The Four Divine Abodes are noble qualities of mind that bring us into the fullness of wisdom. As this post marks the end of our journey through practicing the Eightfold Path, I wanted to end with a meditation on these four Divine Abodes. (Lama Surya Das calls them “heartitudes” because they encompass not just our minds but our hearts…and I’d add souls as well.)

They are: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and peace of mind.

We have spent many months practicing the Eightfold Path, and these qualities of mind/body/soul continue to arise. How can we have Right Intention without compassion, or Right Effort without joy, or Right Speech without loving-kindness? The four abodes are “divine” in that they bring out the most holy qualities- both within us, and in those with whom we interact. Who wouldn’t rather be in the presence of someone with peace of mind?!

As this post sits at the end of our month of practicing Right Concentration, I wonder if the best way for us to ponder these “heartitudes” is simply to contemplate them. To spend time with each word, closing our eyes, imagining a time when we experienced this quality in our own life, noticing where we see it in the here and now. Sometimes, when we simply notice something and bring it into our awareness, we allow it to grow. Sometimes concentration leads to transformation, just as naturally as thought leads to action.

We’ve all been at home for many days now. I hope this time has offered you a few moments to consider, or reconsider, what kind of home you want to make for yourself. In what qualities do you want to live?

The Christian tradition talks often about abiding. One of my favorite verses talks about God as One in whom we live and move and have our being. Of course, that phrase came from philosophy, because it’s a universal truth. There’s an abiding we do as humans that is beyond just our own skin. We abide- in the earth, in each other, in the Divine. And if I had to explain that abode, these four qualities would certainly cover a lot of what I experience there. A place where words and actions come from loving-kindness, where conflict and miscommunication is met with empathy and compassion. A home where we are free to rejoice and find joy in the simple beauty and goodness of living. Somewhere we feel safe, and beloved, which is what brings us peace of mind and a sense of equanimity.

These aren’t qualities we can easily access in the midst of the grief, pain, suffering, and systemic oppression of a global pandemic. But they remain available to us. They are here. And perhaps, if we take a few moments to abide in them, we will feel their deep resonance within us.

Thank you for walking this Eightfold Path journey with me these past eight months. I’ve learned a lot, and I hope you’ve gleaned some insights, too.

I’m not sure what the next steps will be for me with Soul Ninja. (Leave comments if you have ideas for projects or ideas we can explore next!) But I’ll post next week about the Eightfold Path in its entirety. And I’ll post a bit through the summer, though the pace will be less frequent. May these next weeks find you joyful, well, and at peace.