Abstract:
The dissertation investigates on 3 objectives; 1) study the loving-kindness in Theravada Buddhism, 2) to study the insight practice through Mettācetovimutti type, and 3) presenting the practice of loving-kindness meditation of Dhamma practitioners at Wat Khok Sawang community, That Phanom district, Nakhon Phanom province. It was qualitative research conducted by document investigation and reliable interviews of 2 insight masters, 2 Bhikkhus, and 13 yogis who practice dhamma accordingly. The schedule time was 7 days, 10 days, 15 days, from 06:00 p.m.-09:00 p.m. every day. The researcher has collected and interviewed, then brought to summary, compiled in descriptive style.
The results revealed that Mettabhavanā refers to love, goodwill, friendship, and compassion, wishing others and all beings to be happy, benefit seeks for others, help, free from calamity, no ill-will, non-violence, not encroaching on each other, sharing happiness and prosperity for all beings. The virtue components of Mettabhavana are hatred (Dosa). For meditation practice, meditator who developed four formless absorptions, then continuing Vipassana meditation would attain the path faster and has 11 benefits, namely; 1) happy sleep, 2) happy waking, 3) no nightmares, 4) being loved by man, 5) being loved by non-human beings, 6) deities protect, 7) fire, poison or sword does not harm, 8) mind is quickly concentrated, 9) complexion is bright, 10) being mindful, and 11) even not attained Arahatship, meditator surely enters the Brahma plane.
Mettacetovimutti or the liberation through loving-kindness revealed that an Arahant who follows pure insight or form, formless and extinction attaining absorption can only obtain both the mind and wisdom liberation which indicating that Samatha and Vipassana must be couple with path and fruits of Vipassana. Cetovimutti is the result of Samatha, while Paññāvimutiti is result of Vipassana, if one enlightened and attained an Arahantship would be named Ubhatobhāgavimutti. There are two types of Samatha uplifting into Vipassana; 1) loving-kindness meditation is the insight base, and 2) Samatha and Vipassana together with loving-kindness. With proficient practice up to enlightenment, results occurring to Sakadāgāmī are less lust, disgrace, and delusion, and knowing the manners of these defilements, to Anāgāmī, complete abandon of lust and repulsion called five lower fetters, to Arahanta who completely abandons the rest of five high fetters, namely Rūparāga, ūparāga, Māna, Uddhacca, and Avijjā.
Loving-kindness of the Dhamma practitioner at Wat Khok Sawang community, That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom province was performed by; 1) the seven basic activities of meditators, namely; (1) five precepts observing, (2) abandon of ten main worries, (3) association with the wise friends who knew how to meditate rightly, (4) study and training for advance meditation suitable for ones characters, (5) avoiding places wherever degrades meditating, (6) living in a comfortable place for practice, (7) cutting off all minor worries and then practice, and 2) the Four Foundations of Mindfulness cultivating, on this step the practitioner must intensively observe the body, feeling, mind, mental formations, or form and name as they really were, and 3) loving-kindness practice referring to the wishing the most happiness to all, starting from oneself and then to others in various places respectively, that is, oneself, parents, teachers, relatives, deities etc. The practical method starts from meditative practice according to Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna teaching at first and then dedicating the loving-kindness in all directions before leaving from concentration.