Love as the basis of Spiritual Growth ...Ven. Prof. Dhammavihari
Thera
http://www.metta.lk/english/wwyng2.htm
Let us see how Buddhism presents and develops its concept of love
or respect and concern for all that lives. The Buddha preached and
maintained that all life in the universe is a product of natural
evolution, each little thing therein in the diverse eco-systems
possessing its own right to exist. This thinking blossomed out in
Buddhism's greatest contribution to mankind, namely the concept of
mettà [Skt. maitrã ] or universal loving kindness. One loves every
other thing in the universe in a direct relationship of one to
another, without a mediator or creator. We are, after all, in the
world we live in, a part of a complete network. Inspite of our
differences, we are integrated into a whole and each one of us
loves to be loved. Therefore harmony and healthy relationships of
one to another are considered a must which necessarily leads to a
smooth running order in the universe.
Striking a very high note as it were, in his personal admonition to
his own son Rahula in the Mahàràhulovàda Sutta [ M.1.424 ], the
Buddha tells that the cultivation and practice of mettà or
universal loving kindness, dispels the unwholesome mental frame
called enmity or hostility. It eliminates the possibility of
'coming into conflict with' those around us. This conflict and
confrontation is referred to as vyàpàda and is considered as
leading thereafter to violence or vihimsà. [Mettaü hi te Ràhula
bhàvanaü bhàvayato yo vyàpàdo so pahãyissati. loc.cit.].
In loving via the medium of mettà, one expects nothing back as a
return or reward. Love in mettà knows of no bleeding hearts, with
or without arrows piercing through them. This concept of love also
brings along with it the cognate virtue of equality [or egalite].
In love, all have to become equal, and where honest equality
prevails love must know no barriers, as known or unknown, friendly
or otherwise. Not even as I and another. The amount of love one is
required to give to others cannot in any way be less than what one
wishes and expects others to bestow upon oneself.
Phrases like ' He who loves himself harms not another ' [Tasmà na
hiüse paraü attakàmo as at S.1.75] or ' Taking oneself as the norm
[i.e. that one likes to be loved and treated with respect ] let one
cause no harm or injury to others ' [Attànaü upamaü katvà na
haneyya na ghàtaye as at Dhp. v. 129] clearly indicate the Buddhist
self-stand [attåpanàyika] judgement in the practice of love towards
others. This applies to all grades of life
[sabba-pàõa-bhåta-hita-anukampã], literally all living things.To
us, this practice of love does not appear as an injunction that one
must love oneself first, and then and thereafter, extend love to
others. The direction given is that one must love others to the
same extent that one wishes to be loved by others. That is the
meaning of attànaü upamaü katvà = taking oneself as the model of
loving. It certainly does not mean giving priority to
oneself.
The Buddhist concept of love has the capacity to extend not only
from human to animal but also from animal to the world of plants as
well. There are schools of scientists in the world today who
maintain that the world of plants also yearn for love and care.
They claim that plants react very specifically to human emotions
like love and cruelty in their own way. Besides, the plants as an
integral part of our ecosystem have to be treated with utmost
respect and recognition. For in the guarantee of their survival
lies our own survival. There seems to be very little doubt about
that. We shall discuss elsewhere, from the Buddhist point of view,
about their being animate or inanimate, sentient or insentient. At
any rate, it appears to be the greatest day in the life of a
Buddhist saint when he sees no difference between his own body of
flesh and blood and the trees and the grass that grow in the wild
around him. So wishes Thera Tàlapuña in verse No. 1101 of the
Theragàthà.
When will that ever be, when I can compare
All infinite components of which I am made,
Those within me, with those without
Like trees and grass and creepers that trail ?
Seeing them all equal , well and true !
When will such vision , mine ever be ?
[Translated by the author]
Kadà nu kaññhe ca tiõe latà ca khandhe ime ' haü amite ca
dhamme
Ajjhattikàn ' eva ca bàhiràni samaü tuleyyaü tadidaü kadà me. Thag.
v.1101
In Buddhism, this practice of universal loving kindness or mettà is
called ' the Godly way of living ' or brahma-vihàra. It knows no
revenge. It is one of four gradually upgraded qualities of love.
Collectively they are also called 'sates of unbounded or
magnanimous living' : appamàna-vihàra or appama??a. The other three
are compassion or karuõà , appreciative [not sympathetic] joy or
mudità and equanimity or upekkhà . We wish to stress here
adequately the word living [vihàra]. These aspects of love cannot
remain as mere thoughts in one's head or as mere wishes on one's
lips. They must necessarily get translated into a philosophy of
living. It must indeed be lived. If wishes were horses, then
beggars would be kings. By virtue of their being life-toners, they
are literally soul-elevating. They enrich our lives as we live that
way. Hence they are called Brahma-vihàra , i.e. Godly or Heavenly
Modes of Living.
At the same time, universal loving kindness [or universal
acceptance of friendship with everything that lives] practiced in
this manner contributes to the much needed Buddhist virtue of
ego-destruction or ridding oneself of the menacing notion of I and
mine [ahaükàra- mamiükàra- mànànusaya ]. This absence of ego is the
basic character of the goal of Nirvana. The over-inflation of the
ego or self-hood is said to stand in the way of true happiness in
this life as well as in the way of final release out of the painful
round of births and deaths of saüsàra. It warps and distorts good
human relationships. It takes the lubricants off our interpersonal
relationships.
Because we know we love ourselves and we know love plays such a
great role in our lives, let us give this freely to others. Let
none in the world we live in suffer for want of love. And let none
suffer because we do not truly practice love towards all that live,
like ourselves. Let us not forget our callous disrespect for the
lives of others and the pain we thereby bring upon them.
