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Proof that metta as ‘love’ is wrong translation (illustrated)

 This is an important passage used repeatedly in the suttas and vinaya (monastic rules),

a fundamental everyday aspect of monk community life,
describing how metta is practiced among the monk community.

MN 48 thanissaro translation (metta = "good will")
Then the Blessed One addressed the monks:
“Monks, these six are conditions that are conducive to amiability,
that engender feelings of endearment, engender feelings of respect,
leading to a sense of fellowship, a lack of disputes, harmony, & a state of unity.
Which six?

“There is the case where a monk is set on bodily acts of good will with regard to his companions in the holy life, to their faces & behind their backs.
This is a condition that is conducive to amiability, that engenders feelings of endearment, engenders feelings of respect, leading to a sense of fellowship, a lack of disputes, harmony, & a state of unity.

“And further, the monk is set on verbal acts of good will with regard to his companions in the holy life, to their faces & behind their backs.
This, too, is a condition that is conducive to amiability, that engenders feelings of endearment, engenders feelings of respect, leading to a sense of fellowship, a lack of disputes, harmony, & a state of unity.

“And further, the monk is set on mental acts of good will with regard to his companions in the holy life, to their faces & behind their backs.
This, too, is a condition that is conducive to amiability, that engenders feelings of endearment, engenders feelings of respect, leading to a sense of fellowship, a lack of disputes, harmony, & a state of unity.


that passage occurs in  12 texts and 18 matches in Suttanta Pali
AN 5.105 Phāsuvihārasutta Living Comfortably
AN 6.11 Paṭhamasāraṇīyasutta Warm-hearted (1st)
AN 6.12 Dutiyasāraṇīyasutta Warm-hearted (2nd)
AN 11.17 Gopālasutta The Cowherd
DN 16 Mahāparinibbānasutta The Great Discourse on the Buddha’s Extinguishment
DN 33 Saṅgītisutta Reciting in Concert
DN 34 Dasuttarasutta Up to Ten
KN (no matches)
MN 31 Cūḷagosiṅgasutta The Shorter Discourse at Gosiṅga
MN 33 Mahāgopālakasutta The Longer Discourse on the Cowherd
MN 48 Kosambiyasutta The Mendicants of Kosambī
MN 104 Sāmagāmasutta At Sāmagāma
MN 128 Upakkilesasutta Corruptions

3 hits of that same passage in the vinaya:

Vin 4, 10. kosambakakkhandhako, 274. pācīnavaṃsadāyagamanakathā, para. 2 ⇒
Vin 4, 10. kosambakakkhandhako, 274. pācīnavaṃsadāyagamanakathā, para. 3 ⇒
Vin 6, antarapeyyālaṃ, katipucchāvāro, para. 18 ⇒

(AFAIK) As far as I know, most translators consistently render metta with their chosen word everywhere in all the suttas.

So effectively (not their exact translation, just showing the key metta word translation)
Analayo has, “a monk is set on bodily acts of benevolence towards his companions… that engender … respect… harmony…”
Anandajoti has, “a monk is set on bodily acts of friendliness towards his companions… that engender … respect… harmony…”
Frankk has, “a monk is set on bodily acts of friendly kindness towards his companions… that engender … respect… harmony…”
B. Bodhi has, “a monk is set on bodily acts of loving kindness towards his companions… that engender … respect… harmony…”
Thanissaro has, “a monk is set on bodily acts of good will towards his companions… that engender … respect… harmony…”

Of those 5 translations shown, 4 out of 5 are exactly how you would expect metta to work in a monastic community, how they use metta to behave towards one another.
Metta in the suttas and vinaya monastic rules, is platonic, friendly, neighborly, in no way implying romantic or sexual relations.
Bhikkhu Bodhi’s “loving kindness” sounds a little sketchy to me.
But he stands by it, he translates metta as “loving kindness” in all of those 12 suttas that way AFAIK.

Now let’s see what happens with Sujato and his metta = love

(again, not his exact translation, I’m pointing out what would happen if he, like the other translators listed above, had confidence in their interpretation/translation of ‘metta’ and used the same translation everywhere)
Sujato would have:
“...a monk is set on bodily acts of love towards his companions ... publicly and privately… that engender … respect… harmony…”
“...a monk is set on verbal acts of love towards his companions… publicly and privately… that engender … respect… harmony…”
“...a monk is set on mental acts of love towards his companions… publicly and privately… that engender … respect… harmony…”

This is all fine, legal, and acceptable in Sujato's world (if we accept his "metta")










More detailed analysis why 'love' is not a valid translation of 'metta'



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