e
BU
DDHANET'SBOOK LIBRA
RY
E-mail: bdea@buddhanet.net
Web site: www.buddhanet.net
Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.
by Venerable Nyanaponika Thera
The Four Sublime States
�e publisher a�nowledges with thanks the
Buddhist Publication Society (BPS), Kandy, Sri Lanka,
for the permission to reprint this booklet.
May the merits from this Dhamma-dāna
be to the welfare and happiness of all beings.
THE FOUR SUBLIME STATES
An Inward Journey Book
Published by Inward Path
P.O. Box 1034, 10830 Penang, Malaysia
Tel/Fax: 604 890 6696
Email: InwardPath@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.buddhanet.net/ipp.htm
First published by Buddhist Publication Society (BPS)
Kandy, Sri Lanka (1958) as Wheel Publication No. 6.
�is edition (1999) is published by
INWARD PATH, PENANG FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION
WITH KIND PERMISSION FROM BPS, SRI LANKA.
Copyright © 1999 Buddhist Publication Society
P.O. Box 61 54 Sangharaja Mawatha Kandy, Sri Lanka
Book Layout and Design by Sunanda Lim Ho� Eng
An Inward Journey Book
IJ030/99
�e Four Sublime States
by Nyanaponika �era
CONTEMPLATION ON LOVE, COMPASSION,
SYMPATHETIC JOY, AND EQUANIMITY
PUBLISHED BY
INWARD PATH
PENANG • MALAYSIA
5
THE FOUR SUBLIME STATES
�e Lord Buddha singles out four mental qualities as im-
portant for cultivation. He describes them as noble, lo�y,
and sublime and strongly encourages their development.
�ey can transform our lives and the world giving beauty,
joy, and meaning.
What are these four mental factors? �ey are love, com-
passion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. Yes, to love all
beings equally without discrimination; to be compassion-
ate to all; to rejoice at the happiness and success of others;
and to be even-minded, steady, or equanimous in facing
the vicissitudes of life. Oh, how wonderful if we but can
live in this manner, and how mu� be�er and happier the
world will be!
In this booklet, Venerable Nyanaponika �era explores
with his sharp and incisive mind the various aspects of the
four mental factors and shows us how they can be applied
and practised in our