Today, the world can feel like a storm. We are We are tossed by the waves of anxiety, fears, divisions and uncertainties. The noise of worry is loud and deafening. We see suffering all around us, in our own hearts, in our families, in our communities, and across the world. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed, perhaps even hopeless.

Despite the strong tide however, the Buddha offered a boat, a solid raft, to that can help us navigate these rough waters. This raft is not something outside, but something within each one of us, like seeds sleeping in the earth of our consciousness. These seeds are the Four Immeasurable states of minds, the Brahmaviharas. Growing and embodying these seeds is the way to truly bring lasting peace to ourselves and to bring healing in world.

The first seed is Loving-Kindness (Metta). This is opening our hearts for all sentient beings, the energy of friendship and benevolence. To practice loving-kindness is to open our heart-mind, with no limit to embrace everything, that is the pleasant and the unpleasant, the near and the far. It is a way of looking, a way of being, that sees the inherent worth and connection in all life. When we water the seed of loving-kindness, we nourish our capacity to be present for ourselves and others. We can genuinely smile and listen to others. This open heart is the foundation of true connection and understanding, the very opposite of the isolation, loneliness and suspicion that plague our modern lives.

The second seed is Compassion (Karuna). Compassion is the deep aspiration to end it suffering in our lives. It is the capacity to feel the pain of others as if it were our own. We recognize that their suffering is intimately connected to our own. We live in an interconnected web of existence, and when one part suffers, the whole suffers. To practice compassion is to sit with suffering, without turning away, in ourselves and in others. It is to allow our hearts to be touched, motivating us to act in ways that can bring ease and transformation. When we embrace compassion, we in all ways abstain from hurting or harming or use any form of violence to inflict suffering to ourselves and others.  This way, we become a source of healing for the world.

The third quality of the heart-mind is Appreciative Joy (Mudita). In a world often focused on scarcity and challenges, it is vital to nourish the seed of joy. Appreciative joy is the capacity to celebrate and find a deep sense of joy and happiness in our own well-being and success of others. This qualities counters jealous, envy and resentment. When we truly see the happiness of another and feel joy in it, we expand our own capacity to embody lasting peace and happiness. We can find joy in a sunrise, a child’s laughter, a simple meal, the blooming of a flower and in the progress and success of another. These small wonders are always available to us if we are present to them. Cultivating appreciative joy nourishes our spirit, making us more resilient in the face of hardship.

Finally, the fourth seed is Equanimity (Upekkha). Equanimity is the capacity to remain balanced and stable amidst the changes and uncertainties of life. It is not indifference, but a deep understanding that everything is constantly changing and nothing has an intrinsic nature in it. When we cultivate equanimity, we are less tossed about by the storms of gain and loss, praise and blame, pleasure and pain, fame and disrepute. We remain grounded, like a tree with deep roots, able to witness what arises without being swept away. In times of blossom, in times of wither, in times of rain, in times of sunshine. This stability allows us to be present for ourselves and others with clarity, wisdom and tranquility in times of difficulty and remaining true to our deepest values even when the ground feels shaky beneath our feet.

These four qualities of the heart-mind are inter-are. When we practice loving-kindness, compassion is present. When you experience appreciative joy, you also experience equanimity.

I know we are all busy in our lives, and we may sometimes feel we do not have time for such practices. The practice is not separate from life. It is life itself. We can water these seeds with every breath, every step, every interaction in our lives. When you breathe in, be aware of the life surrounding you, and when you breathe out, smile to that life with an open heart. When you see suffering, breathe in with compassion, and breathe out with the wish for ease. When you witness joy, breathe in the grace, and breathe out your appreciation. When faced with difficulties and uncertainties, breathe in stillness, and breathe out acceptance.

The challenges in our modern times including the conflicts, the environmental crises, the anxieties and other forms of mental distresses are manifestations of a lack of these qualities in our collective heart-mind. We have planted seeds of fear, anger, and separation and these have grown too thick and deep.

Like a gardener, we can take care of our own consciousness. We have the capacity to choose which seeds we grow. Either seeds of fear, greed, anxieties and anger or seeds of love, compassion, joy and equanimity. Let’s allow these seeds to bloom in our hearts and allow the fragrance to naturally spread, touching those around us, and slowly, gently, transforming the world.

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace