Mettha : A Tool To Resolve Mental Agony

Ven. Dr. Mirisse DhammikaThera

For successful bhavana, an individual needs to recognize the true characteristics of own mind. Since there are six character groups defined for Buddhist bhavana, this recognition will enable one to identify oneself with any one of the following personalities: raga charitha, doshacharitha, mohacharitha, buddhicharitha, vithakkhacharitha and saddhacharitha.

Mettha, loveand kindness are words that have similar meanings. Buddhism teaches Mettha while Christianity teaches love and Islam teaches brotherhood. The meaning of mettha is explained extensively in KuddhakhaNikaya of the Sutra Pitaka. The experience of love, affection or friendliness commonly known to us covers a wide range of emotions.

This experience is also described by words such as friendliness, kindness, love or affection. Easily, it is extended towards our immediate family, relatives and friends but, fades away when extended beyond them. Therefore, the commonly known love, kindness or friendliness is limited in experience. Limitations in experience contribute only to limited knowledge which in turn limits our level of perception of friendliness. Limited friendliness based on lustful desires and selfishness does not bring lasting peace and tranquility into our minds. As these qualities become ardent, unsatisfactoriness overwhelms the mindpromoting greed, ill-will and ignorance.

In the struggle for material prosperity, often, we neglect importantmoral values and get tangled by greed, hatred, ill-will and all other mental agonies. The tangle does noy allow us to realize the true nature of their manifestation. When moral and spiritual value are subdued due to these human weaknesses, it is not uncommon to experience undesirable social change as evidenced by increasednumber of mentally ill people, increased social problems such as drug and alcohol abuse, increased number in crimes and so on. A mind that is in chaos and without direction is bored. In order to shatter the boredom, the untamed mind gets involved deeper in unwholesome thoughts leading to unwholesome actions. Thus, these weaknesses lead humans further on the spiral of unwholesome state which cannot be deterred only with physical and legal means. This is felt as helplessness and hopelessness and seems to be a reason for deterioration of social values including peace and happiness. As explained by the Buddha, these primary weaknesses are ingrained more in the matrix of mind than in the physicalbody. Therefore, in the quest for a lasting solution, we have to address the root cause of the problem that overwhelms our minds leading to mental agony.

Mettha, a virtue as defined by the Buddha, can resolve the ills that agonizes the mind perpetually. In comparison to this common experience of friendliness, kindness, love or affection, mettha is a divine quality that lies dormant in each one of us. Mettha means friendliness and signifies the state of a friend. It means fraternal affection, unbounded love or friendly emotion, free from lustful attachment. It has the characteristics of beneficence, or the promotion of good will. Functioning for the good of others is the essence of its property. Its manifestation or effect is the filling of the heart with love and removal of hatred. Thus, it is a virtue that goes beyond commonly known meanings of love, affection or attachment. Occasionally, this sublime quality is experienced by the average mind when it is based on selflessness. It embraces each and every being indiscriminatelybeyond all barriers, and even remotely it does not fade away. Therefore mettha is friendliness or amity which is a limitless sublime virtue.

In the fight against greed, ill-will and ignorance, mettha is not only an essential tool but also an antidote that bring peace and tranquility into the mind which is perpetual disarray. This quality, which is usually dormant, can be developed by mental cultivation or bhavana. The mental cultivation of mettha will lead to the control of impulsiveness in the subconscious mind.

Particularly, introduction of this quality into younger minds has the potential to trigger positive changes in their character formation. In others, it would trigger positive changes by minimizing the unwholesome thoughts and habits. At any level, mettha can bring only positive results. Anyone who is exposed to mind cultivation would develop into a personality with high esteem based on moral values irrespective of religious background. If this can be developed into a daily practice, formation of socially acceptable high moral values along with personality development will result in new and pleasant habits that bring peace and happiness not only to the individual but also to society at large.

Thus, metthabhavanacan be used as a progressive tool in the cognitive and spiritual development of the members in our society.

In order to achieve positive social changes, firstly, our thoughts need to be wholesome. In brief, we need to cultivate non-attachment, friendliness and good-will. As thoughts leads to words and actions, our mind requires a certain discipline related to thoughts in our effort to maximize wholesome thoughts. From practice we know that this can be achieved by metthabhavana. Even though it seems that different cultures have different approaches in dealing with these issues, Buddhist bhavanais universal and equally applicable to any human being who is determined and would like to explore reality on a “do-it” your-self” basis. This is a method that cannot be performed by one on behalf of someone else. It is a direct experience resulting essentially in self-realization.

For successful bhavana, an individual needs to recognize the true characteristics of own mind. Since there are six character groups defined for Buddhist bhavana, this recognition will enable one to identify oneself with any one of the following personalities: raga charitha, doshacharitha, mohacharitha, buddhicharitha, vithakkhacharitha and saddhacharitha.

When one has identified the group correctly, it is easy for one to pick the most suitable method for bhavana. However, irrespective of the nature of the character, mettha leads to cessation of greed, ill-will, or the pugnacious tendency of the chaotic mind. The bhavana which is based on the concept of mettha can remove all defiling thoughts from the mind and restore its pristine purity. Eradication of impulsiveness within the mind through Bhavana results in a pure and a powerful mind. Thus, Buddhist bhavana, is indispensable as a tool in the process of purification of mind from anger and malice. Mettha contributes to the development of a pleasant mental attitude within man in relation to his society as well as to his fellow beings in the external word.

Identification of mettha in its true and correct context and inducing it into the mind that has recognized the true nature of own self is not an easy task. Even though it appears to be beyond human comprehension, this is realistic and is achievable. Application of mettha in the mind is not as simple as it may seem. Therefore, I wish to research by analyzing and examining the human mind which is in continuous agony due to defilements and to introduce the divine virtue of mettha as an important tool in relieving mental agony and unsatisfactoriness of life along the path discussed in various discourses in the Abhidhamma and Sutra Pitaka.