A Christian meditation on Buddhist themes

Added Friday 20th January 2017

Based on the ‘sublime’ states of the Buddhist tradition and with four Taizé songs

In the Buddhist tradition, there are four ‘sublime’ states – known as the boundless states because, in their perfection and true nature, they should not be narrowed by any limitation as to the range of beings towards whom they are extended. They should be non-exclusive and impartial, not bound by selective preferences or prejudices. A mind that has attained to that boundlessness will not harbour any national, racial, religious or class hatred.

The four states translate as:

• Loving Kindness (Metta)
• Compassion (Karuna)
• Sympathetic Joy (Mudita)
• Equanimity (Upekkha)

The readings here have been derived from Buddhist texts which are named in the copyright section at the foot of the download. Along with the Taize songs, they were chosen by Elyn Mitchell, a Quaker from Gloucestershire. They were prepared for the monthly Taize meditation hour in Newnham on Severn, January 2017.

These pages may be both adapted and reproduced provided you follow the copyright notes. There are links in the text to the words and music of the songs.