解脫道論 慈心總說與忿恨過患

The first doorway at the opening of the four immeasurables is loving-kindness. Parents see their only child and arouse loving-kindness and a mind seeking the child's benefit; extending a mind of loving-kindness and benefit to all beings is what the source calls loving-kindness. Its benefits number eleven, beginning with peaceful sleeping, peaceful waking, and having no bad dreams, and ending with death without confusion and birth in the Brahmā world. The section on practice then states directly: first contemplate the dangers of anger and the qualities of patience, and cause the mind to receive and retain patience.

When anger first arises, it burns up loving-kindness and makes the mind turbid. Eight clauses then begin with “from this it grows”: the face frowns, the mouth speaks evil words, one looks in the four directions, the hand grasps a blade or cudgel, one vomits blood through anger, one scatters one's wealth, one smashes objects, and one kills another or oneself. All eight remain in their source order.

The self-reflection section gives in sequence four similes: one who delights in bathing returns into filth; a physician himself contracts cholera; a painted vessel contains filth; and a wise person knowingly eats mixed poison. It then first says that a person bitten by a poisonous snake who has medicine but refuses to take it “delights in suffering and does not delight in happiness,” and uses the same words for a bhikkhu who does not quickly subdue anger after it arises. The final nine losses, in source order, are: being laughed at by enemies; causing friends to feel ashamed; being despised despite deep virtue; turning from honored to lightly regarded; having one's praise subjected to slander; seeking happiness and obtaining suffering; changing from unmoving to moved; changing from sighted to blind; and changing from intelligent to foolish.

Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · General Account of Loving-Kindness and the Dangers of Anger · Doorway · Summer 2026

Questions and Definition

Question: What is loving-kindness? What is its cultivation? What are its characteristic, function, and arising? What benefits does it have? How is it practiced?

Answer: It is like parents who have only one child. They love and cherish the child, and on seeing the child they arouse loving-kindness and a mind that seeks the child's benefit. In the same way, a mind of loving-kindness and a mind seeking the benefit of all beings are called loving-kindness.

For this mind to abide without distraction is called cultivation. Causing a mind of benefit to arise is its characteristic; loving and cherishing is its function; absence of anger is its arising.

Eleven Benefits

Cultivating loving-kindness brings eleven benefits: one sleeps peacefully, wakes peacefully, and has no bad dreams; one is loved by humans and by nonhumans; devas protect one; fire, poison, blades, and cudgels do not touch one's body; the mind quickly becomes concentrated; the complexion is pleasing and radiant; and one dies without confusion. If one has not attained a superior dhamma, one is born in the Brahmā world.

Beginning the Practice: The Dangers of Anger and the Qualities of Patience

How is it practiced? A beginning meditator who wishes to cultivate loving-kindness first contemplates the dangers of anger and the qualities of patience. The mind should receive and retain patience.

The Growth of Anger

How should the dangers of anger be contemplated?

When anger first arises in a person, it burns up loving-kindness and makes the mind turbid. The source then repeats “from this it grows” eight times: the face frowns; the mouth speaks evil words; one looks in the four directions; the hand grasps a blade or cudgel; one vomits blood through anger; one scatters one's wealth; one smashes objects; and finally one may kill another or kill oneself. These eight are given here in their source order.

Furthermore, if a person continually harbors anger, one may kill one's parents, kill an arahant, split the Saṅgha, or maliciously draw blood from the Buddha's body, thus committing such fearful deeds. This is how one should contemplate.

Self-Reflection

One should further reflect in this way: I am called a disciple. If I do not cut off anger, it is a cause for shame. I should recollect what is said in the Sūtra of the Simile of the Saw. This passage gives only the scripture's title and does not reproduce its words.

I delight in wholesome dhammas. If I now allow anger to grow, I become repellent, like a person who delights in bathing but then goes back into filth.

I am learned. If I still have not subdued anger, people will reject and disdain me, like a physician who himself contracts cholera.

The next sentence reads 我為世所為貴. How its two occurrences of 為 should be divided is unclear, and four witnesses omit one 為; no character is therefore deleted and no punctuation is imposed on the base text. The source continues: if I do not remove anger, people will reject and disdain me, like a painted vessel that contains filth and is left uncovered.

If a person has wisdom yet still gives rise to anger, it is like knowingly eating food mixed with poison.

The Snake Simile

Why? Because anger is most to be cast aside and produces a painful result.

It is like a person bitten by a poisonous snake who has an antidote but refuses to take it. Such a person may be known as one who delights in suffering and does not delight in happiness. In the same way, if anger arises in a bhikkhu and he does not quickly subdue it, that bhikkhu may be known as one who delights in suffering and does not delight in happiness.

Why? Because anger is most fearful.

The Losses of One Who Is Angry

Anger should also be contemplated in this way: one who harbors anger is laughed at by enemies and makes friends feel ashamed. Even if one has deep virtue, one is despised; though formerly honored, one instead comes to be lightly regarded; and praise already gained is all subjected to slander. Seeking happiness becomes suffering; what was unmoving becomes moved; one who has eyes becomes blind; one who was intelligent becomes foolish.

The dangers of anger should be contemplated through these items.

Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · General Account of Loving-Kindness and the Dangers of Anger · Vernacular · Summer 2026

Loving-kindness is the first of the four immeasurables. One feature should be seen at the outset: this passage bears the name of loving-kindness, yet most of its length counts the dangers of anger. After posing seven questions, establishing the definition, and listing eleven benefits, the author gives the eight clauses beginning “from this it grows,” four similes of self-reflection, and nine losses suffered by one who is angry. The sequence on the page is: “How is it practiced? A beginning meditator who wishes to cultivate loving-kindness first contemplates the dangers of anger and the qualities of patience. The mind should receive and retain patience” 〔T32 435a19–21〕. The cultivation of loving-kindness begins by contemplating the dangers of anger and the qualities of patience and by receiving and retaining patience. The whole passage first unfolds the dangers of anger in that order.

The Only-Child Simile: Defining Loving-Kindness

“Question: What is loving-kindness? What is its cultivation? What are its characteristic, function, and arising? What benefits does it have? How is it practiced?” 〔T32 435a11–12〕. Seven questions open the doorway. The last asks “How is it practiced?” whereas the last question in each of the later doorways on compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity has a one-character difference, asking “What does its cultivation consist in?” The difference is retained without harmonization. The answer begins with a simile: “It is like parents who have only one child. They love and cherish the child, and on seeing the child they arouse loving-kindness and a mind that seeks the child's benefit. In the same way, a mind of loving-kindness and a mind seeking the benefit of all beings are called loving-kindness” 〔T32 435a12–14〕. The definition begins not from a concept but from particular persons: parents looking upon their only child. Their look contains two things, loving concern and seeking the child's benefit—not merely finding the child lovable but wishing the child well. Extending this look to all beings is loving-kindness. In the simile, the parents are the subjects: first they love and cherish their only child, and on seeing the child they successively arouse loving-kindness and a mind seeking benefit. Only the application of the simile turns to all beings and gathers the mind of loving-kindness and the mind of benefit under “this is called loving-kindness.” “For it to abide without distraction is called cultivation. Causing a mind of benefit to arise is its characteristic; loving and cherishing is its function; absence of anger is its arising” 〔T32 435a14–15〕. All four answers revolve around the definition itself. Benefit and loving concern, the two elements in the definition, are assigned respectively to characteristic and function. Arising is stated through the negative phrase “absence of anger”; the four answers already display this doorway's opposition to the fire of anger.

The answers to the seven questions fall in sequence across two parts. The first answer uses parents with only one child as a simile: the parents first love and cherish the child and, on seeing the child, arouse loving-kindness and a mind of benefit; “in the same way” then turns to all beings and extends a mind of loving-kindness and benefit to them, closing with “this is called loving-kindness” 〔T32 435a14〕. Next, “for it to abide without distraction is called cultivation” answers the question on cultivation; “causing a mind of benefit to arise” answers the question on characteristic; “loving and cherishing” answers the question on function; and “absence of anger” answers the question on arising 〔T32 400c01／401b02／406c17／406c22–23／406c25／407a01〕. The following sentence announces that one “acquires eleven benefits” and gives the complete eleven, answering the question on benefits 〔T32 400c01／408c08／412b22–23／412b26／422b20–21／422c12–13〕. After the list, the final question “How is it practiced?” is asked again, and its answer expressly lists contemplation of the dangers of anger, contemplation of the qualities of patience, and receiving and retaining patience 〔T32 435a19–21〕. Thus, the earlier question about cultivation is answered by “abiding without distraction,” while the final question about practice receives these three items. Both questions and both answers retain their respective positions in the source sequence.

