In short: The Brahmavihāras, "divine abodes", are four qualities of heart the Buddha taught for everyone: love, compassion, rejoicing and equanimity. They are also called the four immeasurables, because they can be spread without limit, to all beings everywhere.
The Buddha's words
They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world: abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.
AN 3.65, translated by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral. The same words are repeated for compassion, rejoicing and equanimity. See the Kalama Sutta.
Read the full guide
The four at a glance
| Quality | Pāli | The wish | Near enemy (looks similar) | Far enemy (opposite) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Love | mettā | May you be happy | Attachment | Ill will |
| Compassion | karuṇā | May you be free from suffering | Pity | Cruelty |
| Rejoicing | muditā | May your happiness grow | Excitement | Envy |
| Equanimity | upekkhā | May I meet things with balance | Indifference | Agitation |
The "near and far enemies" are a later commentarial teaching, widely used by teachers today; they are not in the early discourses.
1. Love (mettā)
A warm, simple wish for others to be well. The early texts compare it to a mother protecting her only child: "so too for all creatures unfold a boundless heart" (Snp 1.8). Practice: follow metta meditation or the 10-minute script.
2. Compassion (karuṇā)
The heart that trembles at another's pain and wants it to end. Practice: think of someone who is struggling, breathe in, and on the out-breath wish: "May you be free from this suffering."
3. Rejoicing (muditā)
Gladness at someone else's success or happiness: the antidote to envy and comparison. Practice: today, when someone shares good news, let yourself feel genuinely glad for one breath before you reply.
4. Equanimity (upekkhā)
A steady, balanced heart that still cares but is not knocked over. It keeps love from turning into worry and compassion from turning into burnout. Practice: when something goes wrong, say silently: "This is how it is right now," and take one slow breath.
How they work together
Love wishes happiness; compassion meets pain; rejoicing celebrates; equanimity holds it all steady. Practiced together they make a heart that is both warm and wise, which is what most of us want under pressure.
Put love into practice when it is hardest: the Buddha's advice on anger.
Caring for yourself and others: the acrobat simile.
Guided scripts for each: love, compassion, rejoicing and equanimity.
Try it
Start with mettā each evening for a week with the kindness practice, then add one quality each week.
Questions people ask
What are the four Brahmaviharas?
Mettā (loving-kindness), karuṇā (compassion), muditā (rejoicing in others' happiness) and upekkhā (equanimity). They are called 'divine abodes' or 'immeasurables' because they can be spread without limit to all beings.
What is the difference between love and compassion in Buddhism?
Mettā wishes beings to be happy. Karuṇā wishes beings to be free from suffering. Love looks at happiness, compassion looks at pain.
Is equanimity the same as not caring?
No. Equanimity is a balanced, steady heart that cares without being thrown around. Indifference, not caring, is traditionally called its 'near enemy', because it looks similar but is cold.