Importance of Brahma Vihara

Brahma Vihara as a construct is directly implicated to social and emotional intelligence that is vital for moral uprightness in society, emotional cultivation for well being of others thus setting a strong foundation for spiritual practice and attitudes towards life in general (Sarkar, 2019). Each of the brahma vihara components are essential and to be practiced in unity and has profound implications for interpersonal, intrapersonal and collectivistic relationships. Rooted in ethical conduct and emotional balance, these four ‘sublime states’ are more than personal characteristic virtues but social tools for fostering peace and harmony (Chatterjee, 2018).

Friendliness, through a western perspective, refers to a dispositional trait characterised by kindness and concern towards all beings. The same is relevant in terms of ‘maitri’ referring to unconditional loving-kindness towards fellow beings and that which is cultivated through self- introspection, deep thinking, meditation and ethical practices (Zeng et al., 2015). 

Compassion, according to contemporary psychology, refers to a sensitivity to suffering in self and others with a mental commitment to attempt to prevent and alleviate the same, whereas ‘karuna’ refers to empathetic concern for alleviating pain and suffering (Gilbert & Choden, 2013). Thus, karuna can be seen as a spiritual parallel of compassion. 

Kindness refers to selflessly uplifting others, while providing moral and emotional support in times of need, directly correlating to the foundation of mudita or capacity to feel joy in one’s own and other’s well being (Mishra & Kumar, 2020).  Kindness, thus, has proven to result in increased psychological well being, deeper interpersonal bonds and altruistic actions. 

Emotional maturity refers to the ability of an individual to manage and express their emotions appropriately and effectively including ability to face reality, relating positively with life experiences and integration of emotions, thoughts and actions; which can also be correlated to ‘upeksha’ or equanimity of the mind in times of adversity and difficulties (Bhattacharjee, 2024). Both emotional maturity and ‘upeksha’ emphasize self regulation, especially in response to emotionally charged situations. 

Components of Brahma Vihara

I. Maitra

Maitra from a Buddhist perspective refers to the unconditional wish for happiness of all beings, opposing ill will and transcending any attachment or bias (Sarkar, 2019). However, the Vedantic perspective views this quality as universal love rooted in understanding the atman or self in all living being i.e belief that all is Brahman (Mandal, 2024). Maitri, here also is not just limited to individual bond, but extends to one’s ability to attentively listen, asking relevant questions, effective communication, having positive and constructive thoughts all of which is rooted in love and a wish for general well being of all (Tomar, 2024). 

II. Karuna

Karuna, according to the Buddhist perspective arises from kindness, and seeks to alleviate suffering of others (Sarkar, 2019). It can refer to empathetically engaging with others in pain without being personally affected by their suffering or sorrow. Karuna, in the Vedanta perspective emerges as a natural expression of compassion that is spontaneous by the knower of truth or jyani, one who has realised the non- duality of existence or Advaitha (Mandal, 2024). Empathy and compassion here, are transformative processes through which individuals practice non judgement of others, and themselves, transcend sensory experiences and gain sensitivity towards feelings and emotions of oneself and others (Tomar, 2024). 

III. Mudita

Mudita, also referred to as sympathetic joy, according the Buddhist ideology refers to the feeling of gladness for others’ success and well being, as opposed to comparison and jealousy (Sarkar, 2019). In the context of Vedantic teachings, mudita refers to the joy of recognising divine consciousness in others and feeling happy in their material and emotional upliftment (Mandal, 2024). Further, mudita can be paralleled to the joy and pride of parents in the success and well being of their children, and the replication of these feelings in persons for their fellow beings (Tomar, 2024). This requires individuals to not compare themselves with the achievements of others, understand everyone’s journeys are different, and be content and fulfilled in one’s own achievements and pursuits in life. 

