So let's take a few minutes to check our motivation and try to make sure we have a really good,
Positive,
Altruistic motivation.
So one way we can do that is to just go through the prayer of the four measurables a little more slowly contemplating the meaning.
Because sometimes we might recite the words very quickly while our mind is wandering elsewhere.
It's really nice to spend a bit of time contemplating the meaning of each of these four lines of the prayer,
Which express the four measurable thoughts.
So the first one is immeasurable love or loving kindness.
See if you can get a feeling for how wonderful it would be if all living beings,
Human beings and other kinds of beings everywhere in the world,
Everywhere in the universe could have happiness and peace and all the positive experiences.
And wish them also to have the causes of happiness,
Which are virtuous thoughts,
Virtuous states of mind and positive ways of behaving,
Good karma ethics.
And then compassion.
Feel how wonderful it would be if all living beings everywhere could be free of all forms of suffering,
Both physical suffering like sickness,
Pain,
And also mental suffering such as grief,
Anxiety,
Depression.
And may they be free from the causes of suffering,
Which are non-virtuous states of mind such as hatred and greed and non-virtuous ways of behaving like killing and harming and stealing.
May they stop these as much as possible.
And then there's immeasurable joy,
Which is being happy for the happiness of others and wishing them to continuously experience happiness in the future such as the happiness of fortunate rebirths in their future lives and eventually complete liberation from the whole of cyclic existence,
The cycle of death and rebirth.
So feel how wonderful if all living beings could have such experiences.
And finally,
Equanimity.
So this involves wishing everyone,
Ourselves and others,
To be free of the strong emotions of attachment and aversion that cause us to like some people and dislike or even hate others and instead have a balanced state of mind,
An even,
Impartial state of mind towards everyone,
All beings.
So see if you can feel how wonderful it would be if all of us,
Ourselves and others,
Could reach this state of equanimity.
So on the basis of such thoughts,
Such positive wishes,
See if you can connect that with what we are doing here this morning.
May our activities here of listening to the Dharma,
Thinking about it,
Meditating on it,
May it help to bring about what we just wished for,
Happiness,
Freedom from suffering and eventually liberation and enlightenment for ourselves and all other beings.
