What is Brahmavihara?
Brahmavihara (Pali and Sanskrit: brahma-vihāra, literally “abode of Brahma”) refers to a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. The four sublime states are the lofty mental states of love, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. The four states are:
- Mettā (loving-kindness): unconditional goodwill toward all beings
- Karuṇā (compassion): the wish for suffering to end
- Muditā (sympathetic joy): joy in others’ happiness and success
- Upekkhā (equanimity): balanced, non-reactive awareness
They are also known as the four immeasurables (Pāli: appamaññā) or four infinite minds. The brahmavihāras are described as mental attitudes that, when cultivated, make the mind “Brahma-like”—free from hatred, expansive, and boundless. They are called abodes (vihara) because they should become the mind’s constant dwelling-places where we feel “at home”, not merely temporary states visited occasionally.
Origins & Lineage
In the Pali Canon, the brahmavihāras first appear explicitly as a set of four meditative attitudes in the Tevijja Sutta (DN 13), where the Buddha instructs two young brahmins, Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja, on the true path to union with Brahmā. The Metta Sutta (Sutta Nipata 1.8, also known as the Karaniya Metta Sutta) provides an early detailed exposition of mettā specifically. Three of the four immeasurables, namely maitrī, karuṇā, and upekṣā, are found in the later Upanishads, while all four are found with slight variations in Jainism literature, indicating pre-Buddhist origins.
In the Theravada tradition, the Brahmaviharas receive a systematic and detailed exposition in Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification), composed in the 5th century CE, where they are presented as key samatha (tranquility) practices among the 40 meditation subjects designed to develop concentration leading to jhāna absorption. Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Indian Theravādin Buddhist commentator, translator, and philosopher who worked in the great monastery at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka.
The tradition distinguishes between cultivating these qualities through ethical conduct in daily life and through formal meditation practice aimed at achieving deep concentration states (jhāna). According to Richard Gombrich, the Buddhist usage of the brahmavihārā originally referred to an awakened state of mind and a concrete attitude towards other beings which was equal to “living with Brahman” here and now, though later tradition took those descriptions too literal, linking them to cosmology and understanding them as rebirth in the Brahma world.
How It’s Practiced
Brahmavihara meditation typically begins with mettā practice. At Spirit Rock, the primary method is from the Burmese vipassanā lineage of Mahāsī Sayādaw, based on the Visuddhimagga, and uses the repetition of phrases of well-wishing paired with visualization of a series of beings, starting with individuals and then opening to categories of beings. Traditional instructions direct practitioners to begin with themselves, then extend the quality to a benefactor, a dear friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and finally to all beings in all directions.
Common mettā phrases include: “May you be safe, may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease.” For karuṇā: “May you be free from suffering.” For muditā: “May your joy continue.” For upekkhā: “I care for your welfare, but cannot control your happiness.”
The practice involves both the intentional cultivation of these attitudes and the development of deep concentration. The practical aim is to achieve, with the help of these sublime states, those high stages of mental concentration called jhana, “meditative absorption.” The meditations on love, compassion and sympathetic joy may each produce the attainment of the first three absorptions, while the meditation on equanimity will lead to the fourth jhana only.
Practitioners typically work with one brahmavihāra at a time, though all four can be seen as facets of a single capacity. The practice involves both formal seated meditation and informal cultivation throughout daily activities—responding to others’ suffering with compassion, to their joy with sympathetic gladness, and maintaining equanimity when one cannot directly help.
Brahmavihara Today
Western teachers describe training with Sayadaw U Pandita and for the first time engaging in intensive long-term practice of the brahmaviharas. The profound impact of this pairing—U Pandita’s precise energetic style of mindfulness practice with brahmavihara practice—on the way in which Buddhist meditation is taught in the West is abundantly evident.
In 1974, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein founded the Insight Meditation Society at Barre, Massachusetts, and Salzberg’s emphasis is on vipassanā (insight) and mettā (loving-kindness) methods. Salzberg’s 1995 book Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness became influential in popularizing mettā meditation in the West. Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, founded in 1987, similarly emphasizes brahmavihara practice alongside insight meditation.
Contemporary practitioners encounter brahmavihara meditation in:
- Multi-day silent retreats at centers like Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and similar centers worldwide
- Mettā (loving-kindness) meditation classes and online courses
- Integration with secular mindfulness programs
- Therapeutic contexts, where mettā practice addresses anger, self-criticism, and relational difficulties
- Daily practice through apps, guided recordings, and informal cultivation
The practices have been adapted for secular contexts while retaining their emphasis on training the heart-mind in unconditional positive regard for all beings.
Common Misconceptions
Brahmavihara practice is not about forcing positive feelings or engaging in spiritual bypassing. The practices involve intention and attention rather than manufacturing emotions. Part of the power of the Brahmaviharas comes from the intention to love, not just the feelings or emotions themselves.
Brahmavihara meditation is not the same as affirmations or positive thinking. The traditional teachings acknowledge that cultivating these states toward difficult people requires skillful methods and can take considerable time.
The practices are not purely emotional. They involve ethical conduct, concentration development, and can lead to jhāna absorption states. The ultimate aim of attaining the jhanas on the Brahmaviharas is to produce a state of mind that can serve as a firm basis for the liberating insight into the true nature of all phenomena.
Equanimity (upekkhā) is often misunderstood as indifference or detachment. Rather, it represents a balanced mind that remains responsive and caring while not becoming overwhelmed or reactive.
How to Begin
Begin with a simple mettā practice: Sit comfortably, bring to mind someone you care about, and silently repeat phrases like “May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease.” Notice any warmth or openness that arises. After several minutes, direct the same phrases toward yourself. Practice for 10-15 minutes daily.
For structured instruction, Sharon Salzberg’s Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (1995) provides accessible guidance. Jack Kornfield’s teachings on the brahmaviharas, available through Spirit Rock and various recordings, offer depth rooted in traditional practice.
Find a local insight meditation center or Buddhist center that offers brahmavihara instruction. Many centers offer introductory mettā classes or day-long retreats before longer residential retreats. Online resources include guided meditations from Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and teachers trained in the Theravada tradition.
Consider attending a residential retreat focused on brahmavihara practice after establishing a foundation in basic meditation. These typically range from weekend retreats to 10-day or month-long intensives.