Heart of the Teachings
Essentials of Buddhism
Boundless States
Friends on the way to freedom
The boundless states or brahmaviharas are considered friends on the way to Nirvana. They help in dissolving the idea of a separate self.
- Loving kindness
- Compassion
- Sympathetic Joy
- Equanimity
Near enemy is a quality that can masquerade as the original, but is not the original. Far enemy is the clearly opposite quality. The boundless state serves as an antidote for the quality mentioned as the far enemy.