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fun pali lesson, AN 8.1, applying what we've learned so far


An excerpt from AN 8.1 will be shown, and the bolded and highlighted items will be things you should know from previous lessons.

 AN 8.1 - 🔗🔊 
1. Mettā-sutta
1. friendly-kindness-discourse
Evaṃ me sutaṃ—
Thus I heard.
ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati
One time the-blessed-one {was staying near} Sāvatthī,
Jeta-vane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
(in) Jeta’s-Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the-blessed-one addressed the monks:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Monks!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The-blessed-one said  this:
avoca: he said. (1st. sing. (aor. of vac.))
“Mettāya, bhikkhave, ceto-vimuttiyā
“Friendly-kindness ********* (from the) mind's-liberation,
āsevitāya bhāvitāya bahulī-katāya
cultivated, developed, abundantly-done,
yānī-katāya
{made-a}-vehicle
vatthu-katāya
{made-a}-basis,
anu-ṭ-ṭhitāya
kept-up,
paricitāya
consolidated,
su-samāraddhāya
(su prefix = good) properly-implemented,
aṭṭh-ā-nisaṃsā pāṭi-kaṅkhā.
[then these] eight-benefits (can be) expected.
Katame aṭṭha?
What eight?
Sukhaṃ supati,
1. (su prefix = good) Pleasurably (you) sleep.
sukhaṃ paṭi-bujjhati,
2. (su prefix = good) Pleasurably (you) wake ('Buddha' verb form).
na pāpakaṃ supinaṃ passati,
3. No evil (in your) dreams (do you) see,
manussānaṃ piyo hoti,
4. (to) Humans, beloved (you) become.
a-manussānaṃ piyo hoti,
5. (to) Non-humans [such as earth spirits, yakkhas, demons], beloved (you) become.
devatā rakkhanti,
6. Deities protect (you).
nāssa aggi vā visaṃ vā satthaṃ vā kamati,
7. Neither fire nor poison nor blades ** enter [and harm you],
uttariṃ ap-paṭi-vijjhanto brahma-lok-ūpago hoti.
8. {Not having any} higher knowledge-penetrated, (in the) Brahma-world-(you will)-arise [in rebirth].

...

(verse)

Yo ca mettaṃ bhāvayati,
(In) one who {develops} friendly-kindness,
ap-pamāṇaṃ paṭi-s-sato;
Without-limit, rememberful [of Dharma],
Tanū saṃyojanā honti,
weakened (the) fetters become,
passato upadhi-k-khayaṃ.
seeing attachments’-destruction.
Ekampi ce pāṇam-a-duṭṭha-citto,
{showing friendly-kindness to just} one creature-(with an)-un-hateful (du=bad)-mind
Mettāyati kusalī tena hoti;
{**********} {makes you a} you a good [person].
Sabbe ca pāṇe manas-ānu-kampī,
(towards) all ** creatures (with a) mind-continuously-compassionate,
Pahūtam-ariyo pa-karoti puññaṃ.
A-noble-one creates {abundant} merit.
bingo! there's "karoti" finally in that present tense.
Ye satta-saṇḍaṃ pathaviṃ vijetvā,
the seven-clusters (of) earth (having been) conquered,
Rājisayo yajamānā anupariyagā;
(the) royal-rulers traveled around sponsoring sacrifices—
Assa-medhaṃ purisa-medhaṃ,
horse-sacrifice, human-sacrifice,
Sammāpāsaṃ vājapeyyaṃ niraggaḷaṃ.
the sacrifices of the ‘stick-casting’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unbarred’.
Mettassa cittassa su-bhāvitassa,
[compared to] friendly-kindess (of a ) mind well-developed,
Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṃ;
[those sacrifices] are not worth a sixteenth (of that);
Canda-p-pabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe,
[compared to the] moon’s-luminosity, all the constellations of stars
Yathā na agghanti kalampi soḷasiṃ.
Are not worth (a) fractional sixteenth [portion of that].
Yo na hanti na ghāteti,
(If) you don’t kill nor encourage-others-to-kill,
na jināti na jāpaye;
don’t conquer nor encourage-others-to-conquer,
Mettaṃso sabba-bhūtānaṃ,
(with) friendly-kindness (for) all-sentient-beings,
veraṃ tassa na kenacī”ti.
enmity you (have for) no one.”

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