WHILE NUMEROUS Buddhist traditions consider the four immeasurables—loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity—an important group of principles and practices, it’s not easy to find consensus on how to apply them.
Do we engage in active contemplation of the four immeasurables as we sit in meditation? Do they refer to a state achieved in meditation? Are they a state of mind we maintain throughout the day? Are they a multifaceted practice to be lived out among other beings?
All the above is true. The practice of the four immeasurables helps ourselves and others, for only by giving selflessly with our actions, speech, and thoughts do we truly find joy. To understand this, let us first define the four immeasurables:
