You must practice the four limitless states of mind in your treatment of others, friend and foe alike, and not commit evil deeds. Cultivators must practice these in the six realms of existence. You must transform the four limitless states of mind into enlightenment. Genuine practitioners practice the four limitless states of mind and do good deeds, thus increasing their Buddhist resources and merit. Those who continue to scold, insult and argue with people or are unable to control their emotions and behavior are not in accordance with this principle. Everything in the world is a test to see how well you have cultivated yourself and whether you are truly able to give rise to these four states toward all living beings. They are also known as the four boundless states of mind, the four immeasurable states of mind, or simply the four immeasurables.
His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III has told us that you should often contemplate these qualities. You should give rise to the four limitless states of mind in your actual conduct toward other living beings. Then you should step by step deeply enter the four limitless states of mind. First, you should apply the four states to your parents, spouse, children, parents-in-law, family members, relatives and close friends. Then, gradually, you should enlarge the scope to all living beings in the six realms of existence and all beings in all three dharma spheres. You should contemplate that in past lifetimes, you and other sentient beings have been each other’s parents, spouses and children. This is actually true. Therefore, your three karmas should perfectly correspond with these qualities. You should put into practice such perfectly corresponding three karmas in your treatment of other living beings.