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Metta as taught by the Buddha in EBT

 


Mettā (1.🤝🤗 ): friendliness, good will, benevolence

mitta (masc.) = friend [√mitt + a]
metta (adj.) = friendly; benevolent; kind [√mitt + *a];
mettā (fem, +loc.) = goodwill (towards); friendliness (to); benevolence (for) [√mitt + *ā]

✅ As one of the 4bv☮️ , this attitude of friendly-kindness in unlimited, impartial, universal and applies to all beings without exception MN 21.
✅ Mettā should be done concurrently with sati , samādhi, 4 jhānas (4j🌕 ), maintained at all times and all posturesAN 8.63.
✅ Mettā is an attitude, a wish for other beings to be happy and free from suffering, a committment to do no harm.
* An 'attitude' can be maintained at all times and all postures.
* Mettā is not a nanny devoting all their energy, time and attention watching unruly kids wreak havoc on the world.
* Mettā is not an obligation to support every living being in the universe until the age of 18 and pay for their college tuition.
✅ You protect (rakkha) yourself first (by developing 👑8☸ ), before worrying about protecting othersSN 47.19.
✅ How does the Buddha's practice of mettā and 4bv☮️ differ from the pre-Buddhist brahma-vihāras?
The Buddha's leads to arahantship and non-return, the others only to Brahma realm rebirthAN 4.126.
✅ A true friend with good will would act (bodily, mental, verbal) in ways that might be unpleasant to the recipient (at appropriate times). Acting in ways that are not in the long term best interests, such as uttering white lies that flatter the recipient, is not mettā.
⛔ Mettā is absolutely not 'love', a highly charged ambiguous word that includes lustful passion, romantic delusion, unhealthy attachments to family and lovers, clinging that leads to pain, suffering, rebirth.
* At best, 'love' might include a component of genuine mettā, but 'love' is not equivalent to 'mettā', and can not be responsibly used as a translation for 'metta'.
* An attitude of friendly-kindness (mettā) from a friend (mitta) is welcome.
* 'lovers' spreading their 'love' to everyone is not welcome and not appropriate.
⛔ 'loving-kindness' is an attempt to avoid the problems with 'love', but still an ill-advised translation.

🤝🤗 mettā-sahagatena cetasā
🤝🤗with a mind of friendly-kindness,
ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā
pervade [that mind state] in the direction [of the first quarter, without limit].
viharati,
Live in this way.
tathā dutiyaṃ,
likewise (the) second [quarter],
tathā tatiyaṃ,
likewise (the) third [quarter],
tathā catutthaṃ;
likewise (the) fourth [quarter],
iti uddham-adho
Thus above,-below,
tiriyaṃ sabbadhi
across, everywhere,
Sabbat-tatāya
All-places,
sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ
(to the) entire world
🤝🤗 mettā-sahagatena cetasā
🤝🤗with a mind of friendly-kindness,
vipulena maha-g-gatena
vast, exalted,
appamāṇena a-verena
unlimited, without-vengeful-animosity,
A-byāpajjena pharitvā
without ill will, pervade [that mind state everywhere].
viharati,
Live in this way.

Key suttas

AN 4.126 - 🔗🔊 STED 4bv☮️, rebirth, non-return, and the 11x5 contemplation of dukkha
AN 11.15 - 🔗🔊: 11 benefits of doing metta (AN 8.1 plus 3 more).

All suttas with 'metta' in the title

AN 4.67 Ahi-metta [Ahi-rāja]: Snake-metta [snake-king]: chanting books call the verse section "khandha paritta"
AN 4.125 difference in rebirth for Buddhist vs. non-buddhist in brahma realm.
AN 4.126 - 🔗🔊 STED 4bv☮️, rebirth, non-return, and the 11x5 contemplation of dukkha
AN 7.62 Mā-puñña-bhāyi [Metta]: No-merit-fear: don't fear doing meritorious actions. Buddha describes previous life where as a result of doing that, he had many lifetimes of reward in godly realms.
AN 8.1 - 🔗🔊: 8 benefits of doing metta
AN 9.18 Nav'-aṅg-uposatha [Mettā]: nine factored uposatha: Once a week, follow 8 uposatha precepts, and do metta as ninth factor.
AN 11.15 - 🔗🔊: 11 benefits of doing metta (AN 8.1 plus 3 more).
SN 46.54 Metta: Difference between Buddhist and outsider 4bv☮️, and how to combine with arupa samadhi attainments
SN 46.62 Mettā: As a meditation subject, plugged in the 7sb☀️ samadhi engine.


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