Buddhism · Sutta Pitaka · Minor Collection (Khuddaka)
Iti 27
The Meditation on Love · Mettābhāvanāsutta
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This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
“Mendicants, 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 dazzles.
“Yāni kānici, bhikkhave, opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ. Mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti 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 dazzles. 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 dazzles.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yā kāci tārakarūpānaṁ pabhā sabbā tā candiyā pabhāya kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, candapabhāyeva tā adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.
It’s like the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the heavens are sunny and cloudless. And as the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, it shines and glows and dazzles. 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 dazzles.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.
It’s like how, at the crack of dawn, the morning star shines and glows and dazzles. 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 dazzles.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:
Loving just one creature with a hateless heart makes you a good person. Sympathetic for all creatures, a noble one creates abundant merit.
Ekampi ce pāṇamaduṭṭhacitto, Mettāyati kusalo tena hoti; Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampaṁ, Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ.
The royal potentates conquered this land and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices— horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’.
These are not worth a sixteenth part of the mind developed with love, as starlight cannot rival the moon.
Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa, Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṁ; Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe.
Don’t kill or cause others to kill, don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer, with love for all living creatures— you’ll have no enmity for anyone.”
Yo na hanti na ghāteti, na jināti na jāpaye; Mettaṁso sabbabhūtesu, veraṁ tassa na kenacī”ti.
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti. Sattamaṁ. Tatiyo vaggo.
