Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Mettāya, bhikkhave, cetovimuttiyā āsevitāya bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya aṭṭhānisaṁsā pāṭikaṅkhā.
“Bhikkhus, when release of mind by |loving-kindness::goodwill, friendliness, benevolence [metta]| is practiced, |cultivated::developed [bhāvita]|, practiced often, made a vehicle, made a basis, firmly established, consolidated, and |resolutely undertaken::fully engaged with, energetically taken up [susamāraddha]|, eight benefits can be expected.
Katame aṭṭha?
Which eight?
Sukhaṁ supati,
1.) One sleeps with ease,
sukhaṁ paṭibujjhati,
2.) One wakes up with ease,
na pāpakaṁ supinaṁ passati,
3.) One does not see evil dreams,
anussānaṁ piyo hoti,
4.) One is dear to human beings,
amanussānaṁ piyo hoti,
5.) One is dear to non-human beings,
devatā rakkhanti,
6.) Deities protect one,
nāssa aggi vā visaṁ vā satthaṁ vā kamati,
7.) Fire, poison, and weapons cannot harm one,
uttariṁ appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokūpago hoti.
8.) If one does not penetrate further, one goes to the Brahma world.
Mettāya, bhikkhave, cetovimuttiyā āsevitāya bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya ime aṭṭhānisaṁsā pāṭikaṅkhāti.
Bhikkhus, when release of mind by loving-kindness is practiced, cultivated, practiced often, made a vehicle, made a basis, firmly established, consolidated, and resolutely undertaken, these eight benefits can be expected.
Yo ca mettaṁ bhāvayati,
appamāṇaṁ paṭissato;
Tanū saṁyojanā honti,
passato upadhikkhayaṁ.
“One who develops loving-kindness,
|boundless::limitless, immeasurable [appamāṇa]|, and cultivated |with mindfulness::remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body in and of itself, felt experience in and of itself, mind in and of itself, mental qualities in and of themselves [patissata]|;
Their fetters become weak,
and they see the |wearing away of attachment::exhaustion of appropriation, ending of identification [upadhikkhaya]|.
Ekampi ce pāṇamaduṭṭhacitto,
Mettāyati kusalī tena hoti;
Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampī,
Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ.
Even if one harbors no ill will towards a single being,
and develops loving-kindness, that is |wholesome::healthy, beneficial, useful [kusala]|;
|Intent on::inclining towards [manasā]| compassion towards all beings,
the noble one generates abundant merit.
Ye sattasaṇḍaṁ pathaviṁ vijetvā,
Rājisayo yajamānā anupariyagā;
Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ.
Having conquered the land teeming with beings,
those royal seers who went on to perform sacrifices;
The horse sacrifice, the human sacrifice,
the sacrifices of the ‘good throw’, ‘soma sacrifice’, and the ‘unimpeded’.
Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa,
Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṁ;
Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe,
Yathā na agghanti kalampi soḷasiṁ.
They do not amount to even a sixteenth part,
of a mind well-developed in loving-kindness;
Just as all the hosts of stars,
do not amount to a sixteenth part of the moonlight.
Yo na hanti na ghāteti,
na jināti na jāpaye;
Mettaṁso sabbabhūtānaṁ,
veraṁ tassa na kenacī”ti.
One who does not |kill::beat, strike, thrash, stab, execute [hanati]| or cause others to kill,
one who does not conquer or cause others to conquer;
With benevolence towards all beings,
for such a one, there is no |hostility::hatred, ill will, animosity, enmity [vera]| towards anyone.”