IV. Upeksha

‘Upeksha’, referring to equanimity of the mind, refers to a balanced and impartial mindset, essential for sustaining the other three components of friendliness, compassion and sympathetic joy without causing burnout for the individual (Sarkar, 2019). However, the Vedantic perspective views upeksha as corresponding to vairagya (detachment) and not grounded in indifference or even midness grounded in understanding of the transient nature of worldly phenomena (Mandal, 2024). Further, it is viewed as being disinterested in criticizing others, having an attitude of indifference towards ups and downs in people’s lives (Tomar, 2024). Possessing a mindset and maturity that ‘I am not perfect’ and allowing the benefit of doubt to others before judging them, and that each person’s action is guided by their own understanding of time and circumstances, and a worldview devoid of ego and criticism are characteristics of ‘upeksha’. 

Summative Table: Core Functions & Interpretations of Brahma Vihara Components

Disturbances in Brahma Vihara

Disturbances in the Brahma Vihara indicate of inner ethical and emotinal challenges or reflecting mental defilements (kilesas) in Buddhism perspective and ignorance (avidya) in Vedantic perspectives (Mandal, 2024).  Kilesas are mental impurities that cloud thinking, preventing the arousal of the wholesome state of mind and are thus rooting in dukkha or suffering (Sarkar, 2019; Mandal, 2024). The primary kilesas are ‘lobha’ or greed, ‘dosha’ or hatred and ‘moha’ or delusion. The secondary kilesas are jealousy (icha), apathy (thina- middha) and conceit and restlesness (mana and uddhacca). Meanwhile, ‘Avidya’ refers to fundamental ignorance of the true nature of atman and its unity with the Brahman. They are chacterisied by perceiving non dualism of self and brhaman, clinging to impermenant identities and attachment to ‘maya’ or illusion (Mandal, 2024). Thus, avidya may lead to selfishness, pride, envy and self comparison with others, and creates a mental climate of insecurity and fear. 

 Score- Based Indicators

High indicators 

Persons scoring high on the BrahmaVihara profile are characterised are virtuous or highly virtuous persons. They demonstrate a highly integrated personality, are emotionally balanced, grounded and spiritually aware. They are deeply empathetic, free of eny and hatred, have relationships marked by trust and harmony with oneself and others, and are emotionally resilient. Thus they possess high emotional intelligence, have secure attachment styles and low narcissistic tendencies. These persons are described as being accepting of deeper meditative states, have greater alignment with self or ‘atman’ and are seen to be approaching Nirvana or Moksha (Sarkar, 2019).

Moderate Indicators 

Persons scoring moderately on the overall Brahma Vihara Profile are characterized as moderately virtuous in nature. They demonstrate characteristics of a person with sufficient ethical and moral awareness, emotional well being, but differing perspectives in various situations and relationships. These persons are kind and helpful to persons familiar to them, are capable of empathy but are occasionally overwhelmed by others’ pain and suffering. They are happy and joyful for others achievements and possess an equanimous mind, subject to personal involvement, gain and impact. These individuals are in the process of developing a mindset of emotional regulation, have a potential for self consciousness and growth, but may possess some cognitive biases and attachment issues. These persons require continued efforts through meditation (bhavana), wisdom (jnana/ prajna) and ethical practice in order to progress towards spiritual oneness and virtuousness.

Low Indicators 

Those persons scoring low on Brahma Vihara profile are characterised as low on virtuousness in nature. These individuals are characterized by a disturbed state of mind, that is ego centered and lacks moral and spiritual bearings, and thus indicates struggles with interpersonal relationships and inner peace. They exhibit signs of violence, hostility, judgemental behaviour and lack empathy and understanding for other fellow beings. They tend to be detached, cruel in intentions, emotionally unstable, biased, easily reactive, threatened by others’ success, insecure in nature and most often engaged in conflicts and isolated from others. They struggle to maintain trust, often correlated to unresolved trauma, depression or other psychological disturbances. These persons are thus heavily influenced by kilesas and avidya and require foundational ethical and spiritual transformation in order to progress towards well being and growth. 

Further distinctions are made for each of the Brahma Vihara components based on section wise scores obtained. 

Note. All score based indicators for Brahma Vihara components and overall indicators are referred from Sarkar (2019).