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Mettābhāvanāsutta

The Meditation on Love

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Yāni kānici, bhikkhave, opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.
“Mendicants, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love.

Mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.
Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yā kāci tārakarūpānaṁ pabhā sabbā tā candiyā pabhāya kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, candapabhāyeva tā adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;
It’s like how the radiance of all the stars is not worth a sixteenth part of the moon’s radiance. Surpassing them, the moon’s radiance shines and glows and radiates.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.
In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;
It’s like the time after the rainy season when the sky is clear and cloudless. And when the sun rises, it dispels all the darkness from the sky as it shines and glows and radiates.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.
In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ osadhitārakā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;
It’s like how after the rainy season the sky is clear and cloudless. At the crack of dawn, the Morning Star shines and glows and radiates.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati cā”ti.
In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates.”

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.
The Buddha spoke this matter.

Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
On this it is said:

“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 kusalo tena hoti;
makes you a good person.

Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampaṁ,
Compassionate for all creatures,

Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ.
a noble one creates abundant merit.

Ye sattasaṇḍaṁ pathaviṁ vijitvā,
The royal potentates conquered this land

Rājisayo yajamānānupariyagā;
and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices—

Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,

Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ.
the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, <j>the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unbarred’.

Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa,
These are not worth a sixteenth part

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

Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe.
as starlight cannot rival the moon.

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 sabbabhūtesu,
with love for all living creatures—

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

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Sattamaṁ.

Tatiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Cittaṁ mettaṁ ubho atthe,

puñjaṁ vepullapabbataṁ;

Sampajānamusāvādo,

dānañca mettabhāvanā.

Sattimāni ca suttāni,

purimāni ca vīsati;

Ekadhammesu suttantā,

sattavīsatisaṅgahāti.

Ekakanipāto niṭṭhito.