Non-Aggression and Art

Four Immeasurables/Brahmaviharas

  • 514ENon-Aggression and Art
    Create art with a gentle, non-aggressive attitude toward self and process, and evaluate the balance between enjoyment and healthy precision/self-critique.
  • 442EFour Immeasurables Overview
    Analyze the distinctive qualities and antidotes of each immeasurable by examining their progression from conditional to unconditional states, evaluate how systematic cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity transforms relationships with all beings, and implement guided meditation practices that demonstrate the expansion from limited affection to boundless regard for all sentient beings.
  • 413EMountain-like Equanimity
    Evaluate what it means to be influenced by external circumstances; and implement the slogan—“don’t be swayed by external circumstances”—in your daily life.
  • 407ESympathetic Joy
    Analyze the nature of sympathetic joy; guide unscripted meditation practices for cultivating this quality; and develop the practice of responding by rejoicing when witnessing others’ happiness.
  • 140EEquanimity versus Apathy
    Analyze the critical distinction between equanimity and apathy by examining how each responds to witnessing harm or injustice; evaluate when compassionate action requires skillful intervention versus accepting what cannot be changed; and implement discernment practices that demonstrate caring engagement without emotional overwhelm, using skillful means to address harmful situations while maintaining inner balance and open-heartedness.
  • 139EEngaging with Equanimity
    Analyze how attachment to idealistic expectations creates suffering in social engagement; evaluate how equanimity enables balanced responsiveness to change while maintaining compassion; and implement community service approaches that demonstrate neither detached indifference nor rigid attachment to outcomes.
  • 121EEmpathy and Compassion
    Differentiate between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassion by analyzing how each contributes to understanding others’ perspectives and experiences; evaluate how dependent origination explains the uniqueness of individual viewpoints using examples like “The Blind Men and the Elephant”; and implement mindful listening and perspective-taking practices that cultivate empathy and transform it into compassionate action for alleviating others’ suffering.
  • 129EThe Buddha’s Equanimity
    Analyze the Buddha’s demonstration of equanimity in the kusa grass story by examining how he transcended social hierarchies and caste distinctions; evaluate how treating all beings with equal dignity challenges contemporary forms of bias and discrimination; and implement practices of unconditional respect that demonstrate recognition of innate goodness in all people regardless of their social status, background, or relationship to oneself.
  • 406ALoving-Kindness
    Listen to stories about characters who feel safe and happy when showing and receiving kindness, act out scenes where friendship and care create joy and trust, and share personal stories about times when kindness made them feel warm and secure.

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