Hyridaya: The Spiritual Heart

“The only beauty that lasts is the beauty of the Heart.”

-Rumi

Hyridaya: The Spiritual Heart

The heart is one of the most sacred wisdom centers in the body. Hyridaya - the essence of the heart is more than just an organ, nor is it limited to the cavity of the chest. The hyridaya is the spiritual heart that hosts the Loving Witness - it exists beyond our preferences, beyond suffering, beyond thought, beyond duality, even beyond definition. The Tao would say the heart has the capacity love the entire world, holding the 10,000 joys and the 10,000 sorrows. 

To touch the hyridaya, we must bring forth and embody qualities that awaken the heart. The Buddha instructed to practice the Four Immeasurables (often referred to as the Four Friends or Divine Abodes) to de-armor the heart.  These included the virtuous qualities of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha).

We use practices to cultivate the heart of a bodhisattva (enlightened love), radiating these qualities out to all beings, including ourselves, strangers, loved ones, and even challengers. 

Metta: Loving-kindness towards all. This is the hope that a person will be well. Loving-kindness is the wish that all sentient beings, without any exception, have happiness.

Karuna: Compassion. Compassion is the hope that a person’s suffering will diminish; It is the with for all sentient beings to be free from suffering.

Mudita: Joy. Joy is an altruistic joy in the accomplishments of a person, oneself, or other.

Sympathetic joy is the wholesome attitude of rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of all sentient beings.The cultivation of sympathetic joy is also an antidote to envy and jealousy. 

Upekkha: Equanimity. Equanimity is learning to accept both loss and gain, praise and blame, success and failure, with detachment equally for oneself and others. Equanimity means, “not to distinguish between friend, enemy or stranger, but to regard every sentient being as equal". It is a clear-minded, tranquil state of mind – the ability to extend love to all.

Four Immeasurables Prayer:

May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.

May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.

May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without suffering.

May they remain in the boundless equanimity, free from attachment. 

Four Immeasurables Practice:

Begin by bringing your attention to your heart. Listen to the inner pulsation. Feel your heart get soften with every exhale, releasing tension surrounding your chest. 

First extend this practice to a loved one (apter, friend, child, parent, pet), the a stranger (person next to you in traffic, check-out person at grocery store), then a person who you view as difficult. Then extend this practice to yourself.

Metta: May all beings be happy.

Imagine this person/yourself genuinely happy. Laughing with their friends, receiving love and appreciation from dear ones. 

Karuna: May all beings be free from suffering.

Recognize this person/yourself, like any other human, has experienced suffering. Understand that suffering in all forms to anyone is difficult. Knowing this person has suffered, extend a soft smile, an easy exhale or a hug - wishing them free from their suffering.

Mudita: May all beings feel joy.

Imagine this person/yourself joyous. Wishing them success and abundance in what they love. Imagine them winning the lottery or celebrating their accomplishments. 

Upekka: May all beings be free.

Recognize the goodness within this person. Knowing that love has no bounds, no limits. This person is worthy and deserving of love.