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Itivuttaka 27

Mettābhāvanāsutta

The Meditation on Love · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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this was said indeedVuttañhetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā said by the Perfected One, they sayvuttamarahatāti by meme heardsutaṁ:

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

whatever“Yāni whatsoeverkānici, monksbhikkhave, worldlyopadhikāni grounds for making meritpuññakiriyavatthūni allsabbāni thesetāni by lovemettāya of the heart's releasecetovimuttiyā a partkalaṁ are not worthnāgghanti a sixteenth partsoḷasiṁ.
love indeedMettāyeva thosetāni heart's releasecetovimutti having surpassedadhiggahetvā shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andca.

“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.

just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, whateveryā anykāci of star-formstārakarūpānaṁ radiancepabhā allsabbā thattā of the mooncandiyā with radiancepabhāya a fractionkalaṁ are not worthnāgghanti a sixteenth partsoḷasiṁ, the moon's radiance itselfcandapabhāyeva thattā having surpassedadhiggahetvā shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andca;
in the same wayevamevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, whateveryāni anykānici worldlyopadhikāni grounds for making meritpuññakiriyavatthūni allsabbāni thattāni by lovemettāya by heart's releasecetovimuttiyā a fractionkalaṁ are not worthnāgghanti a sixteenth partsoḷasiṁ, love itselfmettāyeva thattāni heart's releasecetovimutti having surpassedadhiggahetvā shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andca.

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.

just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, of the rainsvassānaṁ in the lastpacchime monthmāse in autumnsaradasamaye clearviddhe free of cloudsvigatavalāhake in the skydeve the sunādicco the firmamentnabhaṁ rising upabbhussakkamāno allsabbaṁ in the skyākāsagataṁ in darknesstamagataṁ having dispelledabhivihacca shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andca;
in the same wayevamevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, whateveryāni anykānici worldlyopadhikāni grounds for making meritpuññakiriyavatthūni allsabbāni thesetāni of lovemettāya of the heart's releasecetovimuttiyā a partkalaṁ are not worthnāgghanti a sixteenthsoḷasiṁ, love alonemettāyeva thesetāni heart's releasecetovimutti having surpassedadhiggahetvā shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andca.

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.

just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, of the nightrattiyā at dawnpaccūsasamayaṁ the morning starosadhitārakā shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andca;
in the same wayevamevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, whateveryāni anykānici worldlyopadhikāni grounds for making meritpuññakiriyavatthūni allsabbāni thesetāni by lovemettāya of the heart's releasecetovimuttiyā a partkalaṁ are not worthnāgghanti a sixteenthsoḷasiṁ, love itselfmettāyeva thesetāni heart's releasecetovimutti surpassingadhiggahetvā shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca dazzlesvirocati andcā”ti.
this matterEtamatthaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā spokeavoca.
on thisTatthetaṁ it is saiditi is saidvuccati:

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:

whoever“Yo andca lovemettaṁ developsbhāvayati,
limitlessappamāṇaṁ mindfulpaṭissato;
thinTanū fetterssaṁyojanā becomehonti,
seeingpassato ending of attachmentsupadhikkhayaṁ.

“A mindful one who develops limitless love weakens the fetters, seeing the ending of attachments.

even oneEkampi ifce a creature with a hateless heartpāṇamaduṭṭhacitto,
lovesMettāyati goodkusalo by thattena becomeshoti;
allSabbe andca creaturespāṇe with a sympathetic mindmanasānukampaṁ,
a noble one, abundantPahūtamariyo createspakaroti meritpuññaṁ.

Loving just one creature with a hateless heart makes you a good person. Sympathetic for all creatures, a noble one creates abundant merit.

whoYe with its living beingssattasaṇḍaṁ earthpathaviṁ having conqueredvijitvā,
royal sagesRājisayo went around sponsoring sacrificesyajamānānupariyagā;
horse sacrificeAssamedhaṁ human sacrificepurisamedhaṁ,
casting of the yoke-pinSammāpāsaṁ royal soma drinkingvājapeyyaṁ unimpededniraggaḷaṁ.

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’.

of loving-kindnessMettassa of mindcittassa developed,subhāvitassa,
even a fractionKalampi thesete are not worthnānubhavanti a sixteenth part;soḷasiṁ;
moonlightCandappabhā like the host of starstāragaṇāva all.sabbe.

These are not worth a sixteenth part of the mind developed with love, as starlight cannot rival the moon.

whoeverYo notna killshanti notna causes to killghāteti,
notna conquersjināti notna encourages to conquerjāpaye;
with loveMettaṁso for all living creaturessabbabhūtesu,
enmityveraṁ for himtassa notna for anyonekenacī”ti.

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.”

and this tooAyampi matterattho spokenvutto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā, thusiti by meme heardsutanti.
the seventhSattamaṁ.
the thirdTatiyo sectionvaggo.

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

its summaryTassuddānaṁ
mindCittaṁ loving-kindnessmettaṁ bothubho goalsatthe,
heappuñjaṁ Mount Vepullavepullapabbataṁ;
deliberate false speechSampajānamusāvādo,
and givingdānañca development of loving-kindnessmettabhāvanā.

Its summary: the mind of loving-kindness, both goals, the heap, Mount Vepulla; deliberate false speech, and giving, and the development of loving-kindness.

these twenty-sevenSattimāni andca discourses,suttāni,
the precedingpurimāni andca twenty;vīsati;
on the one-dhammaEkadhammesu discourses,suttantā,
comprised in the twenty-seven.sattavīsatisaṅgahāti.
The Book of OnesEkakanipāto is finished.niṭṭhito.

These twenty-seven discourses, and the preceding twenty; the discourses on the one dhamma are comprised in the twenty-seven. The Book of Ones is finished.

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