As I verify the orthodoxtheravada website, I will post here:
The page format is in MD which is the same format as our discourse website, but i need to fix the links (with our internal CT discourse AI it is easy).
Come and join me with the exploration. It is fun and educational! Send me a message.
verified.
Overview
When a monk or layperson finds anger (dosa) or resentment (āghāta) arising toward another person, they must actively subdue it before it burns their own mind and leads to unwholesome kamma. Venerable Sāriputta outlined five progressive psychological tools to completely remove hatred from the mind.
The List
-
Mettā bhāvetabbā - Developing Loving-kindness: If resentment arises toward someone, one should actively cultivate goodwill and wishing for their happiness, overpowering the anger with love.
-
Karuṇā bhāvetabbā - Developing Compassion: If loving-kindness fails, one should reflect on the suffering that person is creating for themselves through their unwholesome actions, generating pity and compassion for their inevitable kammic pain.
-
Upekkhā bhāvetabbā - Developing Equanimity: If compassion fails, one should detach and observe the person with strict neutrality, refusing to let one’s own mind be shaken.
-
Asatiamanasikāro āpajjitabbo - Ignoring and Forgetting: If equanimity fails, one should simply stop paying attention to the person. Like closing one’s eyes to avoid seeing something unpleasant, one deliberately directs attention elsewhere.
-
Kammassakatā upasaṃharitabbā - Reflecting on the Ownership of Kamma: The ultimate tool. Reflecting, “This person is the owner of their kamma, heir to their kamma. They will inherit whatever they do.” Concurrently, realizing, “If I stay angry, I am creating bad kamma that I will inherit.”
Textual References
- Canonical: Āghātapaṭivinaya Sutta (AN 5.161) – Ven. Sāriputta lists these five methods to the monks for subduing all traces of ill-will.