The Brahmaviharas, also known as the Divine Abidings or Immeasurables, are four Buddhist meditation practices that help us arouse the heart's wisdom.

They form a progressive series of meditations, starting with loving-kindness, exploring the interaction of loving-kindness with suffering and joy, and culminating in an insightful appreciation of the impermanent nature of both the highs and the lows that occur in our lives.

Through the practice of the Brahmaviharas we can come to a profound sense of peace, an almost divine release from expectations, from judgment, from disappointment, and from the desire to control what is beyond our power to control. With this release arises a profound sense of calmness and a deep and enduring level of patience, a powerful sense of stillness and non-reactivity.

We can arrive eventually at a deep acceptance of reality that is the fullness of the heart s wisdom.

About the Author
Bodhipaksa is a Buddhist teacher and author who has been practicing since 1982.