Eleven Benefits: Counting from Peaceful Sleep

“If loving-kindness is cultivated, eleven benefits are acquired” 〔T32 435a15–16〕: “peaceful sleeping, peaceful waking, no bad dreams, being loved by humans, being loved by nonhumans, protection by devas, fire, poison, blades, and cudgels not touching one's body, the mind quickly becoming concentrated, a pleasing and radiant complexion, death without confusion, and, if a superior dhamma has not been attained, birth in the Brahmā world” 〔T32 435a16–19〕. Direct counting gives eleven items, agreeing with the stated number. The first three are peaceful sleeping, peaceful waking, and no bad dreams. They are followed in order by being loved by humans, being loved by nonhumans, protection by devas, fire, poison, blades, and cudgels not touching the body, quick concentration of mind, a pleasing and radiant complexion, and death without confusion. The last item concludes with birth in the Brahmā world for one who has not attained a superior dhamma. “Fire, poison, blades, and cudgels not touching one's body” is one item in the list. The treatise gives no further moral-causal explanation, so it is not rewritten to say, “because one does not harm others, things cannot harm one.” The later doorways on compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity all say their benefits are “equal to those of loving-kindness,” referring back to this list of eleven.

Following the source order once more, items one through three all concern daily sleep: peaceful sleeping, peaceful waking, and having no bad dreams. Items four and five are being loved by humans and nonhumans respectively. Item six is protection by devas. Item seven lists fire, poison, blades, and cudgels not touching the body. Item eight says the mind quickly becomes concentrated. Item nine gives a pleasing and radiant complexion. Item ten is death without confusion. Item eleven alone adds the condition “if a superior dhamma has not been attained,” with birth in the Brahmā world as its result. The first ten items do not carry this condition; it begins only with the final “if.” The qualification and result cannot be separated when the final item is read. The full list contains eleven, neither more nor fewer.

Beginning the Practice: Three Matters Explicitly Listed

“How is it practiced? A beginning meditator who wishes to cultivate loving-kindness first contemplates the dangers of anger and the qualities of patience. The mind should receive and retain patience” 〔T32 435a19–21〕. In answering the question on practice, the sentence expressly gives three matters in sequence: first contemplate the dangers of anger; contemplate the qualities of patience; and cause the mind to receive and retain patience. This unit develops the first, beginning with “How should the dangers of anger be contemplated?” and closing with “This is how the dangers of anger should be contemplated” 〔T32 435a21–435b15〕. The second begins in the next unit with the separate question, “How should the qualities of patience be contemplated?” 〔T32 435b15〕. “The mind should receive and retain patience” remains as stated in the opening sentence. This passage also says “absence of anger is its arising” within the four answers concerning loving-kindness 〔T32 435a15〕, while the three parts of the answer on practice are still read in their own source order.

Eight Clauses Beginning “From This It Grows”

“How should the dangers of anger be contemplated? When anger first arises in a person, it burns up loving-kindness and makes the mind turbid” 〔T32 435a21–22〕. At anger's first arising, the source first states that it burns loving-kindness and makes the mind turbid. Eight clauses then repeat “from this it grows”: the face frowns, the mouth speaks evil words, one looks in the four directions, the hand grasps a blade or cudgel, one vomits blood through anger, one scatters one's wealth, one smashes objects, and one kills another or oneself 〔T32 435a22–26〕. One way of reading is thus given directly: follow the eight repetitions of “from this it grows.” Their common opening joins the eight into a single list, whose source order should be retained. The passage then gives another list: “Furthermore, if a person continually harbors anger, one may kill one's parents, kill an arahant, split the Saṅgha, or maliciously draw blood from the Buddha's body, thus committing fearful deeds” 〔T32 435a26–28〕. These four fearful deeds also remain in their stated order.

