Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

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a river is canalised at a dam site and used for other purposes, such
as irrigation or hydrodynamic power. And that is done in ancient
religious monasteries by means of asceticism which uses up the heat
of hate on oneself. That, of course, is an outlet of energy, but it
does not bring about understanding of that energy. And the result
of such diversion is, of course, no solution of the original problem at
the source of all conflict. Why is there hate? And what is hate?
As long as compassion is based on suffering in oneself, as a reflection
of the misfortunes of someone else, there may be a feeling
together, and even a suffering together. But that is a substitution
in the mind, which identifies itself with the other. It is a feeling
in oneself, reflecting the pain, suffering and sorrow, experienced by
someone else. That the mind is capable of such identification to
a very huge degree is shown in such individuals (saints?), who not
only experience actually in their mind in concentration the suffering
of Jesus on the cross, but who even physically present in their
body the stigmata of the crucifixion in their bleeding hands and
feet. It is a manifestation of faith (saddhā-bala) with the power of
concentration (samādhi-bala) which can make people walk over fire,
psychic powers (iddhi) can control physical activity. As in the case
of ‘concentration’ on kindness, here is a concentration of a particular
aspect (pain or grief) in a person with whom I have identified
myself so much that the suffering is felt as a personal affliction. This
identification may be, of course, an expression of one’s affection, of
good-will, of fondness, which is emotional, such as a mother’s love
and care for her child.
But the sublime virtue (brahma-vihāra) of compassion must be
above personal affection to be truly immeasurable (appamaññā) to
be universal. Thus there can be in compassion which is universal and
all-embracing no division, nothing personal, nothing ego-centred.
And so, the concentration on the sorrow of a person dear to me
has to be deprived of its identity, stripped of its self-identification,
and hence without opposition to an enemy. To be truly sacred there