sutta » an » an8 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.1

Mettāsutta

The Benefits of Love

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Mettāya, bhikkhave, cetovimuttiyā āsevitāya bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya aṭṭhānisaṁsā pāṭikaṅkhā.
“Mendicants, you can expect eight benefits when the heart’s release by love has been cultivated, developed, and practiced, made a vehicle and a basis, kept up, consolidated, and properly implemented.

Katame aṭṭha?
What eight?

Sukhaṁ supati, sukhaṁ paṭibujjhati, na pāpakaṁ supinaṁ passati, manussānaṁ piyo hoti, amanussānaṁ piyo hoti, devatā rakkhanti, nāssa aggi vā visaṁ vā satthaṁ vā kamati, uttariṁ appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokūpago hoti.
You sleep at ease. You wake happily. You don’t have bad dreams. Humans love you. Non-humans love you. Deities protect you. You can’t be harmed by fire, poison, or blade. If you don’t reach any higher, you’ll be reborn in a realm of divinity.

Mettāya, bhikkhave, cetovimuttiyā āsevitāya bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya ime aṭṭhānisaṁsā pāṭikaṅkhāti.
You can expect these eight benefits when the heart’s release by love has been cultivated, developed, and practiced, made a vehicle and a basis, kept up, consolidated, and properly implemented.

Yo ca mettaṁ bhāvayati,
A mindful one who develops

appamāṇaṁ paṭissato;
limitless love

Tanū saṁyojanā honti,
weakens the fetters,

passato upadhikkhayaṁ.
seeing the ending of attachments.

Ekampi ce pāṇamaduṭṭhacitto,
Loving just one creature with a hateless heart

Mettāyati kusalī tena hoti;
makes you a true person.

Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampī,
Sympathetic for all creatures,

Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ.
a noble one creates abundant merit.

Ye sattasaṇḍaṁ pathaviṁ vijetvā,
The royal potentates conquered this land

Rājisayo yajamānā anupariyagā;
and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices—

Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,

Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ.
the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’.

Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa,
These are not worth a sixteenth part

Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṁ;
of the mind developed with love,

Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe,
as all the constellations of stars

Yathā na agghanti kalampi soḷasiṁ.
aren’t worth a sixteenth part of the moon’s light.

Yo na hanti na ghāteti,
Don’t kill or cause others to kill,

na jināti na jāpaye;
don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer,

Mettaṁso sabbabhūtānaṁ,
with love for all sentient beings,

veraṁ tassa na kenacī”ti.
you’ll have no enmity for anyone.”

Paṭhamaṁ.