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Practicing the Four  
Immeasurable Qualities
A Universal Buddhist Practice for Awakening 
the Heart
Alexis N. Weiss, Reference and Instruction Librarian for Theology,  
Loyola Marymount University

ABSTRACT Originating in pre-Buddhist times and present in the teachings 
of several yogic traditions of India, the cultivation of the four immeasurable 
qualities (Brahmavihara or Apramana) is taught as essential across Bud-
dhist traditions. These qualities—loving-kindness, compassion, apprecia-
tive/sympathetic joy, and equanimity—are practiced as heart meditations, 
companions to mindfulness and insight. While the practices associated 
are from the Buddhist tradition, they are universally welcoming to people 
of all faiths or of none, to cultivate an awakened heart in service to others.

This Worship service follows the format of a traditional dharma talk, 
followed by guided meditation instructions. The purpose of gathering 
for this worship service is to hold a traditional dharma talk, followed 
by guided meditations based on the practice discussed. The topic of 
this dharma talk is the Brahmaviharas, also known as the Four Im-
measurable Qualities. The text for the teaching is very short and has 
many different translations; this is how I was taught:

WORSHIP



274  ATLA 2022 PROCEEDINGS

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.

May all being be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

May all beings not be separated from joy devoid of suffering.

May all beings dwell in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.

These four lines seem simple and straightforward, each repre-
senting one of the four qualities: loving-kindness, compassion, sym-
pathetic joy, and equanimity, each practiced in turn as a meditation, 
but there is quite a bit to unpack. This talk will briefly cover each of 
these in turn, why we practice each one, and how they are related. 
Afterwards, there will be meditation instruction in the actual prac-
tice. The focus of the practice instructions will be on the second line, 
which is the practice of compassion.

As we start, I want to note that I titled this service “a universal 
Buddhist practice for awakening the heart.” This is universal in two 
ways. First, it is universal because these teachings and practices are 
part of all Buddhist traditions. Second, and more than that, think-
ing about those short lines of text, as well as what follows, that this 
is not explicitly Buddhist—this practice is appropriate for those of 
any faith or no faith. It is okay to incorporate one’s own understand-
ing in this practice, to bring one’s own faith to the forefront. I will 
sometimes speak in Buddhist terms, but you are more than welcome 
to incorporate a Christian, Hindu, secular, etc. understanding into 
what we do together.

First, we have “may all being have happiness and the causes of hap-
piness.” This line is our call to practice loving-kindness, to wish that 
others, as well as oneself, are happy, healthy, at peace. The primary 
intention of this as it relates to working with our own minds is to 
overcome the affliction of anger. The meditation itself goes through 
stages: kindness for self, then a loved one, then a neutral person, then 
an enemy, then all beings. What we are doing is trying to combat 
feelings of anger in general by making the focus progressively more 
difficult. Over time in the practice, we realize that everyone wants 
to be happy, to find happiness, and is deserving of such. When we 
are angry, we stifle happiness in ourselves. Furthermore, we create 
a difficulty relating to others in a kind way. We can think of times in 
our own lives where a situation made us angry. What was the bet-
ter response—to respond with patience and kindness, or to respond 
with anger? Cultivating this kindness can be challenging when we 
are frustrated, so we do it in practice to later bring it out into the 



WORShIP  275

world. In the Buddhist tradition, we believe that this kindness is our 
nature—the essence of our Buddhahood, so really we are just dust-
ing it off in our practice. Similarly, one could see this fundamentally 
as an expression of God’s love in us.

The other important point in the text is that there is not just hap-
piness, but there are causes of happiness. In acting out of kindness 
in the world, we play an active role in being a cause for happiness 
and wellbeing. In very small ways, we create that change. I’m a huge 
fan of the way author Susan J. Stabile approaches this in the book 
Growing in Love and Wisdom: Tibetan Buddhist Sources for Christian 
Meditation. She says, as you practice, you can think “How wonderful 
it would be if everyone had happiness and its causes. May they have 
these. I shall help them to have these. Lord Jesus, please guide and 
strengthen me to be able to do so” (2013, 126). I personally don’t in-
clude the last part in my own practice, as a Buddhist, but this is one 
of those ways you can make this practice your own in the context of 
any faith. The point is that there is an aspiration towards action—to 
want to be kind in the world.

Kindness comes first. Next is compassion, which will be today’s 
meditation practice. “May all being be free from suffering and the 
causes of suffering.” Loving-kindness and compassion sometimes 
seem like we are talking about the same thing, but really they are 
meant to be complements to each other. Loving-kindness targets 
anger; compassion targets hate. Working together, they sustain 
each other—the enmity and anger we are trying to overcome with 
practicing loving-kindness is a cause of suffering, a cause of hate to 
be overcome.

When we look at compassion, we are focusing more directly on 
beings that are suffering, which is beyond wishing them happiness. 
Here we see that loving-kindness practice focuses on a potential, 
while compassion focuses on an actual. When we recognize our own 
suffering, we yearn to be free of it. Similarly, when we approach the 
suffering of others, it inspires us to action, to ease suffering. Being 
free of its causes again is recognizing the potential to be free and the 
potential that we have to free ourselves and others—it is a call to ac-
tion beyond what we do on the meditation cushion.

