sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.125

Paṭhamamettāsutta

Love (1st)

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Mendicants, these four people are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ tathā tatiyaṁ tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.
Firstly, a person meditates spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.

So tadassādeti, taṁ nikāmeti, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati.
They enjoy this and like it and find it satisfying.

Tattha ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno brahmakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the Divinity’s host.

Brahmakāyikānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ kappo āyuppamāṇaṁ.
The lifespan of the gods of the Divinity’s host is one eon.

Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.
An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.

Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati.
But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā sati.
This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person, that is, when there is a place of rebirth.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …pe…
Furthermore, a person meditates spreading a heart full of compassion …

muditāsahagatena cetasā …pe…
rejoicing …

upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ tathā tatiyaṁ tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.
equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.

So tadassādeti, taṁ nikāmeti, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati.
They enjoy this and like it and find it satisfying.

Tattha ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno ābhassarānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of streaming radiance. The lifespan of the gods of streaming radiance is two eons.

Ābhassarānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ dve kappā āyuppamāṇaṁ …pe… subhakiṇhānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
… they’re reborn in the company of the gods of universal beauty. The lifespan of the gods of universal beauty is four eons.

Subhakiṇhānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ cattāro kappā āyuppamāṇaṁ …pe… vehapphalānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
… they’re reborn in the company of the gods of abundant fruit.

Vehapphalānaṁ, bhikkhave, devānaṁ pañca kappasatāni āyuppamāṇaṁ.
The lifespan of the gods of abundant fruit is five hundred eons.

Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.
An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.

Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṁ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṁ tesaṁ devānaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ taṁ sabbaṁ khepetvā tasmiṁyeva bhave parinibbāyati.
But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re extinguished in that very life.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṁ gatiyā upapattiyā sati.
This is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an unlearned ordinary person, that is, when there is a place of rebirth.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.
These are the four people found in the world.”

Pañcamaṁ.