Tag: Brahma Vihara

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 11, 2021

Four Byamaso Taya

• Metta
  Unbounded Love / Loving Kindness
• Karuna
  Compassion
• Mudita
  Altruistic Joy or Sympathetic Joy
• Uppekkha
  Equanimity

Karuna

• Pali term
• Rendered as Compassion
• One of the four Bhamaso Taya

• Buddha is called “The Compassionate One”
• Mahayana Buddhists emphasize the importance of Compassion

• Sayadaw U Sobhana (GBNF) had four Indonesian siblings as his students.
  Named one of them Karuna.
  She was present at Sayadaw’s Last Journey.

• U Moe Myint (M76) and several alumni are members of the “Karuna Ah Thinn” in Singapore.
  One activitiy is to help the needy for the Last Journey of their loved one.

• We saw an outpouring of Karuna in the relief efforts for Disaster Recovery (e.g. Cyclone Nargis)

Practicing Karuna

• May suffering ones be suffering-free
• And the fear-struck fearless be
• May the grieving shed all grief
• And all beings find relief

Mudita

• Pali term.
• Rendered as Altruistic Joy or Sympathetic Joy
• One of the four Bhamaso Taya
• One should feel joyful when one hears good news about others.

Myanmar Mudita Sar Saung

• Saya U Nyunt Htay (Met73) is Chief Editor
• Contributor : Tekkatho Moe War (U Moe Aung)
  

Upekkha

• Pali term
• Rendered as Neutral [Feeling]
• Also translated as Equanimity
• One of the four Bhamaso Taya

In a loose usage in Burmese, “Upekkha Shu” means “ignore”. It is not representative of the importance of Upekkha, which provides a balance of life and avoids the two extremes stated in the Dhammacakka Sutta

It is non-trivial to sense Upekkha while practicing Vipassana (Insight) Meditation.

Feelings may be be categorized as

• Pleasant Feeling
• Unpleasant Feeling
• Non-Pleasant and Non-Unpleasant Feeling

Upekkha is synonymous with “Non-Pleasant and Non-Unpleasant Feeling”.