A monk plays the cymbals during a ritual at the Yungdrung Bon monastery of Triten Norbutse near Kathmandu, Nepal
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Spiritual Discipline
1936 Gyantse, Tibet
In order to accomplish the benefits of a spiritual practice, it can be necessary to be removed from the ordinary world. Here, a monk poses in front of a closed retreat hut. Inside, the retreatant is in complete isolation except for this small opening through which food is passed each day. These types of retreats continue for 49 days, 100 days and sometimes for years.
The Four Immeasurable Qualities: Compassion
One of the Four Immeasurable Qualities is ‘Compassion‘. In the Tibetan language, it is ‘Nying jé‘. Nying jé is the practice and aspiration that all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. Training the mind to feel an authentic quality of compassion towards all beings, one sets the intention that all actions arising from one’s body, speech and mind will help to alleviate the suffering of all beings that one encounters either directly or indirectly.
The Four Immeasurable Qualities: Love
One of the Four Immeasurable Qualities is ‘Love‘. In the Tibetan language, it is ‘Jampa‘. Jampa is the practice and aspiration that all beings have happiness and the causes for happiness. Training to feel an authentic quality of love towards all beings, one sets the intention that all actions arising from one’s body, speech and mind will support the happiness of all beings that one encounters either directly or indirectly.
The Four Immeasurable Qualities: Equanimity
One of the Four Immeasurable Qualities is ‘Equanimity‘. In the Tibetan language, it is ‘Tang Nyom‘. Tang Nyom is the practice and aspiration to perceive all beings in the same way rather than with the bias of the labels ‘friend’ or ‘enemy’. Seeing them otherwise is due to a lack of understanding of the true nature of reality. Therefore, it is important to train the mind to perceive all beings with a benevolent attitude and cultivate the authentic quality of Equanimity, or Tang Nyom, towards all beings.