Self-Reflection: Four Similes, Each Paired with a Declaration

“One should further contemplate in this way: I am called a disciple. If I do not cut off anger, it is a cause for shame. I recollect what is said in the Sūtra of the Simile of the Saw” 〔T32 435a28–435b01〕. Self-reflection begins with an identity: since I am called a disciple, not cutting off anger is shameful. The scripture's title immediately follows. The author gives the title but does not reproduce its words, passing over them with only “I recollect.” What that scripture says is not given in this treatise; the absence is retained rather than filled. Four declarations follow, each paired with a simile: “I delight in wholesome dhammas. If anger now grows in me, I become repellent, like a person who delights in bathing but then goes back into filth” 〔T32 435b01–02〕; “I am learned. If I have not subdued anger, people reject and disdain me, like a physician who himself contracts cholera” 〔T32 435b02–03〕; “我為世所為貴. If I do not remove anger, people reject and disdain me, like a painted vessel that contains filth and is left uncovered” 〔T32 435b03–05〕; “If a person has wisdom yet still gives rise to anger, it is like knowingly eating food mixed with poison” 〔T32 435b05–06〕. The four similes share one line: each makes a person's own strength reflect back upon that person. One delights in the wholesome yet returns into filth like a lover of bathing; one is learned and able to treat others yet cannot treat oneself, like a physician contracting cholera; one is honored in the world yet carries the filth of anger within, like a painted vessel containing filth and left uncovered; one has wisdom yet deliberately arouses anger, like knowingly eating poison. The truer the strength, the sharper its reflection. This self-examination is not self-denigration; it questions one through the very identity one most cherishes. In 我為世所為貴, 為 occurs twice, its punctuation remains unresolved, and four witnesses omit one occurrence. The form is retained without punctuation or deletion: the uneven wording does not prevent the direction of the comparison from being read.

The Snake Simile: One Who Refuses the Medicine

“Why? This anger is most to be cast aside and brings a painful result” 〔T32 435b06–07〕. After the four similes, the author asks why and answers with a painful result, then gives another simile: “It is like a person bitten by a poisonous snake who possesses an antidote but refuses to take it. That person may be known as one who delights in suffering and does not delight in happiness” 〔T32 435b07–08〕. The application immediately follows: “In the same way, if anger arises in a bhikkhu and he does not quickly subdue it, that bhikkhu may be known as one who delights in suffering and does not delight in happiness” 〔T32 435b08–10〕. The simile and its application each use “delights in suffering and does not delight in happiness” once: first for the snake-bitten person who has medicine but will not take it, and then for the bhikkhu whose anger arises but is not quickly subdued. “Why? This anger is most fearful” 〔T32 435b10〕. The section asks “why?” twice: first answering that anger is most to be cast aside and brings a painful result, and then that it is most fearful.

Nine Losses, Preserved in Source Order

“Anger should further be contemplated. One who is angry is laughed at by enemies and causes friends to feel ashamed. Though one has deep virtue, one is despised; though formerly honored, one instead comes to be lightly regarded” 〔T32 435b10–12〕. It continues: “If one has already gained praise, all of it is subjected to slander; if one seeks happiness, it becomes suffering; if one was unmoving, one becomes moved; if one has eyes, one becomes blind; if one was intelligent, one becomes foolish” 〔T32 435b12–14〕. This final contemplation gives nine items: first, being laughed at by enemies; second, causing friends to feel ashamed; third, being despised despite deep virtue; fourth, turning from honored to lightly regarded; fifth, having praise already gained subjected to slander; sixth, seeking happiness and obtaining suffering; seventh, changing from unmoving to moved; eighth, changing from sighted to blind; ninth, changing from intelligent to foolish. The nine remain a single list in source order. In the base text, items five through nine repeatedly begin with “if,” and items six through nine all contain “becomes.” “This is how the dangers of anger should be contemplated” 〔T32 435b14–15〕 closes the unit.

Three things may be carried away: one feature—the loving-kindness doorway first establishes its definition and eleven benefits, then the section on practice immediately turns to the paired heading of the dangers of anger and the qualities of patience; one way of reading—follow the eight repetitions of “from this it grows,” retaining their common opening and source order; and one line—the loving-kindness and mind of benefit that parents arouse on seeing their only child are extended to all beings, and this is loving-kindness. The next passage begins the qualities of patience, the second half of the paired heading.

Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · General Account of Loving-Kindness and the Dangers of Anger · Exposition · Summer 2026