Right now, we can acknowledge the difficulty in practicing this 
after the last few years. Many of have suffered great illness, great 
loss. We see violence and suffering at home and abroad. What have 
we done, what can we do in the face of tragedy? In whatever ways 



276  ATLA 2022 PROCEEDINGS

we can, small and large, we aspire to not be overcome with grief, 
with our own suffering, to be of service to others in whatever ways 
we can. It is important to remember this while meditating, to show 
compassion for oneself, and to not push beyond what we are of.

How do we keep ourselves from being overwhelmed in the face 
of anger and hatred, in our acknowledgement of suffering? This is 
the third Immeasurable. “May all beings not be separated from joy 
devoid of suffering.” The term for this is “mudita” and most often is 
translated as sympathetic joy—finding delight in the joy of others. 
This works to reverse the overwhelm of compassion practice. We 
can see the suffering of the world, but we can also see the joy in it. 
Practicing delighting in the joys of others—or, in some commentar-
ies, rejoicing in the virtue and goodness of others—is targeting our 
envy, our ambition, our pride, our arrogance. It is practicing to re-
verse coveting—to desire something that belongs to another, to de-
sire their joy. When I say it balances our ambition, this is because it 
has no outward goal; it does not strive to make some kind of active 
change in the world we feel like we need to push ourselves into, 
something we can become attached to. It is simply learning to feel 
joyful in the joys and accomplishments of others—a delight for the 
good in world. This joy can be refreshing.

Finally, we have equanimity. “May all beings dwell in equanim-
ity, free from attachment and aversion.” Sometimes the end of this 
line is translated as “free from passion, aggression, and ignorance.” 
These are known as the three poisons in Buddhism, the three afflic-
tive emotions to be overcome. We practice to dwell in equanimity 
for two reasons. The first point is so that we do not get swayed by 
the emotional affect that can come from focusing on the first three 
practices. The second is to help us in moving toward a life of ser-
vice that is more universal. Attachment or passion here is clinging 
to or pulling in those experiences, people, etc. that we like, that 
make us happy. Aversion or aggression is the pushing away of those 
experiences and people we don’t like, we have disdain towards, 
we don’t agree with. The last one, ignorance, refers to an indiffer-
ence towards everything in between. In order for our kindness, 
compassion, and joy to be Immeasurable, it cannot discriminate. 
It cannot hold onto the things we love while pushing others away. 
Being in service to others to end suffering becomes universal. That 
is equanimity.



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What follows are the guided meditation instructions for the practice 
of compassion.

The meditation practice goes in stages, focusing our minds on different ob-
jects where we can focus our heart of compassion. The object of the medita-
tion is the person or persons we are focusing on as well as the wish for them 
to be free of suffering. If your mind wanders, just lightly recognize that you 
are wandering and make the conscious decision to return to the focus, the 
object of meditation.

The objects will be compassion for self, then a loved one, then a neutral person, 
then someone we dislike or with whom we have issues. We can see here we 
work with attachment, a loved one, indifference, a neutral person, and aver-
sion, someone we don’t like. Doing this for ourselves is not in a lot of traditional 
teachings, but feels pretty important in a culture where we tend to get down on 
ourselves and be our harshest critics, so we add that one in first.

Please take a comfortable upright seat, feet flat on the floor, and start by just 
resting your mind. Do this by focusing lightly on the sensation of your breath 
as it leaves your body. Just rest here for a few minutes.

Now, focus on oneself. May I be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. 
How wonderful would it be to be free of suffering and its causes. May I have 
this, may I find guidance and strength to have this. Focus on the sensation 
of suffering rather than letting your mind wander in a story about the suffer-
ing—focus on the emotion itself. The story of what caused the pain can make 
this overwhelming, particularly with the suffering in recent years. So focus on 
the feeling itself. May I be free of suffering and its causes. Meditate in this way 
for three to five minutes.

Next, move your attention to a loved one, someone you hold very dear. How 
wonderful it would be if my loved one was free of suffering and its causes. May 
they have this. I shall help them to have this. May I find guidance and strength 
to be able to do so. Meditate in this way for three to five minutes.

Next, focus on a neutral person. A cashier at your local grocery, someone you 
saw on the train last week, someone in the room you’ve never met. How won-
derful it would be if this person was free of suffering and its causes. May they 
have this. I shall help them to have this. May I find guidance and strength to 
be able to do so. Meditate in this way for three to five minutes.

Next, move your attention an enemy. Someone you dislike, have difficulty with. 
Maybe not your worst enemy, or a warlord in a far-off country—something you 
can work on without being overwhelmed. How wonderful it would be if my en-
emy was free of suffering and its causes. May they have this. I shall help them 
to have this. May I find guidance and strength to be able to do so. Meditate in 
this way for three to five minutes.

Finally, we focus on all sentient beings, starting close and moving out. Start 
with those around you, then those in the building, then the city, the country. 



278  ATLA 2022 PROCEEDINGS

Remember all sentient beings, not just people. May the birds be free, dogs and 
cats, ants and cockroaches. How wonderful it would be if my all beings were 
free of suffering and its causes. May they have this. I shall help them to have 
this. May I find guidance and strength to be able to do so. Meditate in this way 
for three to five minutes.

Once you reach a place where you cannot take your focus any larger, let go of 
the entire project. Return your focus to that simple sensation, the movement 
of the breath leaving the body. Rest here.

REFERENCES

Stabile, Susan J. 2013. Growing in Love and Wisdom: Tibetan 
Buddhist Sources for Christian Meditation. New York: Oxford 
University Press.


