It is wise to remember that our attitudes, speech, and actions impact not only ourselves, but others in widening ripples, as our very essence is relational and interconnected with every other living being. To radiate panic and dread is to infect others more widely than we an imagine; to radiate the brahmaviharas is to help ourselves and others find their footing in these wholesome and practical teachings of the Buddha. 

I have found so much joy in the present time of crisis, that it has surprised me. Some of it is unexpected, some comes from the usual suspects, like my little granddaughter, my son and my sister, and some of it is the result of intentionally watching for joy, for sources of delight and wonder: a tiny purple wildflower, a kind crinkle of eyes in the supermarket, slicing a well-formed mushroom for an omelet, an idea for the sangha connection in walking. I am in good health, and I have resources to support me, and I feel not only joy but the good fortune in that, knowing that so many others are struggling right now. That means I can offer assistance, that I myself can be a resource for others. What a joy that is at my age!

You, too, I suspect have been surprised by joy in the midst of all that is unlike joy in the world, and in a little bit we can share some of those moments. Let’s think about what provides the foundations and conditions for joy arising. 

First of all, there is the establishing of the precepts, the teachings of Buddhism as the foundation of an ethical life. Abiding with this moral foundation we engage in relationships with each other and with the world that are harmonious, dignified, and non-harming. In itself, this is a basis for joy. Our minds are clear and untroubled about our own conduct, regardless of the behavior of others, or the circumstances we encounter. 

Second, as we practice the brahmaviharas, we foster joy in ourselves and in others. Our benevolence, or lovingkindness, not only radiates outward from ourselves, but invites, supports, and connects with kindness in others. It is an energetic field with genuine force, like gravity or electromagnetism. If your practice is half-hearted or uncertain at first, the field will be small, but as you continue to practice, it will become more powerful than you can imagine. So we must practice it on the cushion so that we may become more and more imbued with it, make our home in it, and operate more and more from that home. You can probably feel the deep sense of joy that accompanies an act of kindness, no matter how small, or even the feeling of kindness itself, not to mention the kindness of others toward us. 

The practice of compassion, the second brahmavihara, may not seem conducive to joy, since through it we are contemplating and actively addressing suffering, but what can be more joyful than to see suffering relieved or transformed into peace? If we relinquish our fear and dread in witnessing the suffering in ourselves and others and turn toward the liberating potential in it, we are immediately struck by joy. Compassion becomes clear-eyed and skillful and precise, bringing freedom in the midst of suffering. 

When others are joyful, we can practice empathetic joy, and participate in that joy unhindered by our own jealousy, envy, and greed. This multiplies the joy overall, and warmly connects us with others who are joyful. The word joy is right in the name of this brahmavihara, and yet it can be difficult to find the joy in others’ happiness. Maybe we are critical of how that happiness was obtained, maybe we are judgmental of the person as unworthy, or feel it is unfair that they should have happiness. We need to watch for these aspects of our own conditioning that are not really discernment, but its near enemy: judging mind. We would like to be the ones to decide who gets happiness, when, and for what. But the universe, in case you haven’t noticed, is not set up that way. It is set up on the much larger karmic calculus that moves across aeons, in vast reaches of time and space, and beyond our meager capacities. Thank heavens! That’s a level of calculation I would not like to be in charge of. I can barely manage my own bookkeeping. So just recognize all that hinders our capacity for absolute joy in the happiness and well-being of others. This is a relational practice, as we always teach. 

But what about equanimity? Surely that is not joyful! Isn’t it about having no feelings? Steadiness and imperturbability? Imagine you are on a small rowboat, out before dawn on a still lake, nothing at all on your mind as the first light of dawn begins to penetrate the mist rising from the surface of the water. The lake is still, and the horizon grows lavender and then rose and gold. In that moment of calm and ease, do you not feel joy? I think in many ways equanimity contains the deepest joy, but I cannot explain it. You have to recognize it yourself. To be in untroubled waters, to be, oneself, untroubled by hindrances such as grasping, anger and irritation, dullness, restlessness and worry, doubt, or by external circumstances seems like a recipe for joy. To be able to right yourself when you have been shaken brings joy. To offer calm when others are distressed, afraid, in panic, is gift of joy. 

Why seek happiness, which is ephemeral and dependent on favorable circumstances and is in any event such a fleeting emotion? The joy of abiding in the brahmaviharas is untouched by passing emotions and thoughts; it is timeless and vast. It is perfectly possible to feel joy even in sadness, even in distress. Where does that joy come from? It is unbidden and unquenchable. It is the very ground of being. Of course we do not feel it all the time, we are not awake to its presence. And that is why we practice, why we attend to the brahmaviharas, why we investigate them mindfully. It is not that something “brings you joy.” It is not that you somehow need “more joy” in your life. You will see that our practice is recalling that we can always become more and more aware of the joy that is available in every moment. Radiating the brahmaviharas of benevolence, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity is a direct practice path. With that in mind, I am curious to hear about moments of joy you have noticed in the past few days. If you raise your hand I can see that you have something to share with all of us.  

OK, that is all for today. By the time this practice period is over, I expect our current health emergency will also be over. Still, I am very happy to see you and connect with you in this new way of practicing together, and very interested in any feedback you have about this process. Have you been able to hear and see all right? If not, we will make adjustments.  

Don’t forget tomorrow morning we will begin our sangha walk. I’ll be walking rain or shine, so please join us if you can, right in front here, at 8:30 on weekday mornings. Join us online for other offerings listed on the calendar. Be safe and be well, follow the precautions and we will get through this difficult time together.