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BOOKS IN BRIEF

existence and all that it entails with wrong When we see all beings as one, that we
perception that negative attitudes arise. Thus interpenetrate everything else in the universe,
our greatest enemy is ignorance which must the need to ‘tolerate simply falls apart. Of
be eradicated by understanding its nature. course, this supreme wisdom is not easy to
gain but the Buddhist Path includes many
Perhaps the greatest breakthrough made practices which help one to perceive this
by the Buddha on understanding the nature Oneness, among the best known of which
of existence was when he discovered that is the practice of Brahma Vihāra (Divine
what we mistake for a person with a body Dwelling) There are four Brahma Vihāras:
and a soul is in reality nothing more than Mettā (Universal benevolence) Karuṇā
a constantly changing set of five processes (Compassion) Muditā (Sympathetic Joy) and
which give rise to the notion of an ‘I’. This false Upekkhā (Equanimity). When we practice
sense of an ego gives rise to attachment to not mettā we radiate a sense of well-being and
only physical objects but to mental activities friendliness towards all beings that exist
as well. in the cosmos, seen and unseen. Similarly,
compassion transcends all barriers. Muditā is
Saddled with this false sense of an enduring joy at the happiness of others and Equanimity
self we attach ourselves concepts and ideas is when we rise above all emotions and
of our own making and cling to them while view everything that with impartiality and
we struggle to oppose the ideas which are benevolence with an unperturbed mind. It
created by others. However, if we examine the is easy to see that when one practices the
nature of existence impartially we will see Brahma Viharas without conditions (they are
that all phenomena have three characteristics: described as illimitables) petty differences
Impermanence, Unsatisfactoriness and regarding ‘yours’ and ‘mine’ simply fall apart.
Self-lessness. By successfully penetrating The question of ‘tolerance simply does not
the nature of existence we discover that all arise!
phenomena is empty, the world is mind-made.
The root of hatred is ignorance which creates
Mind is the forerunner of all states erroneous conceptions of ‘my’ and ‘mine’.
Mind is chief, mind made are they But wisdom destroys egoism and shows that
Dhammapada verse 1 concepts such as ‘things’ and ‘persons’ are in
reality empty. Wisdom leads to compassion
This ability to see the non-reality of the and all-inclusiveness. Ven Sangharakshita says
world and its components is call Wisdom. “Buddhism, since it annihilates the erroneous
With Wisdom we destroy the tendency to conception of unchanging separate selfhood
discriminate between ‘self’ and ‘others’. stifles as it were ignorance, lust and hatred
Naturally when there is wisdom there is in the womb, and permanently precludes the
compassion as we see everything as equal. possibility of violence being used even for the
Dhammapada verse 130 describes it as advancement of its own tenets” EH
Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā or comparing others
with onself.